Shadowchasers: Power Primordial
by Cyber Commander
Summary: At last! The thrilling conclusion to "Shadowchasers: Power Primordial"! Don't miss it!
1. Goblin Thief

Good morning. Welcome to my latest fanfic.

This fanfic is a sequel to "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's: Shadowchasers", so the rules it follows are pretty much the same. However, it will follow the September 2009 List in regards to what cards are legal. If you have not read the first Shadowchasers fic, I suggest you take a day or two to do so before starting to read this one.

Go on… This fic will still be here when you're done.

One special note: In _most_ cases, the fic will follow the rules of the game to the letter. But for one specific archetype of cards, special pre-established rules that differ from the real rules will be used. Without giving much away, this is necessary for the sake of story. It will be explained when these special rules are first used.

Turbo Duels in this fic will continue to use the original Speed World. We'll assume that Speed World 2 is not in use as yet.

This fic takes place three months after the end of the last fic. This means that it takes place about three months after the end of the Dark Signer arc in the anime, and three months before the current arc. In Neo Domino, the Daedalus Bridge is nearing completion, Satellite is undergoing renovations, and Jeager has assumed the temporary role of Director of Security, a job he does not like, until a new one can be assigned. (Although this actually benefits the Shadowchasers, as he is their government contact.) As of right now, the World Grand Prix is only a rumor, and Neo Domino is enjoying a brief period of quiet.

If anyone wants to write a Shadowchasers story of their own, I will still supply the Guidelines, which are now updated with more specific rules. Any existing author who wants to see the updated guidelines may request them.

One more thing:

Yu-Gi-Oh is a registered trademark of Konami. All rights to cards used in the game, pre-existing characters from the anime, and pre-existing fictitious locations are reserved by them.

Enjoy.

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_**Every story has its beginnings, and some things are defined by their beginnings. All cultures on Earth have their stories about how the world was created… I assume you know the story of the Garden of Eden, a story that creationists promote, and that evolutionists deny.**_

_**Shadowkind have various legends about the creations of their respective races too. They lose their memories upon coming to Earth, but old tomes and religious tracts come with them sometimes, and the stories of their mythologies survive. Dwarves proudly proclaim that they came from the stone of the earth itself, and that Moradin the Soul-Forger shaped them. Elves claim that they were born from Corellon's blood when it spilled in his great battle with the orc god Gruumsh at the dawn of time.**_

_**One story of creation that is mentioned in a spellbook of incredible evil called **_**The Book of Vile Darkness**_** is one that is rather shocking. It is not always believed, partially due to the farfetched nature, and partially due to the shame it implies. But it cannot be ignored entirely, for it is also found in **_**Acererak's Tome**_**, another evil spellbook thought to have been penned independently of **_**The Book of Vile Darkness **_**(an admitted assumption, because the author of the first book is not known). It is the story of the vashar. **_

_**According to this story, in the beginning, on the world of Shadow, the various gods met in what would be the mortal world. They combined their powers, and created the first mortal. A man, their first attempt at creating a sentient being.**_

_**Neither book gives any information as to what present race this mortal resembled, whether he looked like a dwarf, elf, or whatnot. No Shadowkind race is eager to claim any relation to this forerunner. You see, the gods had made a mistake, and not given the mortal any conscience or morals.**_

_**The man quickly started hunting in the wilderness while the gods watched their creation with curiosity. He pounced upon an animal, tore it apart with his bare hands, and gorged himself on the raw meat and blood. The gods were surprised by this brutality, but continued to watch.**_

_**Then the man tore away at the animal's guts until he found some large bones; he lashed these bones together with tough tendons and sinew, showing a cleverness that further surprised the deities. **_

_**Then he did the unthinkable. He broke one of the bones so that it made a sharp point, forming a crude weapon. Then he turned on his creators with the intent to kill them, snarling his first words, curses and death-oaths. Of course, the gods were in no danger, but they were disgusted by this thing that they had wrought. They struck the mortal dead for his audacity. Admitting that their first attempt was a failure, they left, saying they would try again at a later date and would learn from the mistakes they had made this time.**_

_**But no sooner had they left, a demon arrived. The two versions of the myth disagree on the identity of this demon. The version in **_**The Book of Vile Darkness**_** says that the demon was the one that would one day become the powerful demon prince named Graz'zt, but at this point, he was not nearly as powerful as he would one day become. The version in **_**Acererak's Tome**_** says it was a powerful succubus. **_

_**Some scholars who have studied this story have proposed a possible third identity, saying it may have not a demon at all, but none other than the mythical General of Gehenna, the enigmatic ruler of the yugoloths, who eons ago purged law and chaos from his race, forming them into the devils of Hell and the demons of the Abyss (or so the yugoloths claim).**_

_**Whatever the case, the demon gathered the remains of the mortal, and took them to a hidden location, an impossibly tall plateau accessible only through a series of underground catacombs filled with foul corruptions of nature. There, the demon used a powerful, blasphemous ritual to restore the man to life, and compel him to obey. Then, if one believes it was Graz'zt, the demon took part of his flesh and made a woman. (The twisted similarities between this part of the myth and the story of Adam and Eve are not overlooked by those who study this myth.) He then convinced the man and the newly created woman to mate, and a child was conceived. **_

_**The version of the myth that says the demon was a succubus says that she mated with him herself, and bore his child. Regardless, an evil seed was created.**_

_**After its work was done to its satisfaction, the demon then vanished back to the Abyss, sporting a wicked grin. From the dark union the demon had caused, a new race was created, one with no conscience or morals, who called themselves the vashar. They eventually claimed the caverns under that mountain as their home, and watched as the gods created new races of mortals, with more success than before. And it was said that they hid in the shadows, plotting the downfall of these races, motivated out of jealousy, and resentment over being rejected.**_

_**Is this myth true? Well, no Shadowkind has ever been brought to Earth who has claimed to be a vashar. But then again, it may well be that some have, and have just been unwilling to tell anyone. If you were a member of a race that was evil for evil's sake, it might be best to keep quiet about it. **_

_**And the myth has plenty of holes in it that often go unexplained. Many books by more respectable Shadowkind say that mortal beings existed long before anything even remotely resembling a humanoid ever first drew breath. Indeed, primal creatures who claim to have been around before even the gods have passed through from Shadow from time to time. Perhaps the myth of the vashar is merely an analogy to explain the dark side that lies within all sentient beings.**_

_**Again, everything has their beginnings… Some beginnings are earlier than others, and some are more hidden than others. **_

_**And some say that by knowing the secrets of beginnings, you can master their results…**_

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**Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's**

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**Shadowchasers**

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**Power Primordial**

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**A fanfic by Cyber Commander**

Below the streets of Neo Domino, the city's underbelly was split into several layers.

First, there were the subways. Busy underground trains full of bustling people, ever in motion.

Beneath them were the sewers. The only people here who belonged here were the workers who came down occasionally to maintain or fix them. Some vagrants lived here as well, along with Shadowkind who didn't mind living in squalor. Wererats and other creatures that lived in darkness made their home in the sewers.

And below the sewers were the places that few knew about… The caverns.

These old caves had been around before Zero Reverse. Before there had been any city to speak of, in fact. In these dark catacombs, dark things lurked, and powerful creatures hid treasures that they didn't want found.

Through these caves, a man walked. He was a strange-looking individual, dressed in a black, leather suit, with sharp spikes placed at several points, and a pair of dark sunglasses. He carried a Duel Disk on his left arm that was clearly of no design made by KaibaCorp.

Despite his intimidating appearance, these caverns even made him nervous. He didn't like coming here when he had to, mostly because he didn't like working for his new employer. But there weren't many job options for him lately.

He entered a large cavern lit by luminous crystals, with a large pool of water at the far end. As he walked in, the pool started to bubble and churn.

The man watched as a large form rose out of the pool.

"I bring bad news, my lord…" he said. "Godwin has fallen… The Dark Signers are no more."

The being in the pool paused. Then a response came, not spoken, but in the man's mind, sent telepathically.

"_Disappointing,"_ said the being, _"but not unexpected. The Earthbound Gods were little more than upstarts anyway._

"_What of their servants?"_

"Back where they came from, my lord," said the man.

"So what now? Do we strike against the true Signers ourselves?"

The being thought for a minute.

Then it spoke again.

"_With the Shadowchasers patrolling the border between the Clueless and the denizens of Shadow, it will be difficult. They must be dealt with first… Perhaps we can even use them to obtain what we desire…_

"_It is time to reveal ourselves to the Shadowchasers… And I know the perfect pawn to help us…"_

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**CHAPTER ONE**

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**Goblin Thief**

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At Shadowchaser Headquarters, somewhere in the countryside of Yorkshire in Britain, Hebi-Na nervously fidgeted while lying on the bed in her cell in the detention complex. Her eyes were on the clock as the hand moved towards one PM.

Hebi-Na was an ophidia, a reptilian humanoid Shadowkind that combined the features of snake and human. Ophidia varied in appearance. Hebi-Na looked like a young woman with snake-like eyes, fangs, and a serpentine trunk in place of legs. Ophidia were traditionally enemies of humans, thinking of them as prey. However, the Shadowchasers were not about to let them treat the humans on this world as such, and Hebi-Na had been caught aiding a powerful being in a diabolic scheme that had threatened the world. That being's fate was unknown, and all of the other known conspirators were dead. Hebi-Na was now facing justice for the scheme alone.

It was the day of her first court appearance. The charges against her had increased substantially since they found out she was helping Sonja plan the Deluge, and not even the few sympathizers that the ophidia had seemed willing to speak to her. In fact, her part in the plan had caused the ophidia to lose a lot of their sympathizers, something they never had many of to begin with.

Her lawyer, whom she knew hated her with a passion, had told her that she would be lucky if she got the death penalty. The prosecution was considering pushing for something worse, the infamous Coffin of Stone. Dying was not always a certain end for some Shadows, and this punishment had been used a few times in the past for the worst criminals, prisoners whom the Shadowchasers could not risk _ever_ coming back in _any_ form. Magic was used to imprison the condemned in a tablet of granite, placing the prisoner in permanent suspended animation. It would render her out of commission, and keep her soul and spirit bound to one place in the mortal world, ensuring she'd never threaten anyone in any form. Some said it was cruel and unusual, but it was far from commonly used. Crimes of this magnitude didn't happen all the time.

She had become even more nervous when she heard that Winston Beauregard would be the judge presiding over the case. Beauregard was an old curmudgeon known for having absolutely no sense of humor and very little tolerance for foolishness. It seemed that everything was falling against her.

"Hebi-Na!" snapped a voice from outside the cell.

Hebi-Na sighed, and turned her head where the two guards, accompanied by an iron golem, were waiting.

"It's time," said the one who had spoken. "You know the routine…"

Hebi-Na sighed, and slithered up to the door. She placed her hands outside the opening, and the guard fitted specially-designed handcuffs around them.

Then he opened the door, while the other guard carefully leveled a weapon at her. She knew that it was a magical device that was designed to be specifically effective against reptiles.

"By the way," said the first guard, "your lawyer didn't want me to tell you, but I think it's only fair… Don't get on Judge Beauregard's bad side today. Rumor has it, he's trying to quit smoking again."

Hebi-Na made a face.

_Well, there's one good side to this…_ she thought. _I'm sure the Coffin of Stone will give me some peace and quiet…_

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When it was one PM in Great Britain, it was ten PM in Japan.

In the upscale part of Neo Domino, there was the Neo Domino Museum of Natural History. It was closed right now of course, and the only people wandering through it were the security guards.

One guard strode through the African exhibit, lighting his way with a flashlight.

"All clear…" he said, shining it around.

He shone the light on the security box.

"System working…" he said.

"Check…"

As he left, a shadowy figure appeared in the skylight above him.

Carefully, the figure opened the skylight. A nylon rope lowered down.

The burglar slid down the rope. He was a slim figure, dressed entirely in black, a black hood covering his face.

He knew that the guard wouldn't come to this room again for another half hour, but he still had to be fast. He quickly moved to the security box.

Most burglars at this point would use wire cutters or knives to disable a device like this. But this burglar had other ways. His kind weren't the most powerful users of fey magic, but they knew a few tricks. He simply placed his hand over the box, and it shut off with a hum.

Then he looked at what he had come for.

Hanging on the wall was a painted, wooden shaman's mask, inlaid with precious metals and jewels, shaped like a horned demon's head. It was small, though, almost as if it had been made for a child.

The burglar took off his own mask and looked at it. He was a strange-looking creature. His face looked featureless, like it was made of wet clay, with two blank, white eyes, a small mouth, and a nose that consisted of nothing more than two small nostrils. His hair was neatly trimmed, and platinum blonde, almost white. His ears were of special note. They were long and pointed.

Not all fey were delicate sprites that danced and sang, and were friendly to humans. Some had at one time been notorious for kidnapping human children on dark nights, and leaving changelings behind. This thief was one of those changelings, long past the age where he would have posed as a human child. Of course, his kind didn't kidnap children any more; modern society frowned on such things, and the fey lords didn't want their relations with humans, and the Shadowchasers especially, to be hostile. Changelings nowadays would much rather use their shapeshifting abilities with more temporary disguises, used to con humans out of their money.

But this one had just found a much easier way to get it.

He quickly lifted the mask off the wall, and stashed it in a satchel slung around his shoulder. Then he ran back to the rope, and shimmied up it.

Once on the roof, he collected the rope, and started to coil it.

"Piece of cake," he said.

"Ah-hem!" said a voice behind him.

The Shadow spun around.

Standing there was a tall man, who seemed to be about twenty or so (he was actually nineteen). His face looked rough and rugged, and his hair had the natural "rolled out of bed look". (Many folks his age, male and female, would have loved to know how he got such beautiful hair, but the truth was, he didn't know. When asked what kind of shampoo he used, the best response he could give was "yellow".) His clothes consisted of a leather jacket and a battered pair of jeans.

A sword was strapped to his back, and a standard-issue Duel Disk was on his left arm.

Osaka Shichiro looked at the creature. He could see him for what he was, as he was a human gifted with the proper type of sight.

More importantly, he was a Shadowchaser.

"Good thing I saw you come in here," said Shichiro, crossing his arms. "The museum would hate to lose that Mbuti shaman's mask."

"I don't blame them…" muttered the creature. "It's worth a fortune."

"You disappoint me, Fudagawa," said the Shadowchaser. "Since when do changelings sneak into places and steal like burglars? Isn't it more your style to use your shapeshifting powers to mimic people and use the disguise to con them out of their money?"

"It's been harder to do it since you folks started watching us, Osaka," replied Fudagawa, somewhat annoyed. "I've got bills to pay. I need the money, and I don't care much for tradition at this point. I'd rather be a well-off burglar than a poor con artist."

"Yeah, well…" said Shichiro.

"No accounting for taste… So… Breaking and entering… Grand larceny… Illegal possession of a firearm… And by the way, get rid of it."

Fudagawa growled. He took a Colt .22 out of the concealed holster in his shirt and tossed it aside. (He knew that if he had tried to use it, Shichiro would have pinned him to the ground before he could aim it, and he'd be facing more charges.)

"So…" said Shichiro. "Are you gonna give up, or are we gonna do this the hard way?"

He lifted the Duel Disk.

Fudagawa put on a Disk of his own, and activated it.

"They always want to do it the hard way…" sighed Shichiro.

His own Disk activated.

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Fudagawa: 8,000)**

"Duel!" they both shouted.

"I'll make the first move…" said Shichiro.

He drew a card.

"I'll defend with this…" he said.

He placed a card on his Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"…and I'll end my turn there."

"My move," said Fudagawa, drawing a card.

"I summon Shining Abyss!" he exclaimed.

A bright light appeared on his side of the field, and an odd creature materialized. It was hard to tell whether it was a Fairy or a Machine. It had a pear-shaped, blue, metallic torso with no legs, mechanical arms, no face, and golden, metal wings. (1,600 ATK)

"Shining Abyss?" asked Shichiro. "I'd say you really do need money if you're using cards like that."

"Aw, stuff it," said Fudagawa. "Attack his Monster!"

Shining Abyss shot a beam of pure light at the reversed Monster…

A young woman appeared crouching on the card, wearing orange ceremonial armor, a cape, and a beret, holding a sword and a shield. (1,900 DEF)

"Your Monster can try," said Shichiro, "but it's going to find Command Knight too tough to handle."

Command Knight blocked the blast with her shield.

"Alright, fine…" muttered Fudagawa. "I'll set a card, and that will be all…"

A facedown card appeared behind Shining Abyss.

**(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 7,700)**

Shichiro drew a card.

"I summon Chthonian Soldier," he said.

He played the card, and a dark shadow appeared on his side of the field. A fiendish-looking Warrior in black armor with a helmet, holding a serrated sword, with an ugly scowl on his face revealing sharp teeth, appeared next to Command Knight. (1,200 ATK)

"And thanks to Command Knight, all Warriors on my side of the field gain 400 more Attack Points."

(1,600 ATK)

"Plus, Command Knight can't be attacked so long as I have at least one other Monster.

"Next, Command Knight moves to Attack Mode…"

Command Knight stood up, and brandished her sword. (1,200 ATK) –) (1,600 ATK)

"Then, I play a Continuous Spell Card…"

He played a card, and it appeared on his side of the field.

"The A. Forces. Now, all my Warriors gain 200 Attack Points for each Warrior present."

Both Warriors' Attack Scores increased to 2,000.

"Not bad…" said Fudagawa.

"Chthonian Soldier, attack Shining Abyss!" shouted Shichiro.

The infernal footsoldier swung his blade, and the weird Fairy exploded into shards. Fudagawa shielded himself.

"Command Knight, you're up! Attack him directly!"

Command Knight rushed at the changeling…

"Not so fast!" shouted Fudagawa. "I have a Trap…"

His facedown card shot up.

"Soul Resurrection! This lets me bring Shining Abyss back from the Graveyard to defend me!"

Shining Abyss appeared, crouching and shielding itself with its arms. (1,800 DEF)

Command Knight swung her sword, and Shining Abyss burst again.

"Good save, I guess," said Shichiro. "I end my turn…"

**(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 7,400)**

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Courtroom 10B at Shadowchaser Headquarters was crowded, as courtrooms tended to be for high-profile cases. No-one had been allowed inside without a thorough search, but not even that had kept away the Shadow-exclusive press and others who were eager to see the proceedings. No television or video cameras were allowed, however – the reporters were only allowed to take still photographs.

Hebi-Na was seated where the defendant usually sat in such proceedings, her lawyer next to her and a guard at either side. Her hands were still cuffed. The prosecution had wanted her restrained by a straightjacket, but the judge didn't think that was necessary. After all, with the security measures in place, she would be subdued the second she got even one hand free. And she knew it.

"Settle down everybody," said Judge Beauregard, as he adjusted his glasses.

"Ahem…

"If the defendant would step forward, please…"

Hebi-Na got up, and slowly moved in front of the bench. The two guards kept their sights on her.

"Hebi-Na…" said Beauregard. "The charges against you include multiple counts of murder, attempted murder, aiding a terrorist group, and the gravest charge, conspiring with a being with apocalyptic and genocidal goals.

"Do you understand the seriousness of these charges?"

Hebi-Na nodded.

"I would appreciate a verbal response," said Beauregard. "The court reporter cannot record gestures."

"Yes, I understand them…" said Hebi-Na, with a hint of bile.

"Do you have anything to say at this point?" asked Beauregard.

"Actually, I do…" said Hebi-Na.

She turned around, and looked at everyone watching her.

"Look at me," she said. "Take a good look. In case you didn't notice yet, I'm a _snake_. Snakes have been getting a bad rap since as far back as any Shadow can remember. Since any human history can remember.

"Maybe even since the dawn of time. The Bible says that it was a serpent that convinced Eve to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Of course, that part of the story always confuses me. The Garden of Eden was supposed to be paradise. Why would the God you worship, in His supposed infinite wisdom, allow an evil tempter to sneak in? No-one ever seems to question that part.

"I tend to believe that the 'Good Lord' _let_ it in, because He _wanted_ His two creations to eat the fruit."

Everyone was giving her dirty looks right now.

"Makes sense, you know…" she continued. "Your doctrine says that Original Sin can only be removed by the grace of God… Maybe He wanted it there so that humanity would be dependent on Him."

Some angry murmurs started coming from the spectators.

"What?" asked Hebi-Na. "Don't believe the almighty creator is capable of such things? Read the Book of Job, and you'll see just how cruel He could be sometimes."

The angry murmurs got much louder and more understandable. Judge Beauregard rapped his gavel on his bench.

"Let her finish," he said, somewhat irked himself.

"But I digress…" continued Hebi-Na. "You folks have always hated us… Can you blame us for hating you in return? Are we supposed to take this abuse and like it? Snakes hate humans because you hated us first. It's as simple as that."

Beauregard sighed, and looked at his clipboard.

"Be that as it may, Hebi-Na," he said, adjusting his glasses again, "controversial philosophies aside… Given the recommendations of the two psychiatrists who did your evaluation, it is my ruling that you are mentally competent enough to stand trial for these charges.

"Proceedings will resume exactly five days from today. Court adjourned."

He rapped his gavel on the bench again.

"Get her out of here."

"Blaming God for the fall of Man," said one of the guards. "Good one. The judge is right. You aren't crazy. You're just plain stupid."

Hebi-Na didn't answer. Truthfully, she didn't care. She knew that at this point, she had lost almost everything.

But she was determined to keep the one thing she had left – her pride.

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"My move…" said Fudagawa.

The changeling drew a card.

Then he fit a card into his Disk.

"I activate Mask of Dispel!"

A wave of energy shot forward, and a ghostly, ominous mask appeared on Shichiro's A. Forces card.

"Eh?" said Shichiro.

"We'll get to that later," continued Fudagawa. "For now, I summon Grand Tiki Elder."

A ghostly laughter echoed over the field, and a demonic witch doctor wearing a fright mask appeared in front of Fudagawa. (1,500 ATK)

"Another weak non-Effect Monster," sighed Shichiro. "Is this strategy of yours gonna go anywhere?"

"It will," replied Fudagawa, "once I Equip it with Mask of Brutality!"

He played another card, and an even uglier mask with a fanged mouth and claws where the eyes would be appeared over Grand Tiki Elder's face.

"This increases its Attack Score by 1,000 points."

(2,500 ATK)

"News flash, genius," said Shichiro. "You have to pay a thousand Life Points per round to use that. Axe of Despair would have been better."

"But I have a new way to use it," replied Fudagawa. "In the meantime… Attack his Chthonian Soldier! Tiki curse!"

Grand Tiki Elder chanted an evil spell, and a wave of dark energy shot at the Dark Warrior. He grunted, and then burst into pixels.

"You just activated Chthonian Soldier's effect," said Shichiro. "When he's destroyed, battle damage is inflicted on _both_ players."

Fudagawa grunted a little.

"I'll set a new card facedown," he said, as a reversed card appeared, "and end my turn…"

**(S: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 6,900)**

Shichiro made a draw, and looked at the five cards in his hand.

"I'll set a Monster, and then move Command Knight to Defense Mode," he said.

A reversed Monster appeared, and then Command Knight crouched and held up her shield. (1,900 DEF)

"That's all…"

Fudagawa made a draw.

"Now that it's my Standby Phase," he said, "I pay 1,000 Life Points to keep Mask of Brutality, as you said. But you lose 500 Life Points from Mask of Dispel."

Shichiro groaned a little.

"Now I summon… Melchid the Four-Face Beast!"

In an aura of dark energy, a new Fiend appeared. It looked more-or-less like a big head, with four masks spaced around its circumference. (1,500 ATK)

"Now, I activate… Meteorain," he said, as his facedown card lifted. "This means that for this round, all my Monsters can inflict damage even by attacking Monsters in Defense Mode.

"Grand Tiki Elder, attack his facedown Monster!"

The Tiki cast its evil spell again. Blade Knight appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

"ERGH!" grunted Shichiro.

"Now, I play the Quickplay Spell, Tailor of the Fickle," said Fudagawa, as a Spell Card appeared. "This lets me take Mask of Brutality off of one Monster, and put it on another.

"So I'll move it from my Monster to yours."

The Mask vanished from Grand Tiki Elder's face, and appeared on Command Knight's.

"Why did he do that, you may ask? Because Mask of Brutality lowers a Monster's Defense Points as much as it raises its Attack Points."

Shichiro looked at Command Knight… (900 DEF)

"Melchid…" ordered Fudagawa, "attack Command Knight!"

The Four-Face Beast flew at Command Knight, and slammed into her, smashing her to bits. Shichiro groaned.

"It's your move…" said Fudagawa.

**(S: 4,900) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 5,900)**

_Okay… _thought Shichiro, drawing a card. _So this guy is better than I thought he was…_

He looked at the card.

"I summon Little-Winguard," he said.

He played the card, and a little guy in blue armor, a cape, and a pointed helmet that only revealed its eyes, holding a sword and a shield appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"Little-Winguard??" laughed Fudagawa. "And you say my Monsters are obsolete? No-one has used that guy since Katsuya Jonouchi had it in his deck, and it was hardly his best Monster."

"It has its uses," replied Shichiro. "And it gains 200 more Attack Points from The A. Forces."

(1,600 ATK)

"Destroy his Four-Face Beast!" he shouted. "Wing slash!"

Little-Winguard flew at the Fiend, and made a downward swipe with its sword, cutting it clean in half.

"Now, I play Emergency Provisions," he continued, as he played a card, "getting rid of The A. Forces and destroying your Mask, gaining 1,000 Life Points in the process."

The A. Forces vanished, and the Mask of Dispel card shattered. Little-Winguard fell back to an Attack Score of 1,400.

"I move to my End Phase, which means I can use Little-Winguard's effect, and move it to Defense Mode, even thought I summoned it in Attack Mode."

Little-Winguard knelt and covered itself with its shield. (1,800 DEF)

**(S: 5,900) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 5,800)**

"Then it's my move…" said Fudagawa, drawing a card.

He looked at the one card.

He set it on his Disk and a reversed Monster appeared. Then Grand Tiki Elder shielded itself in Defense Mode. (800 DEF)

"Mmm!" he said.

Shichiro drew a card.

"I throw a card facedown," he said, as a reversed card appeared.

"Then I play The Warrior Returning Alive."

A Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.

"Now I can get Command Knight back…"

The card slipped out of his discard slot.

"Then I'll summon her!"

Command Knight appeared again. (1,200 ATK) –) (1,600 ATK)

"I'll move Little-Winguard back to Attack Mode…"

Little Winguard stood up. (1,400 ATK) –) (1,800 ATK)

"Go! Take out his Monsters!"

Little-Winguard flew at the fiendish Tiki, and made a slash with its sword. Grand Tiki Elder shattered.

Command Knight rushed at the facedown Monster. A clay jar appeared on the card, and a cackling, one-eyed, shadowy creature appeared out of it before she slashed it to ribbons.

"That was a Morphing Jar," said Fudagawa. "Now we have to discard all our cards and draw five more."

Shichiro discarded his two cards, and made five draws. Fudagawa simply made five draws.

Shichiro looked at the five new cards.

"I move to my End Phase, and move Little-Winguard to Defense Mode again," he said.

The little Warrior shielded itself again. (1,800 DEF)

"My move!" said Fudagawa, drawing a card.

"I play the Equip Spell, Mask of the Accursed! And I Equip it to Command Knight!"

He played the card. Command Knight screamed, right before another ugly mask latched to her face.

"Good lord…" muttered Shichiro.

"That will keep her out of commission," said Fudagawa. "Next, I throw two cards facedown, and summon Rogue Doll."

Two reversed cards appeared, and then an odd Monster appeared. It looked vaguely feminine, its head and torso combined, clothed in a purple cloak, with two arms that held a staff and no legs. (1,600 ATK)

"It's your move…" he said.

"I draw one card…" said Shichiro.

He made a draw. He looked at it.

_Hmm, Gilford the Lightning,_ he thought.

He looked at Command Knight and Little-Winguard.

_I'd need three Monsters to use his effect… But I could summon him with only two… And that will let me burn off that Mask before it does me any more grief…_

"I sacrifice…" he started.

"Hold up!" shouted Fudagawa.

One of his facedown cards lifted.

"Mask of Restrict?" said Shichiro. "Eh, I should have known. Well, I'll improvise…"

Little-Winguard moved to Attack Mode again. (1,800 ATK)

"Attack Rogue Doll!" he shouted.

Little-Winguard flew at the Spellcaster…

"Did you forget I had another Trap Card?" asked Fudagawa as his other facedown card shot up. "Go, Mask of Weakness!"

Another ugly mask latched to Little-Winguard's face, and its Attack Score fell to 1,100. Rogue Doll blasted a beam of pure light, and the Warrior was incinerated.

_I'm getting a little tired of this twisted masquerade party…_ thought Shichiro.

He turned a card on his Disk, and Command Knight crouched in Defense Mode. (1,900 DEF) Then he set a card, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"Your move…" he said.

**(S: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 5,800)**

"I draw," said Fudagawa, making a draw.

"And that means you lose 500 Life Points from Mask of the Accursed."

Shichiro groaned a little as Fudagawa looked at the card.

"Perfect…" he said. "Time to bring out one of my big guns…"

He flipped the card around.

"The Masked Beast?" asked Shichiro. "And just how are you gonna summon that? You need to sacrifice Monsters to make a Ritual Summon, and your own Mask of Restrict keeps you from doing that."

"Not if I use this," said Fudagawa, as he played a Spell Card. "It's called Advanced Ritual Art.

"This card can be used in place of the normal Ritual Spell, and rather than sacrificing Monsters, I have to send Normal Monsters from my deck to my Graveyard whose combined Levels equal the Level of the Ritual Monster."

He quickly discarded two more Grand Tiki Elders.

"Now, arise!"

A cloud of dark smoke appeared on his side of the field, followed by a low growl.

The Fiend that appeared was some eight feet tall. It looked basically centaurian in shape, even though it's lower body only had two legs. It was overall muscular and covered with bony plating, and a mask covered its face that seemed to be nailed on. It carried a nasty-looking club. (3,200 ATK)

Shichiro frowned.

"Attack his Monster!" shouted Fudagawa.

The Masked Beast roared, and charged at the facedown Monster.

An elf in armor and a cape holding a sword appeared on the card. He blocked the Fiend's blow with his blade, and pushed it back. (1,200 DEF)

"Eh?" said Fudagawa.

"Obnoxious Celtic Guardian can't be destroyed by Monsters with 1,900 Attack Points or more," said Shichiro. "That thing has over 3,000!"

Fudagawa put his hand on his hip and frowned.

"Oh, is that so?" he asked. "Rogue Doll, you take care of him! Rogue phantom blast!"

The Doll fired its blast of light, and the elf Warrior was incinerated.

"So…" said Fudagawa. "What are you gonna do now?"

**(S: 4,900) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 5,800)**

Shichiro drew a card.

"Oh, I thought I'd play my Pot of Avarice…" he said, playing the card.

He quickly took Chthonian Soldier, Little-Winguard, Mystic Swordsman LV2, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, and Blade Knight from his Graveyard, and added them to his deck. He reshuffled, and then made two draws.

"Now I'll activate my facedown card," he said.

The reversed card he had set a few turns ago lifted up.

"It's called Level Retuning. It lets me lower the Level of my Monster by up to two. So I'll lower Command Knight's Level from four to two."

"Why would you do that?" asked Fudagawa.

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Shichiro, playing a new card. "I summon Junk Synchron!"

In a flash of light, a cute-looking robot dressed like a mechanic, apparently made of scrap metal and spare parts, appeared next to Command Knight. (1,300 ATK)

"That guy's a Tuner!" shouted Fudagawa.

"It sure is!" replied Shichiro. "And since Monsters Tuned for a Synchro Summon are _not_ considered sacrifices, it's time to take this duel to the next level!"

Junk Synchron yanked a ripcord on its waist, and the motor on its back started to hum. Command Knight stood up, and the mask on her face shattered.

Both Monsters leapt into the sky, and glowed with light. They formed into five glowing stars.

Shichiro raised his arms.

"_Treasure from trash,"_ he chanted. _"Relics from refuse. A powerful fighter formed from the debris neglected and thrown away! Clustering stars call a new force… Synchro Summon… Junk Warrior!"_

With a roar, the powerful form of Junk Warrior, Yusei Fudo's signature card (after his Dragon) flew down, casting an angry glare at the changeling. (2,300 ATK)

"Yeah, yeah, great Monster," said Fudagawa, sarcastically. "But it's still not strong enough to beat The Masked Beast…"

"Then I'll make it stronger," replied Shichiro, playing a Spell Card, "with Battle-Tuned! Now, by removing a Tuner Monster in my Graveyard from play, I can increase the Attack Score of Junk Warrior by its Attack Score."

Junk Synchron slipped out of his discard slot, and he placed it inside his jacket. Junk Warrior roared louder. (3,600 ATK)

"Hey, wait a minute!" shouted Fudagawa.

"Attack The Masked Beast!" ordered Shichiro. "Scrap Fist!"

Junk Warrior's jetpack ignited, and it flew at the huge Fiend. It socked the abomination full in the face, and the Beast toppled over before shattering into pixels.

"Ergh…" groaned Fudagawa. "Okay, you win that round…"

"I end my turn," said Shichiro.

Junk Warrior's Attack Score returned to 2,300.

**(S: 4,900) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 5,400)**

Fudagawa made a draw.

"I'll set a facedown, and then move Rogue Doll into Defense Mode," he said.

A reversed card appeared, and then the Spellcaster shielded itself with its arms. (1,000 DEF)

"That's all I can do…"

Shichiro made a draw.

"I summon Goblin Attack Force," he said.

He played the card, and a gang of five goblins carrying clubs appeared next to Junk Warrior. (2,300 ATK)

"Get that Rogue Doll!" he shouted.

The goblins rushed forward, and pummeled the Doll with their clubs. It shattered under the onslaught.

"Junk Warrior, attack him directly!"

Fudagawa grunted as the Synchro socked him in the chest hard. He fell on his seat.

"Goblin Attack Force now moves to Defense Mode…" he said.

The Goblins sat down, and held their clubs in their laps. (0 DEF)

"I set one card facedown, and end my turn," said Shichiro, as a reversed card appeared.

**(S: 4,900) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 3,100)**

"My move…" growled Fudagawa.

He made a draw.

"And I'm going to use _my_ Pot of Avarice."

He played the card, and took all three Grand Tiki Elders, Rogue Doll, and Shining Abyss from his Graveyard. He put them into his deck, the Disk auto-shuffled it, and he made two draws.

Shichiro sighed. This new model of Duel Disk had recently come out, with auto-shuffling and many other new features, and it seemed everyone in town except the Shadowchasers had them. The boss had told them they were going to be standard issue for the organization, and had told everyone not to waste money on them. Seeing as the boss provided their spending money, they didn't go against his orders when he told them not to buy something. But Shichiro wasn't the only Shadowchaser who was getting tired of waiting for the red tape to be cleared so he'd get his new Disk.

"I activate the Spell Card, Spiritualism," he said, as he played a Spell Card. "This lets me return one Spell or Trap Card to the owner's hand.

"And I'm going to do that to my own Mask of Restrict."

The Trap Card vanished.

_I don't like where this is going,_ thought Shichiro.

"Next, my facedown card," he continued, as his facedown card lifted. "Birthright. Now, I can Special Summon Melchid back from my Graveyard."

The Four-Face Beast appeared again. (1,500 ATK)

"Then I'll summon Masked Sorcerer."

He played the card, and a weird-looking Spellcaster with a full-face mask and a violet cloak with no lower body, holding a golden pocket watch appeared. (900 ATK)

"Then, I sacrifice both Monsters…"

Both Monsters were shrouded in an ominous black flame…

_Here it comes…_ thought Shichiro.

With a roar of pure bloodlust a hulking, frightening form loomed over Fudagawa's side of the field. It was even taller than The Masked Beast, but more humanoid, combining the worst aspects of demon, reptile, and bear, with bony horns on its head and shoulders. It had three masks, one on its face and one of each shoulder.

Shichiro looked upon Masked Beast Des Gardius… (3,300 ATK)

"Well _that's_ a surprise…" muttered Shichiro, sarcastically.

"I'm through fooling around!" shouted Fudagawa. "Attack Junk Warrior! Savage claw!"

Des Gardius roared, and made a monstrous swipe at Junk Warrior. Shichiro braced himself as his Monster exploded.

**(S: 3,900) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 3,100)**

"I set a card facedown," said Fudagawa, as a reversed card appeared. "Uh… I'm guessing you know what it is, right?"

He grinned.

"So… What do you think?"

"I think it's my move…" said Shichiro.

He drew a card.

He quickly played a Spell Card.

"I play Magical Stone Excavation," he said. "Now, I toss two cards…"

He discarded two cards, one of which was Gilford the Lightning.

"…to get back a Spell Card from my Graveyard."

A card slipped out of his discard slot, and he took it.

"Next, I summon Marauding Captain…"

In a burst of energy, one of the most popular Warriors in the game appeared, the battle-worn veteran in armor and a cape, with a scar on his face, holding two swords. (1,200 ATK)

"Finally!" exclaimed Fudagawa. "I didn't think you'd _ever_ summon a Warrior who didn't look weird!"

"Oh, be quiet," said Shichiro. "I'm sure you know that when I summon him, I get to Special Summon someone else from my hand. Like Tuningware."

In a small burst of energy, a little robot wearing a scarf around its neck and a saucepan on its head appeared. (100 ATK)

"Now I activate… Call of the Haunted!"

His facedown card lifted up.

"Now I'm going to summon a guy I tossed to play Magical Stone Excavation… Meet Road Synchron!"

Another robot appeared, and this one looked far more intimidating than Tuningware. It had golden armor, arms that suggested muscles, exhaust pipes on its back, and long rollers instead of legs. (1,600 ATK)

"Whoa…" said Fudagawa. "Never saw _that_ guy before…"

"Now he'll give my other two Monsters a Tune-up!" exclaimed Shichiro.

Road Synchron's eyes glowed, and smoke shot out of its exhaust pipes. Then it, Tuningware, and Marauding Captain flew into the sky, and faded into light, turning into eight glowing stars…

Shichiro chanted again:

"_Clustering stars form a highway where the king of the road can rule. Form a path that can guide the way to victory on the horizon! Dash onward! Synchro Summon… Road Warrior!"_

In a blast of powerful energy, a new Monster appeared with a roar. It was just as big as Des Gardius, clad entirely in golden armor, with bladed gauntlets and a series of exhaust pipes on its back.

It glared at the huge Fiend. (3,000 ATK)

"Okay, that's… pretty good…" said Fudagawa. "But my Monster is still better…"

"We'll see…" said Shichiro. "First, I use Tuningware's effect. Since it was used in a Synchro Summon, I get to draw one card…"

He looked at his deck. He paused.

He made a draw.

He smirked a little.

"Next, I use Road Warrior's effect," he said. "Once per turn, I get to Special Summon a Level 1 or 2 Warrior or Machine from my deck."

Mystic Swordsman LV2 appeared next to the much bigger Warrior, and knelt down, shielding himself with his sword. (0 DEF)

"Now, I play the card I recovered with Magical Stone Excavation," he said. "The A. Forces!"

The Spell Card appeared.

"With Mystic Swordsman and Goblin Attack Force on the field, Road Warrior gains 600 more points!"

(3,600 ATK)

"Destroy Des Gardius! Lightning claw!"

Road Warrior rushed at the huge Fiend, its claw sparking with electricity and exhaust billowing from its pipes. One swipe of its claw, and Des Gardius roared in pain before exploding into slag.

"Ergh…" groaned Fudagawa.

**(S: 3,900) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 2,800)**

Then he smiled an evil smile.

"You may have destroyed Des Gardius," he laughed, "but I'll have the last laugh! Now I get to use The Mask of Remnants!"

The ugliest mask yet, looking like stitched-together skins and sinews, flew at Road Warrior and bonded to its face. Road Warrior was pulled over to Fudagawa's side of the field.

"Well…" said the changeling. "Any other move you'd like to make?"

Shichiro looked at the last card in his hand.

"No…" he said, casually. "Your move…"

Fudagawa drew a card.

He looked at it. It was his second Mask of the Accursed.

_I'll save this,_ he thought.

"Road Warrior," he ordered, "destroy Goblin Attack Force! Lightning claw!"

Road Warrior charged, and the five goblins screamed as they were electrocuted.

"So…" chuckled Fudagawa. "What are you gonna do now?"

"Easy," said Shichiro. "I'm going to beat you."

"Beat me?" asked Fudagawa. "You wish! I've stolen a lot of Monsters from my opponents with The Mask of Remnants because they didn't know about Des Gardius's effect, but this is the best one yet!"

"But I _did_ know about Des Gardius's effect," replied Shichiro. "I was _quite_ familiar with it."

Fudagawa stopped short.

"Then why the heck did you…" he started.

"My move…" said Shichiro, with a grin.

He drew a card. Then he quickly played the one he already had.

"I play De-Synchro!" he shouted. "Now, Road Warrior goes back to my Extra Deck…"

The Mask of Remnants shattered, and Road Warrior itself vanished.

"…AND, I get to Special Summon the Monsters I Tuned to summon it!"

Road Synchron (1,600 ATK), Tuningware (100 ATK), and Marauding Captain (1,200 ATK) appeared on Shichiro's side of the field again.

"And that means I can Tune them together again!"

The three Monsters faded into eight glowing stars a second time…

With a roar, Road Warrior appeared again, and this time, when it looked at Fudagawa, it was mad. (3,000 ATK)

"You were playing me for a fool all along!" shouted Fudagawa.

"Well, not all along," replied Shichiro. "But most of the time, yeah.

"Road Warrior… Attack directly!"

Fudagawa screamed as Road Warrior slashed at him with its lightning claw…

**(S: 3,900) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 0)**

Shichiro sighed. He walked up to the changeling, who was out cold.

"They never learn…" he said, as he picked up the stolen shaman's mask.

He looked at the moon.

_Such a beautiful night, _he thought. _Too bad we have to work… Eh… A Shadowchaser's work is never done…_

_Wonder how Gears, Jinx, and Ember are doing?_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_**Next:**_

_**Gears: The duergar are a degenerate race, descended from the same ancestry as the noble dwarves. But where the dwarves are honorable and proud, the duergar are tyrannical and cruel. Their society is one where slavery is common, and the strong bully the weak. Now, I've discovered that one of them is part of a car theft ring and running a "chop shop".**_

_**Come out and face me! My Allies of Justice are ready to do what they do best…**_

"_**Metal Shooter" is coming next!**_


	2. Metal Shooter

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**DUEL TWO**

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**Metal Shooter**

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**0 0 0 0 0**

It was midnight in Neo Domino.

In the Daimon Area, the rural, backwater, downtown part of the city, most residents knew enough to stay off the streets at this hour.

But in one warehouse, several people were hard at work.

The place was set up like an auto shop, where several workers dressed like mechanics were working on a group of cars with wrenches, tire irons, and butane torches.

It might seem odd for an auto repair shop to be open this late, and the reason was, this was no auto repair shop. Its purpose was not to fix cars, but to take them apart. Crime slang called this operation a "chop shop", a place where stolen cars were dismantled so that the parts could be sold on the black market, which in many cases made a better profit than simply selling the cars in one piece.

"Shake a leg, people!" shouted a gruff voice.

Everyone grumbled. The voice had come from their new boss, who had taken over after their old one had gone to jail. Louie (they didn't know his last name) was a short, stocky guy (barely five feet tall) with a full, black beard that tended to have pieces of food stuck in it most of the time. He wore a red plaid shirt and overalls (both of which were covered with axle grease) and had the biggest mouth they had ever dealt with, not to mention foul breath.

They didn't like him, but they knew he worked for someone with considerable power in the underworld. Just who, they didn't know, but people who talked back to Louie tended to disappear.

"How's it going, people?" he asked.

"We should be done by three," said one of the mechanics.

"You'd better," said Louie. "Krue says he's bringing in a Mitsubishi X4000, and we've got a special order for this one. Do good with this, and you clowns might be a little better off.

"Mess it up, and I'll be even angrier than I usually am, got it?"

Before anyone could answer, his mobile phone rang. He answered it.

"Eh?" he said. "Krue? Huh?"

He turned to someone who was watching the door.

"Open the door," he said.

The watchman hit a switch, and the front garage door opened. As he did, someone dashed in, clearly frightened.

"Krue?" said Louie, rushing up to him. "You _walked_ back?"

The car thief was quite out of breath. He didn't answer for a minute.

"What happened, Krue?" asked Louie. "I thought you had a winner."

"I thought I did too," replied Krue. "Turns out its security system was a winner too. Or should I say, the security system I didn't notice."

Louie looked at him.

"Are you telling me…" he started.

"Don't worry," said Krue. "After I bailed out of the car, I lost them…"

Then everyone was startled by the sounds of sirens.

"You idiot!" shouted Louie. "You mean you led them right to us!"

"Kill the lights!" shouted one of the mechanics.

The whole room went dark.

"**All right in there,"** came the voice of someone outside on a bullhorn. **"This is Sector Security. We have the place surrounded. Come out with your hands up!"**

"What do we do now, boss?" asked someone.

No answer.

"Boss?"

Louie, whose real name was actually Lutzo, was not about to be caught because of some stupid human's mistake. He knew several ways out of that place that no-one else knew about, and he had taken one of them.

As he exited the basement door onto the street, he ran in the other direction, not looking back as Security started rounding up the less fortunate criminals.

If they weren't Mundane, they would have seen that his skin was dusky grey, and his eyes were pale white, with no irises or pupils. He looked like a grim parody of a dwarf, and his race was related to them, in much the same way that the dark elves were related to true elves. He was a duergar, one of a degenerate, forsaken offshoot of the noble dwarven race that true dwarves thought of with disgust.

But duergar didn't care who hated them; they had all been taught from birth that it was a cruel world where only the strong survived and the weak got what they deserved. Lutzo didn't care if the men he had just abandoned hated him for doing so. His employer wouldn't care, and he was home free…

Or so he thought…

He took a second to look back and chuckle at the thought of those ingrates being arrested, and as he did, he ran right into someone, and fell over.

He looked up, and saw a human much more intimidating than they could ever hope to be. He was muscular, and also dressed in work clothing (albeit much cleaner) and had a sword on his back much like Shichiro's.

"Uh… Hi, Gears…" said Lutzo, with a nervous grin.

Gears (everyone called him that, as he hated his real name) looked at Lutzo and shook his head.

"You told the parole board you were done with the auto theft business, Lutzo," he said. "I knew they shouldn't have trusted you…"

"I tried to go straight, Gears!" shouted Lutzo. "I couldn't even get legitimate work as a grease jockey! Mundanes don't need my skills, and Shadows won't hire a duergar when hill dwarves have the same skills.

"Everyone trusts them over us, because every one of them was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and one up his…"

"You're breaking my heart, Lutzo," said Gears, sarcastically.

"Well, you can be sure I'm not letting you take me in for number two…" growled Lutzo, as he got up.

He whipped a Duel Disk off his back and put it on.

"So duel me if you dare!"

Gears activated his own Disk.

"Oh, I dare all right!" he replied.

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Lutzo: 8,000)**

"My draw, Shadowchaser," said Lutzo.

He made his first draw.

"And I'm throwing out Shining Angel in Attack Mode."

In a flash of light, an angelic being wearing a toga with golden wings appeared in front of him. (1,400 ATK)

"Okay, that's all for now…"

_Hmm…_ thought Gears, as he made a draw. _Light Monsters, huh? He must not know me too well…_

"I play Star Blast," he said, as a Spell Card appeared. "With this card, I can pay 500 Life Points to downgrade the Level of one my Monsters from 5 to 4.

"That means I'm now able to summon Ally of Justice Rudra."

In a dark shadow, a Machine appeared in front of Gears. It looked like a large mechanical wolf, with sharp claws, and a ridged spine. (1,900 ATK)

"And guess what, Lutzo?" he continued. "When Rudra battles a Light-Attribute Monster, such as yours, it gains 700 Attack Points.

"Attack! Destroy Shining Angel!"

Rudra growled, and then pounced, and its Attack Score rose to 2,600. Shining Angel grunted, and then shattered

"Ergh…" muttered Lutzo.

"Yeah, well I'm sure you know about Shining Angel's effect. When it's totaled, I get to Special Summon a Light Monster from my deck with 1,500 Attack Points or less.

"So say hello to Victory Viper XX03!"

The Monster that appeared was a futuristic fighter spacecraft, vaguely triangular in shape, glowing with an aura of energy. (1,200 ATK)

"I end my turn…" said Gears.

**(G: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 6,800)**

Lutzo drew a card.

"I summon Rocket Warrior!" he exclaimed.

He played the card, and a cute little robot wearing armor that looked like parts of a missile, holding a sword and a shield appeared. (1,500 ATK)

"Hey, Gears?" said Lutzo. "You know those toy robots that turn into things? This is one of them.

"But before it does, I'm going to give it an Equip Spell… Rocket Pileder!"

He played a card, and Rocket Warrior glowed with golden fire.

"Now, attack Rudra!"

Rocket Warrior changed shape, becoming more like a rocket than before. Then it shot like a guided missile at the Ally of Justice, hitting it with a huge blast.

Lutzo grinned as Rocket Warrior landed on his side of the field again. Rudra groaned as smoke rose from its hull.

"Thanks to Rocket Warrior's effect," said Lutzo, "it's unharmed, I take no damage, and Rudra loses 500 Attack Points. And thanks to Rocket Pileder, Rudra also loses Attack Points equal to Rocket Warrior's base Attack Score."

Rudra's Attack Score fell all the way to zero.

"That means it's easy prey for my Victory Viper!"

Victory Viper fired a missile from its underside at the Ally. Rudra's Attack Score rose to 700, but it wasn't enough, and it was blown to scrap in a large explosion.

"Now I activate Victory Viper's effect," continued Lutzo. "Of should I say, one of the three effects I can activate whenever it destroys a Monster. I think I'm gonna activate its first effect, which gives it 400 more Attack Points."

(1,600 ATK)

"And with that, I end my turn…"

**(G: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 6,800)**

Gears drew a card.

"I summon Ally of Justice Garadholg!" he exclaimed.

A new Ally appeared on the field. This one was smaller than Rudra, resembling a robotic fox that stood upright, with a mane made of glowing energy. It held two energy blades as weapons. (1,600 ATK)

_I could get rid of Victory Viper with this,_ he thought. _But Rocket Warrior is the more dangerous Monster right now._

"Now Garadholg attacks Rocket Warrior," he said, "and when it attacks a Light Monster, it gains 200 more Attack Points!"

Garadholg rushed at the strange Warrior, and its Attack Score rose to 1,800. It made a slash with its blades, and Rocket Warrior exploded.

**(G: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 6,500)**

"Okay, now I'm mad," said Lutzo.

"It's your move…" said Gears.

Lutzo frowned, and made a draw.

"I summon Gradius," he said.

Another fighter ship appeared. This one looked sort of like an earlier model of Victory Viper XX03, not as fancy or elaborate. (1,200 ATK)

"Now, a Spell Card," he said, as a card appeared. "It's called Power Capsule. This let's me activate one of Victory Viper's three effects right now.

"I think I'll juice up its Attack Score again."

Victory Viper glowed with energy again. (2,000 ATK)

"Now, destroy Garadholg!"

Victory Viper fired its missile again, and Garadholg was blown to hot slag.

"Now I think I'll activate its third effect," continued Lutzo. "This one lets me Special Summon an Option Token."

What looked like a small, metal, flying drone appeared in the air next to Victory Viper.

"And the Token's Attack and Defense Scores are the same as Victory Viper's!"

(2,000 ATK)

"Now then… Gradius… Option Token… Let him have it!"

Gears braced himself as a barrage of artillery shot from the two fighters, stabbing into him.

**(G: 3,800) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 6,500)**

Gears sighed. It was now clear to him what sort of deck Lutzo was using.

It had started with a video game released _way_ back in 1985 called _Gradius_. It was a side-scrolling "shoot-em-up" with a simple objective: You had to pilot a spacecraft (called the Vic Viper) through a level, shooting all the enemy spacecrafts, and at the end of the level, you had to defeat a boss, which was a big spaceship, or sometimes a huge monster. The key to beating the boss was to hit its weak spot. If you succeeded, you went on to the next level. As you progressed, you could collect power-ups that you could use to "purchase" upgrades for the Vic Viper, making it faster and giving it more firepower.

The game was popular, and spawned many sequels and spin-offs. And then, someone at I2 thought it would be neat to make a Monster Card called Gradius that looked like the spacecraft in the game. (This was a misnomer, because "Gradius" was actually supposed to be the name of the planet that the ship was from, not the ship.)

It was just a Normal Monster with only 1,200 Attack Points, quite weak by the standards of the modern meta, but it didn't stop there. Soon, more _Gradius_-themed cards were released. The game's bosses were released as Duel Monster cards, and so were other enemies in the game and other playable fighter ships in the game series. The connection between _Gradius_ and Duel Monsters eventually became a sort of tradition.

Only a few duelists actually made decks out of them, but they could be tricky if used right.

"It's your move," said Lutzo.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

When it was one AM in Neo Domino, it was three PM in Great Britain.

Hebi-Na was reclining on the cot in her cell, reading. In the detention center at Shadowchaser Headquarters, you could either rot or you could read (there was no work detail at this prison). The library that prisoners had access to wasn't half-bad, although high-risk prisoners like her had books delivered, and they were checked page-for-page for messages when they were returned.

The book she was reading was H.G. Wells' _The War of the Worlds_. This was a favorite of ophidia; any story where humans were slaughtered in large numbers by other beings was popular with them. (The fact that a human had written it was an irony that was lost on them.) What made this book especially enjoyable was the fact that, while the genocidal race had lost in the end, no human could take credit for defeating them. (The Martians had perished due to exposure to terrestrial pathogenic bacteria.)

The ophidia had to admit that they found little sense in some aspects of the book. Why would the Martians only invade Britain when beginning a global assault? Certainly, there were strategies that were sounder. (The ophidia didn't seem to realize that the book was more than simple science fiction, and it was full of analogies. Having the aliens invade only Britain, which would be a foolish move for a true planetary assault, was Wells' way of expressing his displeasure over the colonialism and imperialism of the British Empire.)

As she turned the page, an announcement came over the loudspeakers.

"**Attention!"** exclaimed a voice. **"Fight in women's showers in Block C. All female guards in Blocks B and D report to that area."**

Hebi-Na sighed.

"Man, that's the third shower fight in two weeks…" she muttered. "I'm starting to think there's something in the soap…"

As she started reading again, a tiny, dark mote, no bigger than a grain of sand, floated past her head, and entered her ear.

She cringed and clutched her head. Visions of Duel Monsters that she had never seen before flashed before her mind's eyes… Fiends… Dragons… Beasts… All of them with demonic faces and glowing, evil eyes…

Slowly, the visions became less intense, and the pain eased… But then she saw something new…

A door… An ominous, wooden door, with odd runes carved on the surface…

Somehow, she knew that the Monsters she had seen were waiting behind that door…

Then, the visions stopped.

She felt exhausted all of a sudden. She didn't feel like reading much any more.

She put the book down and looked at the clock. It would be two hours before the guard who brought dinner would come by. She had time for a nap…

She lay her head down on the pillow, and fell asleep.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"My move!" shouted Gears.

He made a draw.

He set a card on his Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"Mmm!" he said.

"That all?" chuckled Lutzo, making a draw. "Time to put you out of your misery…

"I summon Lord British!"

In another aura of light, a new fighter spacecraft appeared. This one looked closer to terrestrial fighter planes than the previous two, and was silver with red trim. (1,200 ATK)

"Attack his Monster!" shouted Lutzo.

Lord British fired a rippling, wave-like aura of energy at the hidden Monster. A small, basketball-sized metal sphere appeared on the card and exploded.

"HA!" laughed Gears. "You just destroyed Ally Bomb! And when Ally Bomb is destroyed in battle with a Light Monster, like right now, I get to destroy two cards on the field!

"So say goodbye to Gradius and Victory Viper XX03!"

Lutzo shielded himself as the two crafts burst into flames and exploded. The Option Token vanished in a ripple of light.

"You didn't think I knew that the Option Token would be destroyed if I destroyed the real Victory Viper, did you?"

"All right, you're very smart," grumbled Lutzo. "But Lord British is still here, and it can use one of two effects when it destroys a Monster.

"One of which is the ability to attack a second time!

"Attack him directly! Ripple Laser!"

Lord British fired its energy wave again, and Gears groaned and shielded himself as it tore into him.

Gears stopped to catch his breath.

"You know, Lutzo," he said, "I'm thinking you play WAY too many video games, pal."

"Eh, what do you care?" said Lutzo.

He placed a card in his Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

**(G: 2,600) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 6,500)**

"My move," said Gears.

He made a draw.

"I summon Ally of Justice Researcher."

There was a sound like a car engine, and the new Ally drove onto the field. It looked like an armored all-terrain buggy of alien design, with two laser rifles mounted on its back, and two robotic arms on the front. (1,400 ATK)

_Hardly my best Monster,_ he thought, _but at least it's stronger than Lord British…_

"Shoot that plane down!" he shouted.

Researcher blasted its lasers, blowing a hole through Lord British's wing. It caught fire, and then shattered into pixels.

"I'll throw a card facedown," he said, as a reversed card appeared in front of him. "And it's your move."

**(G: 2,600) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 6,300)**

"My draw…" said Lutzo.

He drew a card and looked at it closely.

Then his facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Trap Stun," he said. "This card forces all other Traps on the field to take the round off. So don't think about using whatever you just set."

Gears stopped short. He looked at his facedown card and sighed.

"Ah, enough with _Gradius_…" muttered Lutzo, looking at the card he had just drawn. "There are other games to play at the local arcade… Let's try something from another favorite of mine…

"I summon Blue Thunder T-45!"

Another spaceship materialized in an aura of light. This one looked more like an actual spacecraft than the _Gradius_ fighters, with a blue windshield. (1,700 ATK)

As Lutzo had said, this was actually from a different game called _Thunder Cross_, which was of the same genre as _Gradius_.

"Attack his Researcher!" he ordered. "Thunder blast!"

Blue Thunder shot a bolt of burning energy, and Researcher was reduced to a smoldering scorch mark on the ground.

"I'm not done with you!" shouted Lutzo. "Once again, I get to summon a token… A Thunder Option Token!"

A Machine much like the drone created by the Victory Viper appeared next to Blue Thunder. (1,500 ATK)

Gears actually cried out in pain as a blast from the drone hit him.

**(G: 800) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 6,300)**

"Just so you know, Gears…" said Lutzo. "This time, destroying the actual Monster _won't_ make the Token go away.

"And it's your move…"

_Man, if this keeps up, I'm gonna lose!_ thought Gears. _And if I lose, this lowlife will get away!_

He looked at his deck.

_Not on my watch!_

He drew a card.

"I summon Ally of Justice Thousand Arms!"

The Machine that appeared was far more humanoid than the other Allies of Justice. It was made of black metal, and had six arms, sort of like what Asura Priest would look like if it were a robot. Its six hands held swords, knives, and axes. (1,700 ATK)

"Thousand Arms can attack all opposing Light Monsters in the same Battle Phase," said Gears. "That means it can destroy both of your Monsters."

"Not without being destroyed itself," chuckled Lutzo. "And once it's my turn, you'll be defenseless!"

"Not if I play this!" replied Gears, as he threw a card into his Disk. "Since Gradius Monsters tend to be rather weak, you likely have this card in your deck yourself… Shrink!"

Blue Thunder's Attack Score fell to 850.

"Thousand Arms, attack the Thunder Option Token!"

Showing remarkable agility for a mechanical construct, Thousand Arms leapt into the air, and cleaved the drone in two with one swipe of its blade.

"Now destroy Blue Thunder T-45!" he shouted.

Thousand Arms made a second swipe, and the spacecraft was blown apart.

"That's two problems down," said Gears.

He looked at the last card in his hand.

"And it's your move…"

**(G: 800) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 5,250)**

Lutzo growled a little, and made a draw.

"Time to get back to _Gradius_," he said. "I summon Jade Knight!"

He played a card, and a new spacecraft appeared. It looked similar to Lord British, except true to its name, it had green trim instead of red. (1,000 ATK)

"With Jade Knight on the field," said Lutzo, "all Light-Attribute Machines I control that have 1,200 Attack Points or less can't be destroyed by Trap Cards. Normally, its effect would protect itself…

"But since I want to get rid of your Thousand Arms, I'm going to make it stronger.

"I set one card, and then Equip it with Mage Power!"

He played the two cards, and Jade Knight glowed with radiant energy.

"Now, it gains 500 Attack Points for each Spell and Trap I have."

(2,000 ATK)

"Attack Thousand Arms with Round Laser!"

Jade Knight glowed, and then shot an aura of destructive energy that emanated from it in all directions at once…

"Hey, Lutzo!" shouted Gears. "Remember this facedown card that your Trap Stun kept me from using last turn?"

His facedown card shot up.

"It can't stop me from using it _this_ turn! I activate Half or Nothing!"

In a flash of light, the hulking form of Judge Man appeared to block Jade Knight's attack. He held a glowing, golden axe in his right hand, and a plain-looking woodsman's axe in his left.

"Now you gotta make a choice," said Gears. "You can continue your attack, but if you do, your Monster's Attack Score is cut in half. Or, you can end your Battle Phase right now."

"Fine," said Lutzo. "I choose to end it. And I'll end my turn while I'm at it."

Gears drew a card.

He quickly set it on his Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared. Then he switched the card that was already on his Disk, and Thousand Arms knelt in Defense Mode. (0 DEF)

"Switching that thing to defense?" asked Lutzo. "Not that it had any…"

"Just move…" said Gears.

Lutzo drew one card and looked at it.

_Hmm, Widespread Ruin…_ he thought.

"I play a facedown," he said.

The card appeared next to the other one, and Jade Knight's Attack Score rose to 2,500.

"Now, let's try this again! Round Laser!"

Jade Knight fired its wave-like blast again, and Thousand Arms was incinerated.

"That's all…" he chuckled.

Gears quickly made a draw.

"I flip Morphing Jar into Attack Mode!" he shouted.

The facedown card flipped up, and the laughing thing in the jar appeared.

"Why, thank you!" laughed Lutzo, as he made five draws. "You must have been pretty desperate to use that…"

Gears discarded his two cards, and drew five. He looked at them.

"You may have five more cards, Lutzo…" he said. "But whether or not you'll get to use them… _That_ is not as certain."

He quickly played one of his cards.

"I play Silent Doom!" he exclaimed. "Now I can bring Ally Mind back from the Graveyard."

An odd Machine appeared in front of him. It looked more like a large, spherical computer – or part of one – than a humanoid robot. It was covered with circuits, wires, and ports. (1,400 DEF)

"Eh?" said Lutzo. "When was that…"

He paused.

"Oh… You just discarded it when you flipped Morphing Jar, right?"

"That's right," said Gears. "Next, I summon Ally of Justice Unknown Crusher."

He played another card, and a new Machine appeared. It looked like a large, robotic elephant, with a glowing node on the end of its trunk. (1,200 ATK)

"Now, I Tune all three of my Monsters together!"

Ally Mind beeped, and the lights on it flashed. Then it, Unknown Crusher, and Morphing Jar flew into the night sky. Gradually, they dissolved into ten glowing stars.

"A Level Ten Synchro Summon??" gasped Lutzo.

"That's right!" exclaimed Gears. "I'm summoning the newest member of my team!"

He threw up his arms and called out:

"_Skin of platinum, a heart of diamond, quicksilver running through its veins! The mightiest weapon of the Healing Darkness built to battle the Light of Ruin! Clustering stars build a Machine of great power…_

"_Ally of Justice Decisive Arms!"_

A shadow loomed over the field, and a huge Machine towered over Gears. True to Gears' chant, it seemed to be made of platinum, but its build suggested powerful armor. Shaped like a torso without legs, its head was a giant laser cannon, and its arms were two smaller (but still big) laser cannons. (3,300 ATK)

"Thirty-three hundred Attack Points?" gasped Lutzo.

Then he calmed down. He remembered that he had both Widespread Ruin AND his own Shrink set on the field.

_C'mon, attack me,_ he thought. _Attack me, you big lug… I dare you…_

"I know what you're thinking, Lutzo," said Gears. "You're thinking that as soon as I attack, you're going to spring one of your facedown cards, and that's going to be bad for me.

"Well, sometimes Decisive Arms doesn't have to actually attack to hurt you. You see, like many of your spaceships, it has multiple effects, which I can use when you have a Light-Attribute Monster on the field. You know, like you do now?

"This time, I'm going to use the third one. To do so, I have to send every card in my hand to the Graveyard."

He discarded the three cards in his hand.

Lutzo laughed out loud.

"Why would you do something so…" he started.

Then he was shocked, as five large cards appeared in front of him.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Now that I've done that," said Gears, "I get to see your hand, and all the cards in it that are Light Monsters go to the Graveyard.

"So let's see what you're hiding…"

The first card spun around. It was Gradius Option.

"There's one…" said Gears.

Decisive Arms blasted its cannon, and the card was blown apart.

The second card spun around, revealing another Jade Knight.

"There's another," said Gears.

The cannon blasted again, destroying it.

The third one spun around, revealing a Falchionβ.

"Ooh, that's a good one…" said Gears.

The cannon blasted, blowing it away.

The last two cards spun around, showing them to be a second Shining Angel and a second Blue Thunder T-45. The cannon fired twice, annihilating them.

"You're gonna pay for that, Gears…" hissed Lutzo.

"Afraid you won't get a chance," said Gears. "I haven't even gotten to the best part. Now, you take damage equal to the combined Attack Scores of those Monsters you just lost."

Lutzo stopped short. He tried to do the math quickly.

"Let me make it easy for you, pal," said Gears. "It equals 5,300, and that's just enough to say 'Game Over' for you.

"Decisive Arms…"

The huge Machine's cannon absorbed energy…

"Finish him off with antimatter energy blast!"

Ally of Justice Decisive Arms fired a bolt of dark energy, and Lutzo screamed in pain…

**(G: 800) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 0)**

Gears sighed as he walked up to the unconscious duergar.

"When mothers say that video games rot your brain," he muttered, "they may have a point…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Shadowchaser Headquarters was hidden in a valley in the countryside of Yorkshire, and it was hidden well.

Powerful magic made it virtually invisible if viewed from the outside, whether it was from the ground or air. Anyone looking into the large valley would only see a forested area. And if someone simply walked towards it, oblivious to the presence, other magical spells would implant suggestions in his head that would convince him to go another way. Most of the residents and visitors to the Headquarters used portals and other magical means to get in.

The place was also cloaked with magical devices that hid it from radar and other technological means of detection. It was like a magical version of the technology that cloaked the U.S. Air Force's B-2 Stealth Fighters, but was strong enough to hide a small city. (Adequate, because Shadowchaser Headquarters was pretty much the size of a small city.)

However, all the magical cloaking defenses couldn't hide the fortified complex from the creature that was looking down into the valley right now. It was mindless, non-living, and enchanted with magic older and far more powerful than any that the Shadowchasers had. The illusions keeping the city concealed from sight couldn't fool it.

Some would say that a hostile assault on this place was suicide, because it had far more lethal defenses. But the creature had no concern for its own safety. It only heeded the directives of its programming, the details of its mission. Only two possibilities lay before it – success, or its own destruction. Only when it was destroyed would it admit failure, because it knew of no other way to do so.

It had a purpose, and it would carry that purpose out. It had no mind; the purpose was the only thing that drove it as it marched towards the front gate of the Headquarters, where two iron golems stood guard…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_**Next:**_

_**Jinx: A jewel thief strikes in the dark of night. He summons Monsters that look funny on the surface, but who hit just as hard as the strongest of Warriors. My deck no longer depends on luck, other than the luck of the draw. And I need the combined strength of my fighters to deal with my foes. X-Sabers! To arms!**_

"_**Power Bond" is coming soon!**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

And now, it's time for the return of a special bonus section… Anyone who wants to do their own Shadowchasers story, you might want to take notes.

**Shadowchaser Files**

**J, the Vigilante of White Justice**

In any society, vigilantes and mercenaries are not a rarity. Among Shadowkind a single name floats among the crowds of Shadows in illegal activities – J. Only recently has the name popped up more often.

It may have just started out as a rumor, but rumors have to start somewhere. It was around fifty years ago when J's name spread through the illegal circuits of the underworld when a group of dark elves tried to rob a bank one night. The bank was known to have an extremely rare (and magically powerful) gemstone that could be sold for millions on the market to the highest bidder.

However, before they had a chance to reach the specialized safe, J appeared before them.

Whatever happened that night remains a secret among the dark elves, but when Shadowchasers arrived to investigate the tripped alarm, all of the dark elves were knocked out and had several injuries – albeit none life threatening.

Ever since, for the next fifty years up to the present, J has appeared at crime scenes almost all over the North American continent and then vanished as mysteriously as he came. No one knows if J is really his name; the only reason why people call him that is because he has never said anything except "In the name of Justice, my blade will strike you down!" Being so adamant about justice, Shadows just called him by the first letter of his supposed favorite word – Justice.

According to the testimonies of Shadows who were caught by J, he was a tall, imposing figure dressed in white and black armor, made to look like it was actually part of his body, with bulging muscles and baggy black pants. It's not known if J is a human or a Shadow, as his face is completely covered by a white mask with sharp lenses to let him see. In fact, it's not even confirmed if J's a male, due to his long black hair that seems to reach down to his back. At his back, he has a long sleek sword similar in style to a katana and has a specialized white Duel Disk on his right arm that's a white version of the Chaos Disks used by the minions of the Orichalcos.

As mentioned before, J is a man of justice and as thus, knows how to fight, whether it is with swords, or hand-to-hand combat, or on the dueling field. Being a man of justice, he wouldn't try to pull any tricks or use any underhanded schemes to attack his opponents. That doesn't mean he doesn't know good strategies, however.

Although he has helped the Shadowchasers numerous times, J has been wanted for several counts of assault and battery, destruction of property, interfering with the law, and several other accounts that come with the title of vigilante. There was even one account in which J has actually attacked a few Shadowchasers for interfering with his justice. Shadowchasers aren't the only ones who are after J. Countless Shadow and human crime bosses are interested in unmasking J to see who he is. Or at the very least, try to find J's mysterious contacts to the underground world of crime to alert him of any big deals of injustice.

**  
Story Ideas:** Being hunted by Shadowchasers and Shadowkind alike for his 'Justice', J travels across the country (and in some cases travel across the globe). Often or not, he could just be another face in the crowd, watching any Shadow or Shadowchaser for any corruption of his 'Justice'. He'll often appear in many crime busts and deliver his 'Justice'.

J could make as an excellent anti-hero for a storyline, being willing to take down anyone in the name of justice, whether it be with or against the Shadowchasers.

No one knows what J's goal is, or what dark (and possibly tragic) past he might hide, but people can assume that he seeks a world that's free from corruption and any power that could possibly control this world of ours (perhaps that is the reason he detests the Shadowchasers, since they are a worldwide organization). He could actually try to take down the archvillian for a story, willing to go at any length to stop the villainous acts.

**  
Deck Suggestions:** Being known as the White Justice, J uses a deck that represents that name (he's come to like it). Normally using Light-Attribute monsters in a specific type – Such as Warriors or Machines, but he's been know to use at least three different decks. One of which was rumored to be the 'White Knight' deck that was used by Manjoume Jun. This rumor has yet to be confirmed, and if true, would deepen the mystery surrounding him.

_J was a creation of fanfic author Lux-Nero_


	3. Power Bond

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL THREE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Power Bond**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

It was four PM in Britain.

Possibly the most luxurious building in Shadowchaser Headquarters was the private home of the organization's head. An elaborate manor house, it stood on a hill overlooking the other buildings.

The owner's name was Jalal Stormbringer, but his last name was rarely used. And he was not only the leader of the Shadowchasers, he was the _founder_.

Of course, very few Shadowchasers ever mentioned that fact. It would sound like boasting. The son of a powerful dragon and a human woman, he had taken the gift of immortality from his father one-thousand years ago when it seemed that it would cause the elder Stormbringer an eternity of suffering, due to the cruel attack of an assassin.

He was now sitting in his darkened study, thinking hard. He slowly got up and walked to a cabinet, where he took out a bottle of cognac and a brandy glass.

Any true liquor connoisseur, like he was, knew that brandy was meant to be an after-dinner drink. So now was not quite the right time for it. But he needed something to calm his nerves. He had seen Hebi-Na's brief court appearance, and knew that the next few months were likely not going to be pleasant. He didn't like dealing with the ophidia… But then, who would like dealing with a race of predators that had such incredible superiority complexes?

Hebi-Na's little speech had not been the first time someone had accused God of deliberately orchestrating the Fall of Man. Jalal was old enough to recall several controversial philosophers who did so. He remembered Sol Chelno the Exile, a dark elf in the Seventeenth Century who published a tract called _Crimes of the Divine_, a work that outlined this and many other actions that he perceived were criminal acts that the Lord had made against humanity. British authorities would have arrested him for heresy, a crime that they punished by hanging at the time, but they simply couldn't find him. They outlawed the document and burned whatever copies they found, but more kept turning up. The Shadowchasers didn't interfere (the Great Treaty had no provisions that outlawed what he was doing) until they discovered that Chelno was actually an ur-priest, a vile thief of divine energy who stole power from the gods to fulfill his selfish desires. Fortunately, when he finally began to put his master plan in action – he had a master plan, naturally – the Shadowchaser proved better able to find him.

As he thought about this, he was startled as a siren went off…

That was the perimeter alarm. It had only gone off a few times in the past…

Shadowchaser Headquarters was under attack.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

When it was four PM in Britain, it was one AM in Japan.

The race of gnomes, which was likely related to dwarves at some point in the distant past (possibly with a hint of the fey races in them), was known for a lot of things. They were known for their love of jokes and other humor. They were known for being sneaky, stealthy, and tricky.

They were also known for their love of technology and invention. Gnomes just loved to build and fix things. However, most of them weren't too good at it. Gnomish inventions rarely did what they were supposed to do, and sometimes did things they _really_ weren't supposed to do. A story is told of a gnome who once tried to build a new and improved still to make Irish whiskey, which he would use to open his own tavern. What he built didn't do the job, but he was able to turn it into a pretty decent wok stove. Needless to say, his plan to open a tavern failed, but his Chinese restaurant was rather successful.

Gnomes who were dedicated to perfecting a single invention often called them "life quests", and they dedicated their whole lives to fulfilling them. Only a few succeeded. More than one life quest had ended in disaster when the gnome pursuing it was blown up in some explosion, but this never seemed to dissuade other gnomes.

In Neo Domino's business district, one gnome was resorting to criminal means in his pursuit of a life quest.

The lock on the door of a jewelry store had been taken apart, and so had the security box, allowing the thief to enter with ease. The gnome, whose name was Nilbert, was now inside, going over the diamond jewelry in the display case, which he had also carefully opened.

He wore a pair of worn jeans, and a leather vest containing many pouches for tools. It held several pliers, wrenches, hammers, screwdrivers, and many odd items that Mundane humans wouldn't know the purpose of.

Most jewel thieves would have simply stuffed as many valuables as he could into a bag and ran, but Nilbert needed specific diamonds. He wore glasses that had a jeweler's lens for the left eye, and used it along with a flashlight to carefully examine each diamond. He stashed some in a bag, and put the others back.

Unfortunately, he lost track of time, and was startled when the lights went on.

Nilbert turned around and saw a young woman at the door with an angry look on her face. She wore a leather jacket and trousers, had long, blonde hair and green eyes. Like Shichiro and Gears, a sword was on her back, and a Duel Disk was on her arm.

She sighed.

"Still at it, Nilbert?" she asked. "Still trying to perfect the gemstone-powered car engine?"

"Can I help it, Jinx?" asked Nilbert. "Can I help it if materials are hard to come by?"

"Nilbert, I told you last time…" said Jinx. "The Momentum system is a lot cheaper."

"You don't understand," said Nilbert. "No-one understands! Once I perfect my engine, we'll have a car that will be able to run for thirty years on the power of one diamond."

"Thirty years?" asked Jinx. "Who in his right mind ever keeps a car for that long?"

"I won't let you stop my work, Jinx…" said Nilbert.

He activated a Duel Disk.

"I challenge you to a duel, and this time, your gamble cards aren't going to turn in your favor!"

"Gamble cards?" said Jinx, activating her own Disk. "Have you been living under a rock? I gave those cards away. My deck doesn't rely on luck any more. No more than the luck of the draw…"

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Nilbert: 8,000)**

"Ladies first," said Jinx, making a draw.

She looked over her six cards.

"I summon X-Saber Galahad!"

She played the card, and a strange Warrior appeared in front of her. He didn't look much like the Galahad of Arthurian legend; this Galahad had a toad-like face, with grey hair tied in a ponytail, and a long, scaly tail. He carried a weapon that looked like a cross between a spear and a pike, and wore bronze armor which had an X insignia on the belt buckle (the insignia of the X-Sabers). (1,800 ATK)

"I see you're still using those guys," said Nilbert. "What are they supposed to be, anyway, some tribe of barbarians from the Bronze Age?"

Jinx frowned.

"I'll end my turn there," she said.

"Well, let's see what we have here…" said Nilbert, making a draw.

He played a card.

"I prefer the Industrial Revolution, myself," he said. "I summon Steamroid."

As he played the card, a large, cartoonish steam locomotive with eyes appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"Ho boy…" said Jinx.

"You look nervous," said Nilbert. "I'm guessing you know that Steamroid gains 500 Attack Points when it attacks, while your Monster loses 500 Attack Points when it's _being_ attacked.

"Steamroid, flatten that X-Saber! Full steam ahead!"

Steamroid blew steam from its engines, and its Attack Score rose to 2,300. It charged at Galahad and Galahad's Attack Score fell to 1,300 before it ran right over him. Jinx cringed a little.

"I'll throw a card facedown for later," said Nilbert, "and turn it over to you."

A reversed card appeared behind Steamroid.

**(J: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 8,000)**

Jinx made a draw, and then chose another card.

"I'm calling out X-Saber Urz!" she shouted.

There was a loud battlecry, and a new X-Saber leapt onto the field. He had a demonic, red face with tusks, was dressed in furs, and carried two curved scimitars. (1,600 ATK)

"And I also know that your toy train _also_ loses 500 Attack Points when it's being attacked," said Jinx.

"Urz, smash that thing!"

Urz hollered, and leapt at the Machine. Steamroid's Attack Score fell to 1,300, and with two slashes of blades, it blew into an explosion of scrap.

"I'll set two cards of my own, and my turn is over," said Jinx, as two reversed cards appeared.

**(J: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 7,700)**

"I'm drawing!" said Nilbert, making a draw.

"I summon Drillroid!"

As he played the card, the room shook, and another cartoonish Machine burrowed out of the floor. It was a drilling machine, again with a face and a big drill on the front. (1,600 ATK)

_So, he's using Vehicroids,_ thought Jinx.

"Next, I activate Call of the Haunted," said Nilbert.

His facedown card lifted up, and Steamroid materialized again. (1,800 ATK)

"Steamroid, crush X-Saber Urz!"

Steamroid sped towards Urz, and its Attack Score rose to 2,300 again…

"Not this time!" shouted Jinx, as one of her facedown cards shot up. "I activate One Seriousness!

"I can use this Trap when I only control one Monster, and that Monster is an X-Saber. It Equips to him like an Equip Spell."

Urz's two swords vanished, and one larger sword appeared in his hands. (2,400 ATK)

"As you can see, it gives him a boost."

Urz made a slash, cutting Steamroid clean in half.

"That's not all," said Jinx. "When an X-Saber destroys a Monster with One Seriousness, I get to make one draw…"

She drew a card.

"Eh…" muttered Nilbert. "I'll set one more card, and end my turn…"

A new facedown card appeared.

**(J: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 7,600)**

Jinx drew another card.

_Perfect…_ she thought.

"I summon X-Saber Airbellum!" she shouted.

With a low growl, a far more bestial X-Saber appeared. His face combined the features of human and wolf, and he wore leather armor and gauntlets with three nasty blades on each wrist. (1,600 ATK)

"Urz, destroy Drillroid!"

Urz made a swipe with his large sword. Drillroid's eyes bugged out, and then it exploded.

Jinx made another draw.

"Airbellum, attack him directly!"

Airbellum snarled, and pounced on the gnome. Nilbert staggered backward as the Beast made a slash with his claw.

"That really hurt…" he muttered.

"I'm not done with you," said Jinx. "When Airbellum attacks directly, one card in your hand is destroyed."

A large card appeared in front of Nilbert. It turned around, and was revealed to be Truckroid, and then shattered.

"Damn…" he said.

"I'm still not done," said Jinx, as her other facedown card lifted up. "I activate Urgent Tuning. Now, I can Tune my Monsters together in the middle of the Battle Phase…"

Urz and Airbellum glowed with a red aura, and then flew towards the ceiling, where they formed into seven glowing stars.

Jinx lifted her arms.

"_Power gained from primal rage, nature spirits bestow your gifts on your chosen ones! Clustering stars light the way to victory on the battlefield! Fight on… X-Saber Urbellum!"_

With a roar, a new Warrior landed. It was a tall, muscular man, dressed in primitive, patchwork armor, with two swords on his back, and a helmet made from the skull of a steer. The X-Saber insignia was on his belt. (2,200 ATK)

"Nice outfit…" said Nilbert.

"Flattery will get you nowhere with him," said Jinx. "Airbellum… Get 'im."

Urbellum drew one of his swords, and slammed it to the ground, sending a shockwave that knocked Nilbert over.

**(J: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 3,000)**

Nilbert got up.

"Of course you realize," he said, "this means war!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

More alarms were now sounding at Shadowchaser Headquarters. Jalal had quickly used a spell to don his armor and sword, and was now speaking into his mobile.

"Franct, what's going on?" he shouted. "Who's attacking us?"

The response came, somewhat garbled.

"A golem, sir," said the guard captain. "A very powerful one. It's already destroyed four of our golems, and it's…"

Then the voice was lost to static.

"Franct, come in!" shouted Jalal.

_Destroyed four of our golems?_ he thought.

"Boss, it's me," said Franct's voice. "I had to switch to backup power.

"This golem is in the legal sector, and it's shrugging off everything we throw at it. We can't even slow it down. But it only seems to be attacking what actually gets in its way.

"It seems… Wait a minute…

"Boss, I think it's heading for entrance to the detention center!"

"Good lord," said Jalal. "Franct, listen to me! I want an immediate lockdown of that place! Do you hear me? An immediate lockdown! I don't want anything to get in or out!"

"Roger on that," said Franct. "I'm sending the order to…"

There was a short pause.

"Uh, boss, then again, it might not be wise to order a lockdown…"

"Why not?!" shouted Jalal.

"Because the golem just broke in," came the reply. "It took out the two sentries with two punches and tore open the gate to the access shaft."

Jalal stared at the phone and didn't say anything.

It defeated the two sentries? Defeated two double-sized iron golems? What the heck _was_ this thing?

"I'm coming to the command center," he said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"I draw one card…" said Nilbert, making a draw.

"And I summon Submarineroid!"

A new Machine appeared in front of him. It was a cartoonish submarine with eyes, holding a torpedo underneath it. (800 ATK)

"It may not have many Attack Points, but it has a neat effect…"

Submarineroid dove under the floor, and Jinx was surprised as the floor seemingly turned to liquid, and showed something rushing towards her.

"Go!" shouted Nilbert. "Subterranean sneak attack!"

Jinx screamed as an explosion of liquid erupted around her.

"Now that I've done that," continued Nilbert, "Submarineroid moves to Defense Mode…"

Submarineroid surfaced in front of him, and crossed its arms. (1,800 DEF)

Nilbert played two cards, and two facedown cards appeared next to the first one.

"It's your move," he said.

**(J: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 3,000)**

Jinx made a draw.

"I summon Enraged Battle Ox!" she shouted.

With another roar, a minotaur clad in armor and holding a nasty axe appeared next to Urbellum. (1,700 ATK)

"Urbellum, destroy Submarineroid!" she shouted.

Urbellum drew his sword again, and prepared to make the attack…

"I activate… Supercharge!" shouted Nilbert, as his facedown card lifted up. "Since you declared an attack against my Vehicroid, I get to draw two cards!"

He quickly made two draws.

"That won't save your Monster," said Jinx, as Urbellum slashed with his blade.

"No, but this will," replied Nilbert, as another facedown card shot up. "It's called Cyber Repairer. Now, you get to draw a card, but Submarineroid can't be destroyed."

The shockwave glanced off Submarineroid's hull. Jinx made a draw.

"I end my turn…" she said.

Nilbert drew again.

"I summon Cycroid," he said.

The Machine that appeared was… a bicycle. A bicycle with one eye and hands on it handlebars. (800 ATK)

"And now," he said, as he played a Spell Card, "I Equip it with Training Wheels."

Jinx couldn't help but chuckle as a pair of training wheels appeared on Cycroid's rear wheel.

"Yeah, it may look silly," said Nilbert, "but this Equip Spell lets it attack directly."

Submarineroid moved to Attack Mode. (800 ATK)

Then both Vehicroids rushed at Jinx, Submarineroid diving below and Cycroid simply maneuvering past her Monsters, ringing its bell. The former blasted her again, while the latter socked her in the jaw.

"Ergh…" she said.

"Submarineroid moves to Defense Mode…" said Nilbert.

(1,800 DEF)

"And thanks to Training Wheels, Cycroid is removed from play until my next turn…"

Cycroid vanished into a ripple of light.

"I set one more card facedown," he said, as a new reversed card appeared, "and my turn is over."

**(J: 4,600) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 3,000)**

_If this keeps up,_ thought Jinx, _I'm going to be taken down a little bit at a time…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the detention center, alarms were flashing.

"**All personnel and golem handlers to Maximum Security Wing Four!"** shouted the voice over the loudspeaker. **"Intruder in compound! This is not a drill! Repeat, this is not a drill!"**

Hebi-Na sat up. The alarms had woken her up about three minutes ago, but she hadn't bothered to get up.

_Maximum Security Wing Four? _shethought_. Wait… That's where I am…_

She got up, and looked out the opening of the door to her cell. She could see the floor of the cellblock below, where a fight was taking place.

The guards were trying to fight off what appeared to be a golem made of a flawless, silver metal, and not having much luck. It was shrugging off the blows and blasts from their weapons, and every time one of the Shadowchasers' golems got near, it would throw a punch that broke it to pieces. The human guards were being smart enough not to get that close, but they seemed unable to halt the thing's progress.

Hebi-Na laughed.

"I have no idea what's going on," she chuckled, "but I love it! They're getting trashed and I have front row seats!

"Man, all I need is a hot dog and a bag of popcorn, and I'd…"

Then she stopped short as she realized something…

The golem was heading straight for her cell.

Hebi-Na's excitement quickly turned to panic. She rushed to the intercom next to her cot, and hit the button.

"Guard!" she screamed. "Guard! Help!"

She was interrupted as the golem ripped open the door to her cell. She screamed again, and slunk back in the corner.

The golem didn't say anything, but simply grabbed her. A hatch opened on its chest, revealing a cavity within. It ignored her screams and stuffed her inside, closing the hatch after it did.

Then it started back the way it came. The guards now redoubled their efforts to stop it, but they still couldn't dent the thing.

The golem had gotten what it had come to get. Its programming switched to the second part of the plan – escaping with it. The method doing so was already in its programming, but it was still going to take some time.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jinx drew a card.

"All right, Nilbert," she said, "I'm bringing out X-Saber Axel."

She played the card, and another tough-looking fighter, dressed in armor and furs and holding a large sword, appeared. (400 ATK)

"Not exactly the strongest Monster," said Nilbert.

"Attack Points aren't everything," said Jinx. "Urbellum, let's try this again. Attack Submarineroid!"

Urbellum made a slash with his sword again, and the shockwave shot towards the Vehicroid.

"I activate… Draining Shield!" shouted Nilbert, as one of his facedown cards shot up.

A dome of energy sprang up, and absorbed the blast.

"So much for that…" muttered Jinx, playing another card.

A reversed card appeared.

"Your move…"

**(J: 4,600) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 5,200)**

"Then I draw a card," said Nilbert, making a draw. "And as promised, Cycroid comes back…"

Cycroid reappeared, still Equipped with its Training Wheels. (800 ATK)

Submarineroid moved to Attack Mode again. (800 ATK)

"Cycroid, attack directly!"

Cycroid rushed at Jinx again.

"Not this time!" shouted Jinx, as her facedown card shot up. "I activate Dust Tornado!"

A tornado whipped across the field, and Cycroid wobbled as its Training Wheels blew off.

"That thing can't attack me directly now," she said.

"Fine…" said Nilbert. "Then I'll have it attack Axel!"

Cycroid punched X-Saber Axel, and he groaned before he shattered.

Submarineroid dove under the surface, and blasted Jinx with its subterranean assault for a third time.

"Ergh…" she muttered.

Submarineroid crouched in Defense Mode again. (1,800 DEF)

"It's your move," he said.

**(J: 3,400) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 5,200)**

Jinx drew a card.

She looked at the Trap Card.

_This could be useful later…_ she thought.

"I summon…" she said. "THIS guy! Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei!"

She played the card, and a hulking, muscular brute appeared. He wore a breastplate and a small helmet, and his lower body resembled that of a bear. (2,300 ATK)

"Your Submarineroid has nothing to defend itself with this time," said Jinx. "Lei Lei, destroy it."

Lei Lei snarled, revealing small fangs. He dropped to all fours, and pounced on the Vehicroid, tackling it and blowing it to scrap.

"And guess what," continued Jinx. "Even thought your Monster was in Defense Mode, my Enraged Battle Ox gives Lei Lei and all other Beast-Warriors I have a trampling effect."

Nilbert started to sweat.

"Now, Battle Ox, smash Cycroid with axe crash!"

Enraged Battle Ox snorted, and steam blew from its nostrils. It smote the bicycle with its weapon, smashing it to pieces.

"Urbellum, attack him directly!"

Nilbert was thrown backwards as the shockwave hit him again.

"Ooh…" he muttered, holding his head.

"Now, Lei Lei has to move to Defense Mode…" said Jinx.

The Indomitable Fighter slumped down and fell asleep. (0 DEF)

"…and it's your move."

**(J: 3,400) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 1,600)**

Nilbert got up, and dusted himself off.

He drew a card.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh," he chuckled.

The facedown card he had set a few turns ago lifted up.

"I activate Chain Material!" he shouted.

"Chain Material?" asked Jinx. "What does that do?"

"Well, Jinx," said Nilbert. "Most of the time, when a Fusion Summon is made, the Fusion Material Monsters have to come from my hand, the field, or both…

"But with this card, I can also use Monsters from my deck and Graveyard, so long as I remove them from play.

"The catch is, the Monster I summon can't attack this turn, and Chain Material's effect will destroy it at the end of the turn."

"So what's the point?" asked Jinx.

"You'll see in a minute," said Nilbert. "For now, I use Chain Material to remove Truckroid and Drillroid in my Graveyard, and Stealthroid and Expressroid in my deck from play…"

Four Vehicroids appeared behind him. Along with Drillroid, there was a rig truck, a stealth bomber, and an express train.

"Now…" he said, playing a Spell Card, "I fuse them together with Vehicroid Connection Zone!"

The four Vehicroids leapt up, and started to change shape. Drillroid split in half and formed a pair of legs. Stealthroid and Truckroid combined into a torso. Expressroid formed a pair of arms. They merged, and turned into a huge, humanoid robot. A head formed on top.

"Meet my Super Vehicroid – Stealth Union!" he exclaimed.

(3,600 ATK)

"Seems a big waste…" said Jinx.

"Well, I can't attack with it now," said Nilbert, "but I can use its effect…"

Then Super Vehicroid – Stealth Union glowed with energy, and X-Saber Urbellum was sucked into it.

"HEY!" shouted Jinx.

"Super Vehicroid – Stealth Union can Equip itself with a non-Machine Monster on the field every round," said Nilbert.

"Anyway, I end my turn…"

Jinx waited. She waited for a few seconds.

"Hold it…" she said. "You ended your turn! You said that your Monster would be destroyed!"

Nilbert chuckled.

"It _should_ have been," he said. "But I found a way to get around that little problem. Here's the deal…

"Here's how the combo worked… Chain Material provided me with the Fusion Material Monsters. Then, I used Vehicroid Connection Zone to fuse them together. Then, at the end of my turn, Chain Material's effect was supposed to destroy my Monster.

"But the thing is, when a Monster is summoned using Vehicroid Connection Zone, it _can't_ be destroyed by card effects! When Chain Material tried to destroy it, it found that it couldn't, plain and simple."

"That's almost cheating…" gasped Jinx.

"You ever hear the old phrase, 'rules are made to be broken'?" asked Nilbert. "Well, that's rubbish. Rules weren't made to be broken, and if you have that mindset, you'll get in trouble sooner or later.

"But… By finding the loopholes in rules and finding out how they work, you can manipulate rules so that you can avoid them, or even make them work to your advantage.

"And by the way, it's your move."

Jinx growled, and drew a card.

"I throw a card facedown," she said, as a reversed card appeared. "Then I move Enraged Battle Ox to Defense Mode."

The Beast-Warrior knelt, and held its axe in its lap. (1,000 DEF)

Nilbert chuckled, and made a draw.

"Good news, bad news time," he said. "The bad news is, my Monster has a trampling effect."

Jinx opened her eyes wide…

"The good news is," he continued, "I have to cut its Attack Points in half to have it attack.

"But more bad news… Since your Urbellum is Equipped to it, it can attack both of your Monsters."

The huge Machine's Attack Score fell to 1,800, and it threw a punch with its right fist, smashing Enraged Battle Ox.

Then it threw another punch with its left, flattening Lei Lei and knocking Jinx on her behind.

**(J: 700) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 1,600)**

"Why don't you just let me walk out of here, Jinx?" asked Nilbert. "Don't forget, you can't destroy this thing with card effects. The only way you can destroy it is via battle."

"Are you saying I can't do that?" asked Jinx. "Prepare to be surprised…"

She got up.

She drew a card.

_Not bad…_ she thought.

"I activate The Warrior Returning Alive," she said, playing a Spell Card. "Now I get to take a Warrior from my grave…"

X-Saber Galahad slipped out of her discard slot.

"I think I'll summon him too. Galahad… Welcome back…"

Galahad appeared once again. (1,800 ATK)

"Next, I activate my Trap Card…"

Her facedown card lifted up.

"It's called Gatmuz's Urgent Orders, and since I have one X-Saber on the field, it lets me summon two more of them from my Graveyard."

Airbellum appeared first. (1,600 ATK) followed by Urz. (1,600 ATK)

"Next, since I have at least two of them now, I can Special Summon XX-Saber Faultroll!"

She played the card, and an X-Saber in far more modern armor appeared. He looked partially cybernetic, wearing red armor and a crimson cape, and holding a huge sword. (2,400 ATK)

"So you summoned a few more of them," said Nilbert. "As if it will make a difference…"

"It will," said Jinx, "once I Tune Faultroll and Airbellum together…"

The two X-Sabers glowed, and turned into nine glowing stars…

Jinx threw up her arms again…

"_Barbarian king in a lawless land, mighty general of a great army! Name synonymous with strength, an avatar of primal power! Clustering stars form a path to lead your troops to victory! Fight on… XX-Saber Gatmuz!"_

With a roar, the biggest X-Saber yet appeared in front of Jinx. It was a hulking Beast-Warrior clad completely in full-plate armor, with a scarlet cape and a helmet with winged crests. He held in his hand the Sword of Sparkles, the most powerful weapon crafted by the X-Sabers, a longsword with a broad blade that had the X-Saber insignia on its hilt. (3,100 ATK)

"O-kay…" said Nilbert. "That's… certainly powerful… But my Monster is still stronger…"

"Not if I make mine even stronger," said Jinx, playing a Spell Card. "I play Wild Nature's Release! With this card, Gatmuz gains Attack Points equal to his Defense Points."

Gatmuz glowed with an aura of super-intense energy… (5,700 ATK)

"Hold on!" shouted Nilbert. "Wait!"

"Gatmuz…" ordered Jinx. "Take it down!"

XX-Saber Gatmuz's eyes glowed with feral energy. It leapt at the huge Machine with a battle roar, holding his sword in both hands, and slashed at it down the center with his blade. Super Vehicroid – Stealth Union started to shake and spark, and then explosion rocked over its hull. Nilbert screamed as it exploded into a pile of burning debris.

**(J: 700) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 0)**

Jinx looked at Nilbert, who was on the floor, groaning.

"Well…" she muttered, "that's that."

Then she felt her cell phone vibrating in her pocket.

She looked at it, and saw that a text message had been sent. Now who would have called her at this hour?

She checked the number, and saw that it was a message from Headquarters.

She opened it and read.

"_Attention all Shadowchasers,"_ said the message. _"There is an emergency situation at Headquarters. Send all apprehended criminals to our alternate facility until further notice."_

"Weird…" thought Jinx.

"Hey, Nilbert," she said. "Guess what? You get to see Norway."

"Norway?" groaned Nilbert.

"It's where we have a place where prisoners of extradimensional origin like demons are incarcerated," said Jinx. "We need a special prison to hold them."

"Say what?!" shouted Nilbert.

"Don't worry, the cells there render them powerless," said Jinx. "But they're having trouble at Headquarters right now for some reason, and I can't send you there."

"This is not my day…" groaned Nilbert.

Jinx sighed.

_Wonder what's going on at central command?_ she thought.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the command center of Shadowchaser Headquarters, Jalal watched the golem fight its way out of the detention center.

"People, fall back," he said into a microphone. "We've wasted enough resources trying to stop this thing…"

"So we're just going to let it walk away?" asked another officer.

"No…" said Jalal. "It's clear we don't have anything powerful enough right now to take this thing out… I'm starting to get an idea of what it might be…

"But maybe we can follow it and see where it goes. The fact that it's walking away indicates that it can't simply disappear.

"It has Hebi-Na, and it's likely going to bring her someplace… And we're going to find out exactly where…

"One weakness all golems have in common… They aren't hard to follow."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TRAINING WHEELS (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** The back wheel of a bicycle, with training wheels equipped.

**Card Description:** Equip only to "Cycroid". The Equipped Monster can attack directly. If the Equipped Monster attacks directly, remove the Equipped Monster and this card from play at the end of the Battle Phase. During your next Standby Phase, Special Summon that Monster in Attack Position and Equip it with this card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CYBER REPAIRER (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** Several mechanical arms moving machinery towards a central point.

**Card Description:** Your opponent draws one card. During this round, Machine-Type Monsters your control cannot be destroyed via battle.

_Note: "Training Wheels" and "Cyber Repairer" were first used by Sho in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Tough Love". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Ember: My days as an apprentice are long past. I'm now a true Shadowchaser, and my determination burns like a bonfire. I'm ready to face the criminal element, even a fugitive who threatens to extinguish my fire with water.**

**Flamvell Urquizas! Join me in battle! "Big Wave, Small Wave" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Neth, the Stellar Curiosity**

Not all cosmic entities want to destroy humanity, as the Light of Ruin does. One simply wants to ask questions.

Neth (the name it calls itself) is a star that somehow became sentient and intelligent. Residing in a distant galaxy, its origins are unknown, but its power cannot be denied. It might have remained unknown to earthlings, if it had not learned long ago to create its aspects and send them traveling through space, in its search for answers.

Neth's aspects, its avatars of itself, appear on Earth as tall men clad in gleaming, shining armor. They are intimidating, and if anyone is foolish enough to threaten one of them, they are quite powerful. But Neth's aspects, which have appeared on Earth since the Middle Ages, are more likely to ask questions, prodding every mortal being it encounters, trying to find out what their master wants to know.

What does Neth want to know? Everything. If one trait defines the personality of this being, it is curiosity. Once it learned about sentient beings other than itself, it wanted to know more about them, and the more it learned, the more it wanted to learn.

Neth's aspects are as likely to ask silly questions as they are to ask serious ones. A common question they ask of anyone who wears a uniform is what the purpose is of the uniform is. It asks this question of constabulary, holy men, and pretty much anyone who dresses unusually. It often asks laborers what they are doing, and shows up at special events, asking what the purpose is.

The Shadowchasers know that the aspects are too dangerous to try opposing, and many would like to ask them a few questions. Jalal thinks that Neth might have a treasure trove of information he could use. Unfortunately, Neth seems to be much better at asking questions than it is at answering them. For now, the Shadowchasers feel it is best to just leave the aspects to their observations when they appear (they really aren't hurting anyone) but they are prepared in case they should become a threat.

**Story Ideas:** Neth's aspect exists to observe and inquire. One of them might get involved in any part of a Shadowchasers mission that it deems interesting, although it would ask questions at every opportunity. This might be a lot of trouble, because while the aspect is almost impossible to hurt by mortal means, it might get in the way and endanger anyone it is following in an attempt to learn. It's very hard to tell the avatar of a god-like entity to go away, for obvious reasons.

Neth knows very little about Duel Monsters as yet, but if someone actually volunteered to teach it, it would be eager to learn. It is always willing to try something new, and might become a powerful ally if pointed in the right direction.

**Deck Suggestions:** If Neth were to learn how to duel, its aspect likely would favor the Light Attribute, being an extension of a star, which is a powerful source of energy. It most likely would adapt a Lightsworn Deck, the ultimate representation of the power of Light.


	4. Big Wave, Small Wave

_Merry day-after-Christmas!_

_I hope everyone had a great holiday. I sure did. _

_Anyway, I would like to remind everyone, I am still accepting Shadowchaser Files. If you still have any ideas, keep them coming._

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL FOUR**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Big Wave, Small Wave**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

It was now two AM in Neo Domino.

At the docks, everything was quiet. The ships moored here wouldn't be departing until five at the earliest. Most of them were cargo ships bound for the other parts of Japan or other East Asian countries with their goods, while others were fishing boats that would go out to make a catch.

A figure slunk along the side of the docks, hoping to be on the one that would take him the farthest away from this city.

He was an ugly Shadowkind, resembling a humanoid fish-lizard hybrid, with webbed feet, sharp teeth, green, scaly skin, and a dorsal fin down his back. He only wore a loincloth and a belt with pouches, along with his Duel Disk, and he smelled like rotten fish.

The proper name for his species was sahuagin. Some races called them sea devils or devil men of the deep, due to their tyrannical nature and cruelty. Sahuagin were enemies of almost every other aquatic Shadowkind, and they weren't too fond of humans either.

This one, however, was in big trouble, and knew that he likely wouldn't even be safe with other sahuagin. But he wasn't ready to give up just yet.

Then someone from up ahead shined a flashlight in his eyes. He grunted and turned away.

"Easy, Selmith…" said a female voice. "It's me, the good cop."

The words had come from a young woman who looked a couple years younger than Jinx, outfitted much like Jinx was, with long, auburn hair tied in a ponytail, and large, striking green eyes. She was armed just as the other Shadowchasers were.

"I kinda doubt that," replied the sahuagin.

"Well, as good as you're gonna get," replied Ember. "You're in hot water. Our contacts in New York told us what you did in the Citadel of Ten-Thousand Pearls, and they also told us that Sultan Alrahad has every bounty hunter in the Atlantic looking for you.

"Well, guess what? When we found out you were back in Neo Domino, he found out too, and now the word is starting to spread through the aquatic clans of the Pacific. He's got influence everywhere there are Shadowkind living under water.

"If I were you right now, and I consider myself _incredibly_ lucky that I'm not, I'd turn myself in to the Shadowchasers. Jalal will deny the extradition request since you likely won't get any trial to speak of in the Citadel. It's the best we can do."

"I'll just spend the rest of my life in your prison instead of Alrahad's…" muttered Selmith.

"It's the preferable option, Selmith!" shouted Ember. "Alrahad hates sahuagin, in case you didn't know! And he _really_ hates sahuagin who try to kidnap his daughter after the sahuagin warlords think it would be a good idea! Which it wasn't! You'll be filleted alive if he catches you!"

"Never…" snarled Selmith. "You want me, you're gonna have to catch me…

"I challenge you to duel…"

Ember sighed.

"If it's the only way you'll come quietly…" she said.

She activated her Disk.

"You think I'm afraid of you?" asked Selmith, as his own Disk activated. "I may not know all too much about Fire Monsters, but one thing I do know is that water puts out fire!"

"We'll see about that…" said Ember.

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Selmith: 8,000)**

"I'll go first," said Selmith, making a draw.

"I summon Red Archery Girl in Attack Mode!"

He quickly played a card, and a mermaid holding a bow and arrow, seated inside a clam shell, appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"Red Archery Girl?" asked Ember. "Someone still uses that old card?"

"Just make your move," said Selmith.

"Gladly," said Ember, making a draw.

"I summon Blazing Inpachi!"

In a bonfire of flame, a huge, burning, wooden effigy appeared, roaring with flames. (1,850 ATK)

Red Archery Girl drew back in fright…

"Attack!" shouted Ember.

The mermaid screamed as the huge Pyro punched her. She was burned to a crisp.

**(E: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,550)**

"That's all for my turn," said Ember.

"My draw…" said Selmith, making a draw.

"And I'm sending Warrior of Atlantis from my hand to the Graveyard…"

He discarded a card.

"In return for that, I can take this Spell Card from my deck…"

A card slipped out of his deck, and he took it. He quickly opened his Field Slot, and placed it inside.

"I play A Legendary Ocean!"

The whole terrain changed. The surface they were standing on became flooded with knee-deep water, and a beautiful, undersea city rose behind Selmith.

"As I'm sure you know," he continued, "in this place, all Water Monsters gain 200 extra points for both attacking and defending."

He played another card.

"Next, I summon Deep Sea Diva."

Another mermaid appeared. This one was unarmed, and didn't have a shell. She wore a pink blouse, and her fish tail was also pink.

She closed her eyes, and started to chant a beautiful melody. (200 ATK) –) (400 ATK)

"You know what I think?" asked Ember. "I think you're just doing this because you hate mermaids and you like seeing them die."

"Well, yeah, I do," replied Selmith. "But Deep Sea Diva is more powerful than you think. Hear that song she's singing? It's a call.

"You see, when she's Normal Summoned, her effect lets me Special Summon a Level 3 or lower Sea Serpent from my deck.

"And I think I'll use that effect to summon Mermaid Archer."

The water parted, and a familiar creature rose to the surface. It was clearly Red Archery Girl, but she had traded in her bow for a nastier crossbow, and had gotten rid of her clam shell in favor of a strange looking mount. She was riding a creature that looked like a huge sea turtle without a shell. (1,200 ATK) –) (1,400 ATK)

"That's still not too impressive," said Ember.

Then something odd happened. Deep Sea Diva hopped onto Mermaid Archer's mount behind her.

"HUH?" said Ember.

"Mermaid Archer has a useful effect," explained Selmith. "She can use one of my Level 3 or lower Monsters like an Equip Spell. And doing so gives her 800 more Attack Points."

(2,200 ATK)

"How's that for impressive?"

Mermaid Archer fired her crossbow, and the bolt flew at Blazing Inpachi, striking it in the chest. It toppled over and shattered.

"Okay, that _is_ kinda impressive," said Ember.

"It's your move…" said Selmith.

**(E: 7,650) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,550)**

Ember made a draw. She looked over her hand.

"I set one card, and a Monster," she said.

Two reversed cards appeared, one in her Monster Zone, and one in her Spell Zone.

"And I end my turn…"

"Then it's my move!" exclaimed Selmith.

He made a draw.

"Mermaid Archer, skewer her Monster!"

Mermaid Archer aimed her crossbow.

"I activate… Enemy Controller!" shouted Ember, as her Quickplay Spell shot up. "This moves your Monster to Defense Mode!"

Mermaid Archer held her weapon up and shielded herself with the other hand. (400 DEF)

"So it does," said Selmith. "Well then… I'll end my turn with that…"

"Then watch out!" said Ember, drawing a card.

"I'm flipping Little Chimera into Attack Mode!"

Her facedown Monster flipped up, and a small, white cat with batlike wings appeared. (600 ATK)

"Then, I summon Rose, Warrior of Revenge!"

She played the card, and a female Warrior appeared. She was a dead ringer for ember herself, dressed in a black leather outfit and holding a long dagger. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, Rose can give Little Chimera a Tune-up!"

Rose's eyes burned with fire, and then she and the small Beast flew into the sky over A Legendary Ocean. They glowed with light, and formed into six glowing stars.

Ember threw up her arms.

"_Born in the fiery core, rage empowered by white hot flames, strength of an erupting volcano! Clustering stars form a spark to light a roaring fire! Ignite… Flamvell Urquizas!"_

A ball of flame fell to the surface of the sea, and a large intimidating man appeared within it. He was awash in flames, and wore armor that looked like a cross between iron and volcanic stone. (2,100 ATK)

"Attack Mermaid Archer!" she shouted. "Fist of flame!"

Flamvell Urquizas flew at Mermaid Archer fist-first like a flaming comet. He punched the mermaid, but while she grunted, she didn't shatter.

"Huh?" said Ember. "She survived?"

"That's right," said Selmith. "When Mermaid Archer is Equipped with a Monster, she can survive a battle by getting rid of the Equipped Monster. So she ditched Deep Sea Diva to withstand the blow."

"Yeah?" said Ember. "Well, thanks to my Monster's trampling effect, you still lose Life Points. In fact, you lose 1,700 of them."

Selmith groaned as a fiery aura surrounded him.

"And that's not all," said Ember, as a similar aura surrounded Urquizas. "Every time Urquizas deals out damage, he gains 300 Attack Points."

(2,400 ATK)

"And it's your move…"

**(E: 7,650) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,850)**

Selmith made a draw.

"I first move Mermaid Archer back to Attack Mode," he said.

Mermaid Archer formed a fighting stance again. (1,400 ATK)

"Then, I play Monster Reincarnation."

The Spell Card appeared in front of him.

"So I ditch one of my cards…"

He discarded a Fenrir.

"…and I get Deep Sea Diva back."

The card slipped out of his discard slot, and he took it.

"Now I'll summon her again…"

Deep Sea Diva reappeared, and started to sing again. (400 ATK)

"This time, she's using her effect to Special Summon my Spined Gillman."

The water bubbled, and another aquatic Monster appeared. It looked similar to Selmith himself, only with more spines on its back (true to its name) and blue scales. It carried a long trident. (1,300 ATK) –) (1,500 ATK)

"Spined Gillman increases the Attack Scores of all Aqua, Fish, and Sea Serpent Monsters I have by 400 points."

Deep Sea Diva's Attack Score increased to 800, Mermaid Archer increased to 1,800, and Spined Gillman itself increased to 1,900.

_Good grief…_ thought Ember. _I had heard that Sea Serpents had gotten more support recently, but I didn't think it was possible to make a whole deck out of them!_

"Now, once again," continued Selmith, "I Equip Deep Sea Diva to Mermaid Archer…"

Deep Sea Diva hopped on Mermaid Archer's mount again. (2,600 ATK)

"Looks like your Synchro is the catch of the day, Shadowchaser!" he laughed, as Mermaid Archer aimed her weapon.

She fired, and Urquizas tumbled over with an arrow through his chest. He shattered into shards.

"And you're next!" he shouted.

Spined Gillman flew up to Ember and stabbed her in the belly with its trident. Ember gasped and took a step backwards.

**(E: 5,550) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,850)**

"Face it, babe," he said, "you're gonna lose this time."

"Only thing I'm gonna lose is what I had for dinner," growled Ember. "These Monsters of yours smell like rotten fish, and _you_ stink even worse!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

When it was two AM in Neo Domino, it was five PM according to Greenwich Mean Time.

The golem that had kidnapped Hebi-Na was now jogging at a leisurely pace through the countryside of Wiltshire. It was either unknowing of the three Shadowchasers following it, or uncaring.

D-Wheels or similar vehicles would have been impossible to maneuver through this hilly, forested area, so the three pursuers were members of an elite Shadowchaser cavalry. They were all female, and their mounts were not horses, but unicorns. Members of this special squad were called the Chosen of Valarian, named for a Shadowkind deity who was said to be the Lord of the Unicorns.

Unicorns were beautiful creatures, but they were not as gentile and docile as popular media portrayed them. They could be as fierce as tigers when defending the forests where they made their homes. More than one story was told of a hunter who defiled the forest, only to be met by an angry unicorn who would charge at him, using its horn like a deadly lance.

However, they sometimes let themselves be tamed by virginal maidens with pure hearts. (The unicorn decided whether a potential candidate fit the bill. Contrary to what some detractors said, such women were not lesbians, nor did any childhood traumas cause them to hate men.) If such a maiden was a Shadowchaser, she could elect to take special equestrian training to join this elite group. The three that were following the golem were among the best in the squad.

Riding a unicorn was not the easiest thing in the world. They would not accept saddles or bridles (these were intelligent and sentient creatures, after all), and riding bareback while holding onto the mane was incredibly difficult without special training. But seeing as all Shadowchasers had special training of some type, it was readily available. The principle thing that a Chosen of Valarian had to keep in mind was, her mount was more a partner than it was a means of transportation.

They were keeping the golem in sight (which was rather easy, because their mounts were faster) and communicating with Jalal via headset mobile phones.

"Mindy to base," said the one in the lead. "It seems to be heading in the general direction of Amesbury, but we have no idea why."

Jalal listened from the command center back at Headquarters.

"Amesbury…" he said. "Oh, lovely… I think I know why…

"Look, how far are you three from Stonehenge?"

"Uh, I think about two kilometers," replied Mindy. "Why?"

"That's where the golem is going," said Jalal. "I'd wager any amount of money on it.

"Listen closely… Try to get there before it does. Once you're there, look around for any artifacts or enchanted objects. If you see any, break them!"

"Break them?" asked another of the riders.

"You heard me," replied Jalal. "And if anyone tries to stop you, arrest them. No dueling, use whatever forceful means you need. Whoever is behind this has already broken that clause of the Treaty."

"You got it, chief," said Mindy.

The three Chosen urged their mounts, and rode off at a brisker speed towards Stonehenge, the mysterious set of standing stones that had existed on Britain since before there was a written language to record history. No-one knew their origins; even the wizards that Jalal had allied himself with when he founded the Shadowchasers one thousand years ago knew nothing of how they came to be. But Jalal knew a few of the things that could be done at the site where they stood. The standing stones were a focus of the mystical power that was generated by the very land of the British Isles, incredibly power that came from Britain's unique location.

And he knew that under the right conditions, the golem could use the monoliths to escape…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"My draw…" said Ember, as she drew a card.

"All right, Selmith…" she said. "First I remove Little Chimera from play…"

The card slipped out of her discard slot, and she placed it inside her jacket.

"In return for that, I get to Special Summon Spirit of Flames."

In a blast of fire, a demonic creature with flames for its lower body appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"But he's only staying long enough for me to sacrifice him…"

Spirit of Flames vanished.

"…to summon Flamvell Devil!"

In another burst of fire, a tall, lanky Fiend with scaly blue skin and a belt and harness made of chains, each with a skull on the front, appeared, burning with fire. (2,100 ATK)

"Next, I'm discarding my Flamvell Baby…"

She discarded a card.

"By doing that, I can increase one Fire-Attribute Monster's Attack Score by 400 points."

Flamvell Devil burned fiercer. (2,500 ATK)

"Not bad…" said Selmith.

"Attack his Spined Gillman!" ordered Ember.

Flamvell Devil breathed a gout of violet flames at the Sea Serpent, and it groaned before shattering into pixels.

"Cooked anago, anyone?" she asked.

"Ha, ha, very funny," said Selmith.

"Here's something else that's funny," said Ember. "When Flamvell Devil deals damage, you lose 200 additional Life Points for each Pyro-Type Monster in my Graveyard. And I have four of them there right now."

Selmith groaned a little.

"I set one card facedown, and end my turn," said Ember, as a reversed card appeared.

**(E: 5,550) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,450)**

Selmith whipped a card off his deck.

"I summon Star Boy!" he shouted.

In a burst of water, a smaller Monster surfaced. It looked like a grinning starfish, with jellyfish-like tendrils beneath it. (550 ATK) –) (750 ATK)

"This little guy increases the Attack Scores of all Water Monsters by 500 points…"

Mermaid Archer rose to an Attack Score of 2,700, while Star Boy rose to 1,250.

"…and it also [I]decreases[/I] the Attack Scores of Fire Monsters by 400!"

Flamvell Devil sank to an Attack Score of 2,100.

"Mermaid Archer, scuttle that Fiend!"

Mermaid Archer aimed her crossbow at Flamvell Devil.

"Gotcha," said Ember.

Her Trap Card shot up.

"I activate Dust Tornado!"

A tornado shot across the field, heading right for Mermaid Archer.

"Since Deep Sea Diva is acting as an Equip Spell right now, this Trap can blow her right off of Mermaid Archer.

Deep Sea Diva tried to hold on, but it was no use. She shattered into bits. Mermaid Archer fell to an Attack Score of 1,900.

She tried to shoot her bolt anyway, but Flamvell Devil swatted it aside, and responded with a blast of flame. The mermaid screamed and shattered into bits.

"Don't forget…" said Ember, "thanks to his effect, you lose another 800 Life Points."

Selmith growled. He threw two cards in his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

"Make your move…" he snarled.

**(E: 5,550) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 3,250)**

Ember quickly made a draw.

"I summon Flamvell Gurnika!" she shouted.

In another blast of flame, a muscular, humanoid creature with the head of a Dragon and draconic wings on his back appeared, hovering in mid-air. (1,700 ATK)

"Sure, your Star Boy will reduce his Attack Score a little…"

(1,300 ATK)

"…but its still enough for him to sink it! Gurnika, get it!"

Gurnika blasted a bolt of fire at the small starfish…

"You aren't the only one who can set Traps!" shouted Selmith, as one of his facedown cards shot up. "I play Hallowed Life Barrier!

"So I trash one of my cards…"

He quickly discarded a Terraforming.

"And this round, I escape without a scratch."

"Your Monster won't be so lucky," said Jinx, as Star Boy went up in flames.

Both her Monsters regained 400 Attack Points.

"And it's your move…"

Selmith made a draw.

_Nice,_ he thought, looking at it. _I just drew __Ocean Dragon Lord – Neo-Daedalus!_

_If I can summon this, I can send my Field Spell to the Graveyard to wipe out every card she has on the field and in her hand… Well, mine too, except itself, but with 2,900 Attack Points, it would be all I'd need!_

_Of course, I can't summon it until I manage to draw and summon the regular Daedalus, so I'll just have to save it until later._

He looked at the other card in his hand and then the facedown card he had on the field.

_Until then, I have something to keep her occupied…_

His facedown card lifted.

"I activate… Graceful Revival. Now, I can Special Summon a Level 2 or lower Monster from my Graveyard.

"I think I'll bring back my little friend, Star Boy."

Star Boy reappeared in front of him. (1,250 ATK)

Both of Ember's Monsters lost 400 Attack Points again.

"Now, I'm sure you also know," he continued, "that this Field Spell reduces the Level of all Water Monsters by one… Enabling me to summon a Level 5 Monster without a sacrifice…"

As he played the card, an ominous tune echoed over the Ocean, a familiar score from a certain movie about an underwater terror, directed by Stephen Spielberg many decades ago.

But even though it had been so many years since _Jaws_ had been popular, the tune was still timeless, and still frightening.

Ember watched as a rush of water signaled the Monster's appearance, and it started to surface…

"I summon Shark Cruiser!" shouted Selmith.

The Monster that appeared actually looked less like a shark than it looked like a big PT boat shaped like a shark. It was armed with two torpedoes that were also shaped like sharks. (1,800 ATK) –) (2,500 ATK)

"Blow that Flamvell Devil out of the water!" ordered Selmith. "Torpedoes away!"

Shark Cruiser blasted its two torpedoes, and Ember struggled to maintain her footing as Flamvell Devil was blown up in an explosion that seemed to shake the whole landscape.

**(E: 5,150) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 3,250)**

"It's your move…" said Selmith.

Ember drew a card.

"Gurnika, destroy Star Boy!" she shouted.

Gurnika blasted its bolt of flame, and Star Boy was incinerated a second time. Gurnika moved back up to 1,700 Attack Points, while Shark Cruiser fell to 2,000.

"Didn't think I'd do that, huh?" said Ember. "And thanks to Gurnika's effect, you lose 200 extra Life Points times your destroyed Monster's Level."

"Good thing my Field Spell downgraded it by one," replied Selmith.

Ember looked at the two remaining cards in her hand and then chose one.

"I set this Monster, and that will be all," she said.

A reversed Monster appeared.

**(E: 5,150) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 3,000)**

Selmith drew a card.

_Not Daedalus,_ he thought, _but something I can use…_

"I summon Divine Dragon Aquabizarre!" he shouted.

With an explosion of water, another large Monster surfaced. This one stood apart from the other Sea Serpents he had summoned by the fact that it actually looked like one; it resembled a huge eel with a long fin down its back and smaller fins in the front. (2,100 ATK) –) (2,300 ATK)

_Ho boy…_ thought Ember. _He summoned another Level 5 Monster without a sacrifice! This is getting serious!_

"Aquabizarre, drown her Gurnika!" shouted Selmith.

Aquabizarre roared, and belched a blast of water from its jaws, washing the Dragon away.

"Next, my Shark Cruiser will finish your other Monster…"

Shark Cruiser fired its torpedoes again. A muscular man with fiery hair and a beard, holding a bow, appeared on the card before an explosion blew him to pieces.

_So much for Flamvell Archer…_ thought Ember.

**(E: 4,550) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 3,000)**

"My move…" she said.

She made a draw.

"I summon Royal Firestorm Guards in Attack Mode."

She played the card, and an odd Monster appeared. It was a weird creature, with a scaly, humanoid torso atop a serpentine lower body. Its face had four eyes and a scalp covered with spike-like protrusions, and its long arms had four sharp appendages on their undersides that suggested wings. (1,700 ATK)

"Attack Mode?" asked Selmith. "Are you nuts?"

"We'll see if I am," said Ember. "When this guy is Normal Summoned, I get to take four Pyro-Type Monsters from my Graveyard…"

She took Flamvell Baby, Blazing Inpachi, Flamvell Archer, and Spirit of Flames from her discard slot.

"Then I add them to my deck, then reshuffle…"

She reshuffled her deck.

"…then make two draws."

She drew twice. She looked at the two cards and the one she already had.

She was about to use one of them… Then she stopped.

"I think I'll end my turn…" she said.

"Suit yourself," said Selmith, making a draw.

He looked at the card.

_I'll save this one,_ he thought.

"Aquabizarre, destroy Royal Firestorm Guards!"

The huge Sea Serpent roared again, and blasted its torrent of water, obliterating the Pyro.

_Here it comes…_ thought Ember.

"Shark Cruiser, attack her directly!" shouted Selmith.

Ember braced herself as two explosions slammed into her. She was knocked on her behind, but still managed to keep focused.

"You're walking the plank, landlubber," chuckled Selmith.

Ember slowly got up.

"We'll see…" she said. "I've just about got my sea legs…"

**(E: 1,950) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 3,000)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The three Chosen of Valarian had dismounted, and were standing in the middle of Stonehenge.

They had searched the whole site with a fine-toothed comb. No-one was hiding here, and the only trace of enchantment they could find was the faint aura coming from the monoliths themselves that was always there.

"Jalal," said Mindy into her headset, "we looked, but there's nothing here but the stones themselves. What could the golem do here?"

"Where's the golem?" came Jalal's reply.

"Uh, Mindy?" said one of her partners.

Mindy looked, and they all saw the golem coming.

"It's coming!" shouted Mindy. "It's going to do _something_ here, sure enough!"

There was a pause.

"Clear out of there!" shouted Jalal. "I think I know what it's going to do, and you'd best not be near it when it does."

"What's it going to do boss?" asked Mindy, as the golem approached.

"Whoever is controlling it is going to use the power of Stonehenge to open a portal to somewhere," replied Jalal. "Anyone can do it, but to do so, you need a very powerful magical artifact to act as a focus."

"But there isn't one!" shouted one of Mindy's partners. "There are no magical artifacts here!"

"Yes there is!" shouted Jalal, over the wire. "I just identified that golem… It's an ancient construct of incredible power.

"Whoever sent it can use the golem _itself_ as a focus!

"Get out of there! The portal it's going to open could lead practically anywhere! If you three get drawn through it, you could end up in a place where you can't survive!"

The three Shadowchasers needed no more prompting. They quickly mounted, and urged their unicorns to gallop away from the standing stones as fast as possible, just as the golem jogged into the center of the site.

Thunder rolled, and the three mounted Shadowchasers turned around to see a pentagram form in the sky above Stonehenge. Then, a beam of light shot down from the heavens.

The golem was gone. And it had taken Hebi-Na with it.

"Wow…" said Mindy.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"It's my… move!" exclaimed Ember.

She quickly drew a card.

"Let me introduce you to someone new," she said, as a new Monster started to materialize. "I summon Evocator Chevalier!"

The Monster that appeared was a Warrior, clad in scarlet armor, a cape, and a helmet shaped like a flame. He carried a scimitar. (1,900 ATK)

"Now, I give him an Equip Spell," continued Ember. "Salamandra! This gives his sword a little more kick…"

Evocator Chevalier's sword burned with fire. (2,600 ATK)

"Toast Divine Dragon Aquabizarre!" she shouted.

The Warrior swung his sword forward, and a wave of flame shot at the huge Sea Serpent. It roared, and went up in flames.

"So much for that…" said Ember. "It's your move…"

**(E: 1,950) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,700)**

Selmith grumbled, and made a draw.

_Darn…_ he thought, looking at it. _Still no Daedalus…_

"I move Shark Cruiser to Defense Mode," he said, as the PT boat withdrew its torpedoes.

(2,400 DEF)

"And that's all for me…"

Ember drew a card.

"Now's a good time to mention," she said, "Evocator Chevalier happens to be a Gemini Monster.

"That means that in order to use his effect, I have to Normal Summon him a second time… Make a 'Gemini Summon', so to speak.

"So, I'm going to do that now…"

Evocator Chevalier burned with an aura of fire.

"And his effect is a powerful one. By sending one of my Equip Spells to the Graveyard…"

Salamandra shattered into bits. (1,900 ATK)

"…I can destroy one of your cards!"

Evocator Chevalier pointed, and blasted a bolt of fire at Shark Cruiser, blowing a hole in the side of its hull. An explosion ripped through the craft, and it quickly sank under the waves.

"You may have sent Shark Cruiser to Davy Jones," shouted Selmith, "but when it's destroyed by a card effect, its own effect activates, and I get to Special Summon not one, but _two_ Water Monsters from my deck, so long as both of them are Level 4 or less."

Two more Mermaid Archers appeared, shielding themselves in Defense Mode. (400 DEF x2)

"Too bad…" muttered Ember. "Chevalier, attack one of them!"

Chevalier shot his wave of flame forward again, and one of the two Archers was burned to a cinder.

"It's your move, Selmith…" she said.

Selmith made a draw.

"All right, Shadowchaser," he said. "I play the Spell Card, Golden Sarcophagus."

He played the card, and a golden chest with the Eye of Wdjat on the front rose out of the sea.

A card slipped out of his deck, and he took it.

"Now, I seal this card in the chest, and in two short turns, I get to retrieve it…"

The chest sank back under the waves.

"Then… my most powerful beast will destroy you!"

_Most powerful beast?_ thought Ember. _No… He means Daedalus!_

_I gotta win this duel fast… That thing can take me out in one blow!_

"In the meantime," continued Selmith, playing another card, "I play Giant Trunade!"

A fierce wind ripped over the sea, and then, the whole sea vanished. The Field Spell appeared in Selmith's hand, and the Neo Domino docks reappeared.

"Why did you do that?" asked Ember.

"Because," said Selmith, playing another card, "I needed my Monsters to be at their regular Levels. I summon Ice Blast User Rice."

A cold wind blew over the field, and a new Monster appeared. The female Monster that appeared was technically a Sea Serpent, but she sure didn't look like one. She looked like a coldly beautiful young maiden in a blue dress, cloak, and a crown. (800 ATK)

"A Tuner?" gasped Ember.

"That's right!" laughed Selmith, as Rice and Mermaid Archer turned into five glowing stars. "You aren't the only guys who know how to Synchro Summon…

"So… I'm bringing out Sea Dragon Lord Gishilnodon!"

With another loud roar, the biggest Sea Serpent he had yet summoned appeared hovering over the field. This Monster strangely seemed to be made of water itself that had been turned semi-solid, shaped into a form resembling a cross between a Dragon and a huge, aquatic dinosaur with large wings. It had horns and a mouth full of sharp teeth. (2,300 ATK)

"Next," continued Selmith, "I'll re-play my Field Spell…"

He played the card again, and A Legendary Ocean returned. (2,500 ATK)

"Gishilnodon…" he ordered, "drown Evocator Chevalier with tempest surge!"

Lightning flashed, and a tidal wave of water rushed towards Ember's side of the field, swamping her and her Monster. She was knocked over, and Evocator Chevalier was sucked under.

**(E: 1,350) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,700)**

"Heh…" chuckled Selmith. "Your move…"

Ember frowned, and drew a card.

"You know, Selmith," she said. "I could just surrender this duel right now and let you get away… Then Alrahad would get you for sure…

"Why don't I do that, you ask? I really don't know, to tell you the truth. You're a pretty rotten person, and I doubt anyone would know if I did."

"So why don't you?" asked Selmith. "I'd never tell anyone. No-one would believe me if I did."

Ember sighed.

"I dunno…" she said. "I guess I'm just so dedicated to my job, I can't compromise it.

"So I set one Monster, and it's your move."

A reversed card appeared in front of her.

"I draw!" laughed Selmith.

"And I summon Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness!"

The sea bubbled, and another humanoid fish-man, this one with a violet exoskeleton and holding a spear appeared. (1,800 ATK) –) (2,000 ATK)

"Heck," he said. "I may not even need my ace Monster. Get her Monster!"

Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness flew at the hidden Monster, thrusting its spear. UFO Turtle appeared on the card, and exploded into a blast of flame.

"Now I get to Special Summon another weak Fire Monster from my deck," said Ember. "So I summon another UFO Turtle."

A second UFO Turtle appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"Fine…" said Selmith. "Gishilnodon… Get it…"

The Sea Dragon blasted its torrent, and the second UFO Turtle was dissolved into foam.

"Ergh…" groaned Ember. "I use that one's effect… Flamvell Baby, return!"

A small infant made of fire appeared, hovering in mid-air. (800 ATK)

"You think that little runt can hurt me?" grunted Selmith. "Ah, well… One turn to go… And then my ultimate Monster will finish you…"

**(E: 250) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,700)**

"Don't count your chickens of the sea yet," said Ember.

She made a draw.

"I play the Spell Card, Fire Back," she said, as a Spell Card flashed into view. "Now, I just have to toss one Fire Monster…"

She discarded Molten Zombie.

"…and in return, I get to Special Summon a Fire Monster from it. Urquizas, welcome back."

Flamvell Urquizas appeared again. (2,100 ATK)

"And just what's he gonna do?" asked Selmith.

"I didn't mention that Flamvell Baby happens to be a Tuner," replied Ember.

"So?" said Selmith. "You don't have any Level 7 Synchros…"

"Yes I do…" said Ember with a grin, as both her Monsters turned into seven glowing stars. "And she's so powerful, the only way to Synchro Summon her is to use a Flamvell Monster as the Tuner and Fire Monsters as the non-Tuners!"

She started to chant again.

"_Fires ignited in the throes of passion, stunning loveliness that can burn with a glimpse! Clustering stars shine your lights upon the one who can use beauty as a weapon!"_

A burning bonfire ignited in front of Ember.

"Synchro Summon… Flamvell Enchantress!"

The Monster that appeared was an absolutely gorgeous woman. A blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty with curves, she was dressed in a low-cut, fiery red dress with a short skirt, and wore a golden crown set with a fire opal. She held a long, golden staff topped with a similar gem.

"You think that bimbo can stand up to my Sea Dragon?" asked Selmith.

"I do," replied Ember. "Because, her Attack Points are equal to the combined Attack Points of the Monsters I Tuned to summon her. Add them up."

(2,900 ATK)

"Flamvell Enchantress…" she shouted, "attack Sea Dragon Lord Gishilnodon with burning passion!"

Flamvell Enchantress flew up to the huge Sea Serpent, and it seemed to bow its head. She gestured, and it erupted in flame…

Selmith groaned as his Monster burst into an explosion of scalding steam.

**(E: 250) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,300)**

"You've still lost!" he shouted. "Next round…"

"Not gonna be a next round," said Ember. "Enchantress has another effect, and it's just like Judai Yukai's Flame Wingman."

Selmith looked at Enchantress in shock.

"You mean…" he gasped.

"That's right," said Ember. "You take damage equal to your destroyed Monster's base Attack Score. In exchange for that, she can't attack directly. But she doesn't have to do so to finish you off..."

Flamvell Enchantress looked Selmith directly in the eye. Her eyes glowed with fire as she aimed her staff at him.

Selmith screamed as he was engulfed in a burst of fire. He fell over.

"Humph!" said Enchantress, turning her head.

**(E: 250) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 0)**

Flamvell Enchantress slowly faded away, and then A Legendary Ocean vanished.

"You lose, Selmith," said Ember. "You're coming with me whether you like it or not."

Selmith chuckled nervously, and then got up.

"All right…" he said, slowly looking behind him. "I know when I'm beaten…"

And then he leapt backwards, did a flip, and dove into the water behind him.

"DAMN!" shouted Ember, running up to where he had dove.

She looked where he had dove in.

She wasn't going in there after him. She wouldn't stand a chance. No human could outfight a sahuagin in an underwater brawl. It was his own element.

And since he could breathe water, he was likely going to wait until the coast was clear.

"Note to self…" she muttered. "When dueling an aquatic Shadowkind near a body of water, don't let him keep his back to it…"

She sighed.

"Ah, well, he won't get far… We'll know if he tries to stow away on a ship now, and he can't swim clear across the Pacific…

"As soon as he realizes that every undersea Shadowkind settlement is too dangerous for him to go to because of the bounty hunters looking for him, he'll rethink my offer…"

She yawned and looked at her watch.

_Three AM…_ she thought. _Best get home to try to get a few hours of sleep…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FIRE BACK (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A large, fiery nuclear cloud.

**Card Description:** Select one FIRE Monster in your Graveyard and discard one FIRE Monster from your hand. Special Summon the selected Monster from your Graveyard.

_Note: "Fire Back" was first used by O'Brien in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Triple Play (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FLAMVELL ENCHANTRESS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** ?  
**DEF:** ?

**Card Description****:** _"Flamvell" Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner FIRE Monsters_

The ATK and DEF of this card are equal to the sum of the base Attack and Defense Scores, respectively, of the Monsters used to Synchro Summon this card. When this card destroys a Monster as a result of battle and sends it to the Graveyard, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the base ATK of the destroyed Monster. This card cannot attack directly.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Jalal: Where did that thing take Hebi-Na? Who took her? Stonehenge is a gateway to a nexus of countless realities… The portal she was taken though could have led nearly anywhere in the universe…**

**But the Shadowchasers have never given up, and we're not about to start. I must send a specialist to the site, and we must learn more now that the danger has passed.**

**But has the danger truly passed? Take caution, brave warrior!**

"**Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" is coming soon.**

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'

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Chaser Hunters:** Who Hunts the Hunters?

Like many law-enforcement organizations, the Shadowchasers have enemies. Jalal gets a lot of hate mail on a daily basis. (Not all of it addresses him by name. Some of it is just addressed to "the pig in charge".) One group that is of growing concern, however, is a faction of sorts that has grown over the past two centuries that seems to exist solely for the purpose of opposing the Shadowchaser. They call themselves the Chaser Hunters.

At least, the Shadowchasers _assume_ that this group has only been around for two-hundred years. It might have been founded longer ago than that, but that was when the first solid proof of their activities was found. The Shadowchasers have uncovered evidence of their activities from New York to Tokyo and everywhere in-between. Exactly how large this group is, no-one knows.

Presumably, any Shadow or Aware human can join if they have a valid reason for wanting to strike at the Shadowchasers. If there are any specific entrance requirements, they are not known, but some very unlikely races, such as gnomes, halflings, and moon elves, have appeared alongside the ones you might expect, such as ophidia and dark elves.

The Chaser Hunters do not seem to be organized under any strict hierarchy. They seem to form cells of no more than four or five members. If they have a central leader, this being's whereabouts and identity is unknown. Suspects range from a powerful illithid to a beholder to the spy leader Red Shroud herself. The wildest theory states that Malys, the greedy red dragon who desired the death of Jalal's father, whom Jalal slew, had a mate, or perhaps a sibling, who now seeks revenge. This theory states that this dragon, now matured a thousand years in strength, wisdom, and power, directs these conspirators from a hidden lair.

Whatever the leader's plans are, if there is indeed a leader, the Chaser Hunters are very divided on how to obtain their goal of defeating the Shadowchasers. Their motivations tend to be varied as well. All of them have the goal of ultimately destroying the Shadowchasers, but other than that, they have very little in common. Some might be purely mercenary in their motivations, accepting money to deal with them. Others might be driven by twisted religious or political reasons, like terrorists tend to be. Some might use science as an approach to their goals, others might use magic. This may be for the best, because the Chaser Hunters have yet to cooperate fully enough to form a sizeable force that is difficult to defeat.

Still, investigating this group's activities is hard. Most members would sooner die than admit that they are members, and they don't wear any symbols that signify membership (at least none that non-members can recognize). For now, the Shadowchasers pay close attention to any plots that seem to be aimed at them specifically, in hopes of bringing this group down.

**Story Ideas:** The Chaser Hunters could be inserted in a story easily. If a Shadowchaser has a goal, a Chaser Hunter could try to stop him from completing it, for whatever reason he has for doing so. Remember, however, the Chaser Hunters do not all oppose the Shadowchasers out of blind hatred. Each one has a complex reason for wanting to see their enemies fall, and should be handled as complex villains. In an organization like this, there are no grunts. They may hire grunts, but such henchmen are not Chaser Hunters.

Given that, it is hard to suggest any ideas for stories revolving around the Chaser Hunters as a whole, but individual Chaser Hunters may be important elements of stories. Future Shadowchaser Files will detail a few individual members, to give a few interesting ideas.

**Deck Suggestions:** No one deck defines the Chaser Hunters. Their decks are as varied as they are. An individual member may use any deck, depending on his personal preference and abilities. When designing a Chaser Hunter, his deck should be designed to fit him, and should be as unique as he is.


	5. Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL FIVE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Wolf in Sheep's Clothing**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

As the four Shadowchasers of Neo Domino turned in for a well-earned rest, not yet alerted of the problem at Headquarters a world away, the job at the mysterious standing stones of Stonehenge was not done. Jalal was not going to leave them, because there was a chance that the golem's trail had not yet grown cold.

The three Chosen of Valarian had left, but another older, more experienced Shadowchaser had arrived. He was a bulky, muscular man with large biceps, a short beard with auburn hair, wearing a plaid shirt and a kilt (yes, a kilt).

His name was Douglas Bowmaker, a member of a family line descended from Clan Gregor, one of the oldest clans in Scotland. Douglas was known for many accomplishments; for example, he was known for being the caber toss champion at the Scottish Highland Games for three years running.

But he was also a veteran Shadowchaser, and was known for many accomplishments in that field. As a young man, he had become known for his battle with the legendary Wild Hunt, a pack of ghostly hounds that appeared all over Europe on foggy nights, led by a mysterious Master. The identity of the Master of the Hunt varied depending on the version of the legend. Some say he was Woden or even King Arthur. Others gave him a much less benevolent identity, saying he was Satan himself, calling the pack "the Devil's Dandy Dogs".

The Shadowchasers learned the truth. The Wild Hunt was indeed a demonic entity, although the Master was not the Devil. He was an exiled and cursed demon, who prowled the night with his fiendish hounds, looking for a quarry that they could never find. They were all too willing to run down any human or Shadowkind alike in their pointless hunt. But Douglas had defeated the Master, and sent him and his beasts back to the netherworld from whence they had come.

Douglas was also an expert on sites of magical power, such as ley lines, vortices, and places where the borders between the dimensions were not as stable as most. Jalal figured that if anyone could trace the portal that the golem had opened, it was him.

It was now six PM, local time. He had set up several instruments on the ground, and was using a hand-held device to monitor their readings.

As he adjusted one of the devices, he heard a ringing. He reached into his sporran (the leather purse worn on the front of his kilt, as kilts did not have pockets) and took out a cell phone. The mix of traditional with the modern was an irony that didn't concern him right now.

"That you boss?" he asked.

"How's it going, Douglas?" asked Jalal.

"Ah'm working as fast as ah can, boss," replied Douglas. "Rome wasn't built in a day, y'know."

"I know," replied Jalal. "I'm just nervous about this whole deal. A dangerous criminal just escaped, and it was likely orchestrated by someone worse."

"Ah could get in trouble myself if someone sees me here!" replied Douglas. "You can't just come this close ta Stonehenge, ya know! There's a no trespassing sign in plain sight near the road!

"The folks here have had too many problems with vandals to…"

"You just finish doing the readings," said Jalal. "Let me worry about making sure no-one bothers you!

"And be _very_ careful Douglas! When that golem opened the portal, it caused a surge of magic that caused a lot of trouble. We've been getting a lot of complaints in the past hour.

"A clan of azers nearby says that the surge extinguished their forges, which are going to take a whole day to get going again. A stone giant living nearby says that his flock of giant sheep is giving curdled milk. And worst of all, the local galeb duhr was woken up from his one-hundred-year slumber… Thirty-two years early!"

"So he's pretty cranky, right?" asked Douglas.

"Yeah…" said Jalal. "But we don't know what else the surge did, who might have felt it, or who might want to investigate the source. Be on your guard."

"Ah can handle myself, Jalal," replied Douglas. "Ah can…"

Then he paused. He stopped, and smelled the air.

"What is it Douglas?" asked Jalal. "Did you catch wind of something?"

"Aye…" said Douglas. "Smells kinda like… perfume…

"Expensive, from the scent of it…"

Douglas turned, and saw a shadowy, but shapely female form standing outside the standing stones. He turned to face the creature as it stepped in.

He was rather surprised. It was an attractive young woman, with raven-black hair and a perfect figure, dressed in tight, black trousers and a black halter top. Her eyes were piercing green and almost hypnotic.

She walked towards Douglas with a seductive stroll.

"Pardon me, ma'am," said Douglas. "Ya must be awfully cold in that outfit…"

"Mmm…" she said. "I figure you're pretty cold too…"

Her voice was deep and husky, and hard to ignore.

"Why don't you come here?" she purred. "I can make you warmer…"

Douglas didn't see a problem with this offer at first. He didn't move, and the strange woman walked up and embraced him…

As she kissed him, his thoughts turned slightly unpleasant.

Then an inner voice inside him started to shout to him what was really happening. He started to struggle.

It was hard, because she was much stronger than she appeared. But he managed to wrench her away, and then give her a shove.

"Get away from me, ya harpy!" he yelled.

The dark nymph grunted and fell down on her behind.

"Well, the earth didn't exactly move for me either," she said, narrowing her eyebrows. "I'm guessing you had sausage and onions for lunch?"

Douglas took some deep breaths. Fortunately, her vile kiss had done little.

"Ya thought ah was easy prey because I was alone here?" he asked. "Come to my country some time, and you'll see that the folk there won't be caught by some harlot of a Shadow!"

"Think you're so tough, huh?" she asked.

Then she made a seductive pose with a come-hither smile. Douglas had to admit, it made him a little nervous. But he kept calm.

He had to finish his job here, but this dark nymph was not going to let him do it…

He took his Duel Disk off of his back, and put it on.

The dark nymph laughed.

"A duel?" she said. "Priceless… A big, strong, Scotsman wants to be a conjurer…

"But if you're serious…"

She raised her left arm, and a silvery, slim Duel Disk of her own appeared on it.

"Lady Shaylene of the Court of Anafan never refuses a challenge."

"Anafan?" exclaimed Douglas. "The verdant prince who rules the dark fey of Britain?"

"The one and the same," replied Shaylene.

"So then what are ya?" asked Douglas. "Ye claim to be a noble of his court, but are ye sure that ye aren't really just one'a his concubines?"

Shaylene glared at him.

"Maybe I am," she said. "But the more victims, and the more powerful ones I bring to him using my charms, the more favor I earn. And when the time finally comes for him to choose a queen from among all the dark nymphs, the one who has gained the most favor will get that honor."

"And what will ya gain out of it?" asked Douglas. "If ya succeed, you'll be nothing more than a figurehead an' a spoiled brat… Ya fight for the wrong causes."

"And what do you fight for, may I ask?" asked Shaylene. "Why did you become a Shadowchaser?"

"Why?" asked Douglas, getting riled up.

"Ah fight for family… For honor… For justice…

"…_an' for Scotland!!"_

Shaylene chuckled.

"Too much testosterone, pal…" she said.

The two Disks activated, the two duelists standing at opposite ends of the circle of Stonehenge.

"Duel!" they shouted.

**(Douglas: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Shaylene: 8,000)**

As Douglas made his first draw, he looked at the equipment he had set around the stones.

_Ah can't afford to dilly-dally here,_ he thought. _If these things get a reading and ah miss it, the boss is gonna have my head!_

He chose three of his six cards.

_Well, the day ah can't beat some harpy is the day ah hang up my golf clubs…_

He placed the three cards in his Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared, followed by two cards in his Spell Zone.

"That's all for now," he said.

"Then it's my move," said Shaylene, making a draw.

"And I summon…"

She played a card.

"My Beautiful Headhuntress!"

A female figure appeared in front of the dark nymph. It was a young girl, dressed in a geisha-style kimono, her hair tied back with a bow. Most alarming, she carried an executioner's cleaver in both hands. (1,600 ATK)

"Well that's a bit of bad news," said Douglas, with a frown.

"Don't get Beautiful Headhuntress wrong," said Shaylene. "She's just an average girl who likes her job. Of course, the fact that her job happens to be the royal executioner for the imperial court might set her apart a little, but other than that, she's just like anyone else.

"Attack!"

Beautiful Headhuntress made a rush towards the facedown Monster. An ugly, lumpy, purple sphere appeared on the card, and burst into a cloud of gas.

Shaylene started to cough.

"Nice work," said Douglas. "Ya just destroyed my Giant Germ. That means ya take 500 points a' damage.

"Plus, ah get to bring out two more Giant Germs…"

Two more of the ugly spheres appeared. (1,000 ATK x2)

"Then it's your move," said Shaylene.

**(D: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,500)**

Douglas made a draw.

"Ah sacrifice both a' my Germs…" he said.

The two Giant Germs vanished.

"To summon _this_ big fellah… Flame Ogre!"

In an explosion of fiery energy, a huge and very ugly ogre appeared on his side of the field. It was muscular, had dull orange skin, wore a pair of ragged trousers, and was surrounded by an aura of flames. (2,400 ATK)

"Bringing out the big ones early, I see," said Shaylene. "Still, I've seen better Level 7 Monsters…"

"Ah got plenty a' big ones," replied Douglas. "An' it's got several uses. First off, its effect… When ah summon it, ah get ta draw one card…"

He made one draw.

"Attack Beautiful Headhuntress!" he shouted. "Fiery scourge!"

Beautiful Headhuntress screamed as the huge Ogre blasted a cloud of fiery death on her, burning her to ashes. Shaylene cringed a little.

"Ah'm not done," he continued, "I'll use my facedown card…"

One of his facedown cards lifted up.

"Mystik Wok. Ya may not be able to make haggis or potato scones in a wok, but this Spell Card lets me sacrifice my Monster…"

Flame Ogre vanished.

"…and then ah gain Life Points equal ta its Attack Score. That's 2,400 points.

"Say what?" said Shaylene, opening her eyes wide. "You sacrificed your Monster now?? You do realize that you're vulnerable to a direct attack, right?"

"It's your move…" said Douglas.

**(D: 10,400) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,700)**

Shaylene frowned as she drew a card.

Then she perked up as she saw what it was.

"You seem to have a pretty weird strategy…" she said. "But I've got a good one…

"I play Polymerization!"

The fusion Spell Card appeared in front of her.

"I'll combine Blade Skater and Etoile Cyber…"

Two female figures appeared in front of her, one a woman with brown hair in a red spandex suit, the other a bald woman with blades on her wrists wearing ice skates. Both Monsters combined into a vortex of light.

"…to summon Cyber Blader!"

In another burst of energy, another female figure appeared where the previous two had been. She was dressed in a skin-tight spandex outfit colored purple and red hues, a white skirt, red tinted shades covering her eyes, ice skates, and had a mane of raven-black hair. (2,100 ATK)

"Not bad…" said Douglas.

"I'm not done," said Shaylene, as she played another Spell Card. "I play The Warrior Returning Alive. Now I can get back Etoile Cyber…"

The card slipped out of her discard slot, and she took it.

"And then I can summon her!"

She played the card, and Douglas could see the female Warrior clearly now. It was a woman with chestnut hair wearing a red bodysuit with blue sleeves, with streamers around each arm and her right eye covered. (1,200 ATK)

"Let's see if you can take it as much as you can dish it out," said Shaylene. "Cyber Blader, attack him directly!"

Cyber Blader skated up to Douglas and delivered a fierce kick to his gut. Douglas groaned and doubled over.

"Now Etoile Cyber attacks," continued Shaylene. "And when she attacks directly, she gains 500 Attack Points."

Etoile Cyber leapt at Douglas, her Attack Score rising to 1,700. She aimed a kick at his chest, knocking him over.

**(D: 6,400) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,700)**

"How'd you like that?" she purred. "Bet you're sorry you got rid of Flame Ogre now."

"Ah have no regrets," said Douglas, as his facedown card lifted up. "An' ah'll have even less now. It's a Quickplay called Hand Destruction.

"Now, we each discard two cards, and draw two more…"

"Whatever you say…" said Shaylene, discarding the two cards in her hand to the Graveyard.

Douglas chose two of his cards, and discarded them. Both of them drew twice.

"An' one of the two cards ah just sent to the Graveyard was a Dandylion," he continued. "That means ah get two Fluff Tokens."

With two loud pops, two little balls of fluff on stalks with faces appeared. (0 DEF x2)

"Say WHAT?" shouted Shaylene. "But… But…

"If you had activated Hand Destruction before I attacked, you could have summoned those Tokens and blocked my direct attacks!

"Why? Why did you wait? What is the purpose behind this? Are you a masochist, is that it?"

"Sometimes ya gotta be willing ta make small sacrifices to obtain greater goals," replied Douglas. "In life, there are two ways to accomplish any given task… The easy way, and the right way.

"There are always people who take the easy way, and the rewards they get are always paltry, insignificant, and temporary, compared to the more dedicated folks who do things the right way."

"This is starting to sound like a lecture," said Shaylene. "And I'll tell you right now, I really don't care.

"I set one card facedown, and my turn is over."

A reversed card appeared.

"It's my move…" said Douglas.

He drew a card.

"Want ta know why I waited?" he asked. "Ah'll show you why…

"Ah sacrifice both Fluff Tokens…"

The two Tokens vanished.

"…ta summon my greatest beast! Ah summon Felgrand Dragon!"

In another explosion of energy, a far more beautiful Monster than his last one appeared. It was a Dragon that looked like it was sculpted out of pure gold, and stood upright on its hind legs, using its tail for balance. (2,800 ATK)

"I'm so scared," said Shaylene. "That is, I would, if it weren't for Cyber Blader's effect. So long as you have one Monster on the field, she can't be destroyed in battle."

"True," replied Douglas, "but does Etoile Cyber have the same effect?

"Let's find out… Attack Etoile Cyber! Brilliant blast!"

Felgrand Dragon shot a blast of pure light from its jaws, and Shaylene braced herself as Etoile Cyber was obliterated.

"No, she does not," replied Douglas. "And it's your move…"

**(D: 6,400) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,100)**

Shaylene grinned as she made a draw.

"I activate my Trap!" she shouted as her facedown card lifted up. "Foolish Revival!"

"Eh?" said Douglas.

Shaylene smiled, as the images of all the Monster Cards in Douglas's Graveyard appeared in front of her.

"Now, I get to choose one of these guys," she said, "and summon it to your side of the field in Defense Mode.

"Hmm, you also discarded this when you played Hand Destruction, right? It will do…"

In a flash of light, The Creator Incarnate appeared next to Felgrand Dragon kneeling and shielding himself with his sword. (1,500 DEF)

"And now that you have two Monsters on the field," she continued, "Cyber Blader gains her second effect… Her Attack Points double!"

Cyber Blader flexed her muscles and glowed with pure energy… (4,200 ATK)

"Ho boy…" muttered Douglas.

"Cyber Blader, slay his Felgrand Dragon!" shouted Shaylene.

Cyber Blader leapt at the larger Monster, and slashed at it with her ice skate. Felgrand Dragon shuddered, and then split into two pieces. The remains shattered.

**(D: 5,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,100)**

"I end my turn," said Shaylene, as Cyber Blader's Attack Score fell back to 2,100.

"Let me tell ya," said Douglas, drawing a card. "Ah don' like fast women!

"I set a Monster, an' I end my turn…"

A reversed Monster appeared next to The Creator Incarnate.

"Don't forget," said Shaylene, "that means my Monster's second effect activates again…"

(4,200 ATK)

"Yeah, yeah, I know," said Douglas. "Just move."

"Then it's my move," said Shaylene.

She made a draw.

"I think I know what sort of Monster that hidden one is," she said. "Your deck focuses on summoning strong Monsters easier…

"So, likely, if I destroy it, it will let you Special Summon another Monster, giving you two sacrifices again.

"And if that's the case… Cyber Blader will be able to keep her second effect!

"So… Cyber Blader, attack his mystery Monster!"

Cyber Blader skated across the circle of stones, and towards the hidden Monster. A little winged imp holding a spear appeared on the card, and was sliced in half.

"That was a Spear Cretin," replied Douglas. "An' its Flip-Effect lets both players Special Summon a Monster from their Graveyards, either in Attack Mode or facedown Defense Mode."

"HA! I was right!" laughed Shaylene.

A facedown Monster appeared next to Cyber Blader.

"Well, I'm not defending…" said Douglas.

In another explosion of energy, Felgrand Dragon appeared again. (2,800 ATK)

"My Cyber Blader will just kill it again," said Shaylene.

"It's a different story now, ya harpy," said Douglas. "Felgrand Dragon gains a powerful effect when it's Special Summoned from the Graveyard.

"Ah get to choose another Monster that's in my Graveyard right now… Ah think I'll choose that Flame Ogre that ah got rid of earlier.

"Then we take its Level, then multiply by 200, then add it ta Felgrand Dragon's Attack Score. That equals a BIG number!"

Felgrand Dragon glowed with radiance… (4,200 ATK)

"Its Attack Score is equal to my Monster's," chuckled Shaylene. "Looks like we have a standoff.

"I set another Monster."

A reversed card appeared in her Monster Zone.

"And I end my turn."

Douglas made a draw.

"Standoff?" he said. "Don' think so."

He played a Spell Card.

"Ah have a Continuous Spell. It's called Burden of the Mighty."

"This causes all'a your Monsters to lose 100 Attack Points times their Levels."

"But that means…" said Shaylene.

Cyber Blader fell to an Attack Score of 3,500.

"Time ta put Cyber Blader ta bed," said Douglas. "Felgrand Dragon, attack!"

Felgrand Dragon fired its burning beam of light. Cyber Blader tried to resist, but she shattered into particles.

"So much for that," said Douglas, playing a card.

A facedown card appeared behind Felgrand Dragon.

"Ah end my turn."

**(D: 5,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,400)**

Shaylene growled, and made a draw.

She quickly set it on her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Mmm," she said.

"Run out a' things to say, eh?" said Douglas, making a draw.

He looked at the facedown card, and then looked at The Creator Incarnate.

The Warrior stood up, and lifted his sword. (1,600 ATK)

"Attack the Monster on the left!" he shouted to his Dragon.

Felgrand Dragon blasted its breath weapon, and the hidden Monster was obliterated in an explosion.

"You flipped my Skelengel," muttered Shaylene. "Now I get to make one draw…"

She drew a card.

"Fine…" said Douglas. "Incarnate, attack the other Monster!"

The Creator Incarnate rushed at the hidden Monster. Etoile Cyber appeared on the card, kneeling and shielding herself with her arms. (1,600 DEF)

She caught the blade with both hands, and then gave him a kick, knocking him backwards.

Douglas sighed.

"I'll defend with this," said Douglas, as he set a card on his Disk.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"An' I'll turn it over ta you…"

Shaylene made a draw.

"I activate Limit Reverse," she said, as one of her two facedown cards lifted up. "Now, I can bring back a Monster from my Graveyard, so long as its Attack Score is no more than 1,000.

"And I'll bring back someone I discarded when you played Hand Destruction… Cyber Gymnast!"

In another flash of light, a young woman appeared, dressed in a grey spandex suit, with her hair in a long ponytail (clearly not how a real gymnast would wear it) and a white mask covering her face. (800 ATK) –) (400 ATK)

"Uh oh…" said Douglas.

"So you know her effect," said Shaylene.

She discarded one of the cards in her hand, Double Spell, and Cyber Gymnast took off her mask. She stared Felgrand Dragon in the eye without blinking.

The huge Dragon groaned, and then shattered into shards of light. Cyber Gymnast replaced her mask.

"Now that she's done her job…" continued Shaylene, "I can sacrifice her…"

Cyber Gymnast vanished into grains of light.

"For Cyber Prima!"

In another burst of light, yet another Warrior in spandex appeared. This one was dressed in silver, had golden hoops around her waist, and wore a feathered mask like those worn at Mardi Gras. (2,300 ATK) –) (1,700 ATK)

"Cyber Prima…" muttered Douglas. "She's a prima donna, that's what she is, much like someone like _you_ who uses yer beauty as a weapon."

"Some say that conquering an enemy using charm and beauty can be as deadly a method of conquering one using swords and spears," said Shaylene. "Don't forget, Helen had a Face That Launched a Thousand Ships."

"Aye…" said Douglas, in disgust. "It was the first war among mortals, if ah remember my mythology right… So war was _invented_ because of beauty…"

"Say what you will," said Shaylene. "But when Prima is Normal Summoned, she destroys all face-up Spell Cards.

Burden of the Mighty shattered into bits. Prima returned to an Attack Score of 2,300.

"And I'm not done," she laughed, as she played another card. "I play… Fusion Recovery!"

She threw another card into her Disk.

"This lets me take Polymerization and Blade Skater from my Graveyard…"

Two cards slipped out of her discard slot, and she took them.

"Now once again, I play Polymerization…"

Blade Skater appeared next to Etoile Cyber, and the two Warriors were drawn through the glowing portal again…

"…and guess who's back?"

In an aura of golden energy, Cyber Blader appeared again. (2,100 ATK)

"And once again, you have two Monsters…"

(4,200 ATK)

"Cyber Blader, strike down The Creator Incarnate!"

Cyber Blader skated towards the Spellcaster and landed a punch so solid that it knocked Douglas over as his Monster was blown away.

"Cyber Prima, destroy his last Monster! Prima light!"

Cyber Prima shone with an overwhelming aura of radiance. Kaiser Sea Horse appeared on the card, and shattered into pixels.

Shaylene smiled evilly. She fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"It's your move…" she said.

**(D: 2,400) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,400)**

Douglas got up, and made a draw.

"Trap Card, activate!" shouted Shaylene.

Her facedown card lifted up.

"The Transmigration Prophecy. I don't want to risk you using that Dragon's effect again. So I'm using this Trap to send it back to your deck. And Flame Ogre too…"

Douglas sighed, and shuffled his deck.

Then he looked at the card he had drawn.

"Ah try ta avoid using this," he said, "but I have ta play my Pot of Avarice."

He played the card, and took all three Giant Germs, Kaiser Sea Horse, and Spear Cretin from his discard slot. He reshuffled, and made two draws.

He looked at the four cards in his hand.

_All right…_ he thought. _Ah hoped it wouldn't have had ta come ta this… But…_

"Ah Special Summon Vice Dragon," he said.

In a shadow of dark energy, a rather ugly dragon with a grey hide and small, green wings appeared. (2,000 ATK)

"But since you Special Summoned it," replied Shaylene, "its Attack Score is cut in half."

(1,000 ATK)

"Ah know that," replied Douglas. "But it's not staying…

"Ah summon Change Synchron."

He played another card, and a funny little toy robot, with a spherical head, small wings on its back, and eyes that looked like spectacles, appeared. (0 ATK)

"A Tuner?" asked Shaylene.

"That's right!" exclaimed Douglas, as both Monsters faded into six glowing stars. "Time to bring out someone who lives up to his name…"

He started to chant:

"_Forged from steel and iron, strength pulsating through every fiber of his being, a fighter who is truly the best at what he does! Clustering stars bring to bear a warrior who's strength is a legend…"_

Lightning flashed.

"Synchro Summon… _Mighty Warrior_!"

In a flash of light, a huge Monster appeared behind him, standing on two of the large stones. It brought to mind a battle mecha from some Japanese science fiction show, but was only seven feet tall. Whether it was a robot or a man in robotic armor, it was impossible to tell. (2,200 ATK)

"An' when Change Synchron is used for a Synchro Summon," continued Douglas, "it changes the battle position of one ah your Monsters!"

Cyber Prima knelt, and shielded herself in Defense Mode. (1,600 DEF)

"Ah'm not done!" said Douglas, as his facedown card lifted. "Ah activate Call of the Haunted!"

In another beam of light, The Creator Incarnate appeared again. (1,600 ATK)

"But he's not staying long… Only long enough for me ta sacrifice him…"

The Creator Incarnate vanished.

"…ta summon… The Creator!"

In an explosion of energy, a new giant Monster appeared. It looked like a huge golem made of bronze, glowing with divine light, with a large celestial disk on its back. (2,300 ATK)

"Once again," said Shaylene, "Cyber Blader's effect activates…"

Cyber Blader glowed with energy again. (4,200 ATK)

"But ah can activate The Creator's effect…" he said. "Ah toss one card…"

He discarded the last card in his hand, Mausoleum of the Emperor.

"…an' ah get to bring back an' old friend from my Graveyard. And this time, he's not bound by any restriction."

In a flourish, Vice Dragon appeared again. (2,000 ATK)

"Now that ah have _three_ Monsters," said Douglas, "Cyber Blader gains her third effect, and can negate the effects of all my Spells, Traps, an' Effect Monsters.

"But the important part is, she lost her first two effects. That means her Attack Score is no longer doubled, and she can be destroyed by battle."

Shaylene stopped short…

He was right…

"Creator!" shouted Douglas. "Destroy Cyber Blader with Fires of Creation!"

The Creator shot a blast of brilliant flames from its hand, and Cyber Blader screamed in agony. She was reduced to ashes.

"Now that she's gone… Mighty Warrior… Your turn!"

Mighty Warrior leapt off of the stones, and punched Cyber Prima hard. She screamed before she shattered.

"An' when Mighty Warrior smashes a Monster," said Douglas, "you lose Life Points equal ta half its Attack Score."

Shaylene groaned.

"Vice Dragon," he shouted, "attack that harpy directly!"

Vice Dragon shot a blast of flames at Shaylene, and she gasped, falling over on her behind.

**(D: 2,400) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 1,050)**

"Make your move," said Douglas.

Then he heard beeping coming from the devices he had planted around the standing stones. Lights were flashing on all of them.

_Great elephants!_ he thought. _They traced the portal! An' they got a hot trail from the sound of it! _

_Ah gotta finish this duel ASA-_now_, or ah'm gonna lose the information that Jalal needs!_

He looked as Shaylene nervously drew one card.

She looked at her cards.

"Come on, come on…" he said.

Shaylene looked ready to cry.

"I give up…" she said sadly. "I can't do anything else… I don't want to be attacked directly by those things next turn…"

The Disks deactivated and the Monsters vanished.

"Fine!" shouted Douglas, grabbing her. "Ah accept your surrender."

He took a pair of handcuffs out of the sporran, and cuffed her hands behind her back. Then he pushed down on her shoulder, forcing her to the ground.

"Now you sit quietly while ah finish what ah was doing…"

He quickly ran to the nearest device.

_Good, good…_ he thought. _Still a hot signal…_

He turned on his cell phone, and hit a speed dial number.

"Boss, it's me," he said. "Sorry about the sidetrack, but ah got a trace on the portal…"

"Well?" asked Jalal.

"Seems the golem didn't leave this dimension or this world…" said Douglas. "In fact… Uhm…"

He looked at the readings.

"Huh…" he said. "Well, what do ya know…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Several hours later, it was eight AM in Neo Domino City.

Shichiro slowly woke up in his bed, which was in his room in a townhouse that was located in the Tops area of the city, the upper-uptown district where only the rich lived. Jalal never spared any expense for the members of his organization.

The townhouse was an odd structure. Enchantment was woven into the bricks and mortar, so that the occupants were given very little trouble. Most folks wouldn't notice the place unless they were looking for it specifically, and once inside, it appeared larger on the inside than it did from outside.

Plus, the place was more secure than a Sector Security station house. The difference was, magic was used for this place's security.

Shichiro got up, wondering how he had gotten home. It had been a tiring and busy night.

He smelled something…

Either the place was on fire, or Boris was making waffles again…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Boris was the townhouse's cook, but he was not the average cook. Whether or not he was truly even a living creature was up for debate.

He was actually a skull, a skull that could levitate and speak, and levitate other objects. He had several sets of gloves that he levitated to act as hands. Boris had been a gift for Jalal from Maskent, the Shadowkind co-signer of the Great Treaty who held Shadowkind's copy of it; Maskent was a member of a race of powerful sorcerers, and he had created Boris as a chef. Boris knew over three-hundred recipes. The occupants of the townhouse didn't ask many questions about just what he was. (One time when they did, he claimed he was the Head of Vecna; he was more than likely pulling their leg.) For now, they were happy to have him as a chef.

Right now, he was making Belgium waffles, burning about half of them and making a rather big mess in the process. A waffle iron was one kitchen appliance he had never quite gotten the hang of.

"Morning Boris," said Shichiro, as he walked into the kitchen. "Did I get any mail yesterday?"

"Well, let's see," replied Boris, picking up a stack of letters. "Three credit card applications, five magazine offers, six loan deals, eight catalogues, and twenty charity requests."

"In other words," said Shichiro, "I didn't get any mail."

"No," replied Boris, tossing them aside.

"Where are the others?" asked Shichiro.

"Gears and Ember aren't up yet," replied Boris. "Jinx left about fifteen minutes ago… She said she was meeting with someone."

"Someone-boyfriend or someone-family?" asked Shichiro.

"No idea," replied Boris. "But she said she wouldn't be long…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As the Shadowchasers woke up, and prepared to start a new day, the golem that had kidnapped Hebi-Na had still not ceased its continual pace.

It was now plodding through the back alleys of the slums of Satellite, now being careful to keep itself hidden from humans, of which there were more of in these run down neighborhoods nowadays.

It had almost reached it goal, and its current task was almost done. It still would only stop when it was successful or when its functioning ceased…

But now, the former possibility seemed far more likely…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHANGE SYNCHRON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** When this card is used for the Synchro Summon of a Synchro Monster and sent to the Graveyard, select one Monster your opponent controls and switch its Battle Position.

_Note: "Change Synchron" will be released in the "Shining Darkness" set._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MIGHTY WARRIOR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,200  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** _Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters_

When this card destroys a Monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, inflict damage to that Monster's controller equal to half the destroyed Monster's base ATK.

_Note: "Mighty Warrior" was first used by Yusei in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" manga. Creative credit goes to the writers. (Possibly, this might be released as a real card eventually.)_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Jalal: The golem's trail leads to Japan, but after that, it goes cold. I can only assume that whoever kidnapped Hebi-Na is someone from her home town.**

**Shichiro: But who? All her other co-conspirators are dead!**

**Ember: Could there have been someone that we missed?**

**Jinx: Seems we have to get down to the bottom of it…**

**Gears: I have a bad feeling about this… "Imperial Order" is coming soon…**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Jezebel, Shadow Assassin**

Say you live on the East Coast of the United States, you're a person with considerable power, and someone with even more power is giving you grief. Be it a politician, lawyer, or an ungrateful ex-spouse, this person is making your life miserable. You'd even consider taking steps to have this person killed if you weren't afraid you'd get caught.

Then, as you're drowning your sorrows in a dimly-lit bar, a female dark elf (whether you can see her for what she is depends) mentions someone named Jezebel. She can get rid of the person causing you trouble, and it will never be traced back to you. She isn't cheap, of course, but this assassin won't fail, and none are more discreet.

Only bits and pieces of Jezebel's past are known. She once had another name, and she once belonged to a different clan than the one she belongs to now. She did some work for a powerful illithid that her clan did business with. But she discovered that the illithid was planning to transform himself into an alhoon, a type of illithid lich, and doing so was going to mean the death of many of his allies, including her. She struck against the illithid, and killed him, but a final mind blast by the creature destroyed her sanity.

Now part of a clan in New York City, Jezebel is the highest-paid assassin in the city. Most of the time, however, she works as a lounge singer in one of many nightclubs (usually one owned by her clan or whatever mob family she is currently working for) where her stage name is Jesse Bell. But when she is hired, she calls herself Jezebel, the name of one of the wickedest women in history.

Jezebel specializes in surprise attacks, where her victim doesn't see it coming. She might be performing using a microphone with a razor concealed in the handle, or wearing a necklace made up of prisms that are actually two sharp daggers. Her victim won't know he's in danger until she jabs one between his ribs. She always has an escape plan in case things go wrong – other dark elves from her clan are often around to help her make a quick exit. Contrary to what folks say, there is a chance that the murder can be traced back to her client, but only if the client refuses to pay her. However, clients who double-cross her and find themselves double-crossed are never able to give the police any way to find or identify her, so she escapes each time, and no new clients ever learn of any treachery.

Jezebel's fee depends on how socially important the victim is. A wealthy debutante costs one million American dollars, while a major crime boss would be twenty million. She refuses to target anyone who's death might cause a national (or international) incident, and won't target a Shadowchaser either, at least not yet. She will defend herself from them if they try to stop her, and it may only be a matter of time. Jalal knows about her and her questionable mental state, and believes that her current clan only employs her as an assassin to give her homicidal urges a focus. Otherwise, she might target innocents at random. He still intends to bring her in, hopefully before that happens anyway.

**Story Ideas:** As Jesse Bell, this dark elf is no danger to anyone until she gets a call telling her she has a "special" job. She's even somewhat of a flirt, who might cozy up to a hero. Once she gets that call, she might even invite him to come "watch her work" if she becomes too close to him, oblivious to the fact that he wouldn't approve of her murderous other job.

Jezebel is willing to work as a duelist assassin, and as such uses a Disk with a special duel cuff, similar to the ones used by Team Satisfaction when they were a group. However, rather than breaking the loser's Disk when the duel reaches a conclusion, this version hits the loser with a lethal jolt of electricity, killing him. Jezebel doesn't play fair in this type of contest – she can detach the cuff at any time, and would do so if there was any danger of her being the loser. Insanity does not equal stupidity.

Jezebel can make a good henchman-level villain in any fic that centers around dark elves. She may even be working for Josephine Frantisec, a powerful dark elf detailed in the previous fic.

**Deck Suggestions:** Jezebel's deck is a Dark World Deck, and she's very good at using it. She can swarm the field with powerful Fiends in only a couple of turns, and achieve victory quickly. She eschews cards like Dark Deal and Reign-Beaux that take advantage of the Monsters' effects that only activate when they are discarded by the opponent's card effect. Instead, she concentrates on summoning them fast with her own cards, and moving in for the kill.


	6. Imperial Order

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL SIX**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Imperial Order**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

In the headquarters of Sector Security, a man stood looking out the window of the largest office in the building. This used to be the most comfortable office, but it was now cluttered with mounds of undone paperwork and files that needed to be looked at and reviewed.

He was a small, effeminate man, dressed in a lavender suit with a black collar and gold trim. He wore a hairstyle and makeup that made him look like a harlequin…

However, the events of the past three months had made him one very sad clown.

When the Dark Signers began their plans, Rex Godwin, then the Director of Security, acted as the mentor of the true Signers, giving them the information and resources they needed to confront and defeat their evil counterparts. He helped them at various opportunities, even though he used underhanded methods several times to get their cooperation.

Although the Signers likely believed that Godwin was not doing this out of the goodness of his heart and had an ulterior motive (Yusei and Jack most definitely thought this) they never suspected his true plan. No sooner did the last Dark Signer fall than Godwin began an evil ritual using the final Earthbound God, one which would grant him the powers of both the Crimson Dragon and the King of the Underworld at the same time, allowing him to ascend into godhood himself and remake the world in his own image.

Yusei, Jack, and Crow fought the clearly mad Godwin in the skies above Neo Domino. In the midst of the battle, it seemed that Godwin's plan was succeeding. All of the Signers' birthmarks vanished from their arms, and reappeared on Godwin, proof to him that the Crimson Dragon favored him alone.

But he was proven wrong when the Crimson Dragon recovered from being deceived, and its marks were transferred back to their proper owners, and then all of them (including the fifth one, which had been Godwin's at the start of the battle) temporarily went to Yusei, the only one still able to fight. Yusei then transformed Stardust Dragon into Savior Star Dragon, and obliterated Wiraqocha Rasca in one mighty blast, taking Godwin with it.

The city recovered, and a new age had seemed to dawn on Neo Domino. Satellite was undergoing revisions, and the Daedalus Bridge was now nearing completion. But one man who was not happy was Godwin's head of special investigations, Jeager. With Godwin gone, the job fell squarely on him, and a permanent replacement had not yet come. Jeager hated this job now, as it gave him a stress headache every day and more problems than he could count.

He was considering some of these problems when a Security officer came in.

"Sir?" said the officer.

Jeager jumped.

"Uhg..." he said. "WHAT?"

"Uh, not that it's any of my business," said the officer, "but don't you think you've had too much coffee?

"We have a problem..."

"I told you..." said Jeager, "you don't bother me with problems except ones that could cause lawsuits, media circuses, or both."

"Well..." said the officer, "this kinda qualifies... You know that prototype portable breathalyzer you approved that was supposed to be a foolproof method of determining a driver's blood-alcohol level?"

"Of course," said Jeager. "I pushed its approval through quickly. It's supposed to be as accurate as the breathalyzer used at a station house, and as portable as one carried in a transport. It's supposed to avoid the common problem of inaccurate readings."

"Well, it's made a few inaccurate reading…" said the officer. "And it's going to be very hard to convince anyone that they were accurate. During the past two nights, three drivers were arrested for driving while intoxicated after being tested with this device… Thing is… It measured their blood-alcohol level at 0.60."

Jeager looked at him with a look of shock.

"That's… Pretty high…" he said.

"It's _impossible_ sir," replied the officer. "That would mean they had more alcohol in their system than they had blood."

Jeager groaned.

"We even tested this on an officer," continued the officer. "He tested completely sober on the old machine, and three times the legal limit on this machine.

"Did some snake oil salesman sell this thing to you?"

_Interesting choice of words…_ thought Jeager.

"How many people have been arrested for DWI after being tested with this thing?" he asked.

"Thirty-seven, sir," replied the officer. "And I'm afraid we're going to have to dismiss the charges against all of them. And offer compensation… I mean, if news of this gets out to the public…"

Jeager growled.

"Sir, we don't have a choice!" protested the officer. "You know that the press is already portraying you as a big clown. Uh, not that _I'm_ saying that…"

"Bring me the forms to fill out…" growled Jeager. "And another pot of coffee… I doubt I'll be getting much sleep tonight anyway…"

As the officer left, Jeager opened the drawer to his desk. He took out a photo of him and Godwin that had been taken at last year's New Year's Eve party.

"Godwin…" he sighed. "If this was what your job was always like, it's no wonder you snapped…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember and Gears walked into the kitchen as Boris placed the plate of waffles on the table.

"These better be good, Boris," said Shichiro, "considering the mess you made to make them…"

"Hey, I'm the one who's going to clean it!" protested Boris.

"So, Gears," said Ember, "how's it coming out there?"

"It's almost done," said Gears, as he opened a can of V8. "You should be able to take it for a spin by tomorrow."

"So, does anyone know just who Jinx is out having breakfast with?" asked Shichiro.

"Oh, I know," said Jinx. "She's with that friend of her dad… That guy in the army…"

"General Ross?" asked Gears, raising an eyebrow.

"The General Ross who DaPen brainwashed?" asked Shichiro. "The one who attacked her when we were trying to take DaPen down?"

Ember nodded.

"I was wondering when he'd show his face again…" said Gears.

As they poured the syrup, a black cat trotted into the kitchen.

"Hey, is someone gonna feed the cat?" it asked.

"I'm on it," said Boris.

A talking cat would turn a lot of heads, but the Shadowchasers who lived here had looked after Sorsha for so long, they were used to her. She was a familiar, like a witch's cat, who belonged to a powerful hellfire warlock who had asked them to watch her. They had no idea where he was, but if he were killed, Sorsha could not survive. So they continued to watch her, hoping that he was safe, wherever he was.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At another uptown part of town, Jinx walked into an outdoor café. She quickly saw her destination: sitting at a table was a sixty-something man with grey hair, wearing a formal military uniform.

"Kaede!" he said when he saw her. "I'm glad you came… Do sit down…"

Jinx sat down.

"Sorry I haven't kept in touch, Ross," said Jinx. "I've been busy, you know…

"So, how was your golf game with Major Taft?"

"Not bad," said Ross. "I got seven birdies and two eagles!"

"Great!" exclaimed Jinx. "So what was your score?"

"A hundred and two," sighed Ross.

"A hundred and two??" replied Jinx.

"I always have a bad time on the back nine," said Ross. "Look, Kaede, I don't like beating around the bush… I wanted to talk to you because I wanted to apologize for… How can I put this… Assaulting you a few months back…"

"It wasn't your fault…" said Jinx.

"Well, I should have known better than to trust that message that told me to go to Satellite!" replied Ross. "Look I want to make it up to you…"

He handed her a game card, and she slowly took it.

"It's a rare card," he said. "I know you can use it better than I can…"

"Klein's Labyrinth, huh?" said Jinx, looking at it. "You know, I've been wondering about this thing ever since you used it… Where'd you get it, anyway?"

Ross looked a little nervous.

"Well… Uhm…" he said. "What would you say if I told you that the U.S. Air Force found it at an alleged UFO crash site?"

Jinx gave him a strange look.

"I would say that you're either losing you're mind," she replied, "or you're telling me something that you shouldn't be telling me."

"In that case," said Ross, "I got it from a catalogue."

"Are you sure you won't get in trouble for giving me this?" asked Jinx.

"I can handle it," said Ross. "I have to hang onto the friends I have… Like your father, and you… That's the problem with someone like me who makes a career out of the military. You have your superiors and your subordinates… But very few real friends.

"I just had my annual physical…"

"Oh?" asked Jinx, raising an eyebrow. "And?"

"The doctor said I could live to be ninety," sighed Ross.

"Well what's the problem?" asked Jinx.

"I had only planned out my life until I was eighty!" replied Ross. "After that, I don't know what I'll do with myself…"

"That's another problem with being in the army," said Jinx. "Everything's so formal. I mean, they must owe you about a year of vacation time by now, and you never take any of it."

"I guess I'm just a workaholic," said Ross.

Jinx was about to say something else, when her cell phone beeped.

She looked at the text message.

"Oh, I'm sorry Ross…" she said. "The boss wants to see me…"

"I understand…" said Ross. "The army is the same way… Let's do this some other time."

Jinx got up, and ran to her D-Wheel.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Deep under Satellite…

The golem finally stopped. The hatch on its chest opened, and Hebi-Na was unceremoniously dumped on the ground.

She slowly looked up. She was in a large circular chamber, lit by torches. The only feature was the door that led into the complex (the way out was inaccessible – the only way too and from the outside was via teleportation), which was shaped like a huge cobra with its mouth wide open.

She knew where she was… This was the entrance to the palace of the Empress…

Most Shadowkind thought that the ophidia were too chaotic to unite under one leader. This was only true most of the time. Sometimes, a powerful ophidia was able to conduct a special ritual to transform into something called an anathema, an ophidia of great power.

The only way to become an anathema was to receive the blessings of the ophidia's dark goddess, Seghulerak. No ophidia dared question the authority of an anathema, because doing so was questioning the authority of Seghulerak herself.

There could only be one anathema at one time in one geographical region, if not only one in the world, and the one who called this palace her own was the one that all ophidia clans in Asia paid tribute to. She called herself an Empress, as she did indeed rule an empire. But it was a secret empire, one that even the Shadowchasers didn't know existed.

"Welcome home, Hebi-Na," said a voice that was thick with sarcasm.

Hebi-Na looked up in anger, and saw two male ophidia. One (the one who had spoken) was a bulky, muscular ophidia, humanoid and man-shaped, with green scales all over his body and ridges on his bald head. He wore a white toga with purple trim. This was Hssimim, the Empress's advisor. Hebi-Na hated him with a passion. He was an egotistical snob, who thought that he was the source of every good thing that happened to the ophidia. But when something bad happened to them, he was always certain to make sure someone else was blamed for it.

The other ophidia was thinner and more slender, with long fangs and a tail, in addition to his legs. Dun brown scales covered his body. He wore a toga similar to Hssimim's. This was Csimith, the Empress's chamberlain, and Hebi-Na was pretty much indifferent to him. His job was to see that the Empress's orders were carried out by the right ophidia. Some might say that it was also his job to cover up her mistakes, but anyone who said that always made sure that he was out of earshot.

"You blasted imbeciles!" screamed Hebi-Na. "I could've suffocated!"

"Gee, Hebi-Na…" said Hssimim, "you sure aren't acting very grateful for being sprung from prison…"

"Oh, sure…" said Hebi-Na. "I'm _so_ grateful that I was grabbed out my cell, stuffed into some golem, and carried halfway across Britain by something with no shock absorbers!

"Besides… Since the policy here is that ophidia who get captured are on their own, I figure I was only 'rescued' so I could be punished."

Hssimim nodded.

"So what are you two gonna do to me?" sneered Hebi-Na.

Hssimim smiled.

"Nothing!" he said.

"Nothing?" said Hebi-Na, confused.

"That's right," said Csimith. "The Empress is going to decide your fate… _personally_."

Then the golem grabbed her wrists and lifted her off the ground. Hssimim and Csimith walked towards the entrance, and the golem followed, carrying her.

Hebi-Na lost her nerve. She broke down and sobbed.

"No, no…" she cried. "Please, NO!"

At this point, she regretted not trying to hang herself while in prison. She likely would have suffered far less than she was going to now…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At the townhouse, the four Shadowchasers were gathered in a room around a fireplace with a fire that never went out. All properties owned by Jalal had a fireplace like this. It was Jalal's way of talking to his men.

As they watched, Jalal, or rather a holographic projection of him, emerged from the fireplace.

"What's up, boss?" asked Shichiro.

"First the good news," said Jalal.

They didn't like that. That usually meant that bad news would follow.

Jalal waved his hand, and four boxes appeared on the floor.

"These finally came," he said.

"Our new Duel Disks!" exclaimed Ember.

All four of them made a rush for them.

"Now be careful with them!" cautioned Jalal. "Do you know how many people I had to yell at to get through all the red tape that came with this order? Whenever I order this much equipment from KaibaCorp, they automatically assume someone wants to hold an unauthorized tournament…"

Gears tried on his new Disk. He looked at the instructions.

"Auto-shuffler, advanced holographic system, 25-gig memory chip, stainless steel construction…" he said. "And yet it's only half as heavy as my old one!"

"Sweet," said Shichiro, looking at his.

"Glad you like them," said Jalal. "But I also have bad news, I'm afraid. Shadowchaser Headquarters was attacked. We've estimated that the assault did thirty-million pounds worth of damages… And I don't know if our insurance is gonna cover it…"

The four Shadowchasers looked at each other.

"Uh…" said Shichiro. "How did… How did you find an insurance company that would cover that place?"

Jalal sighed.

"Suffice to say, it wasn't easy," he said. "But anyway, the big problem is, Hebi-Na is missing…"

"No… way…" gasped Jinx, getting up.

"She escaped again?" exclaimed Shichiro.

"Not escaped," replied Jalal. "Hebi-Na was clearly kidnapped. It's obvious she was taken against her will."

He pointed, and the TV in the room came on. It started to show footage of the break-in.

The four Shadowchasers watched with disbelief.

"That thing smashed through the base's golems like they were toy soldiers…" muttered Shichiro.

"We finally identified it," said Jalal. "It's a bloodsilver golem."

"Bloodsilver?" asked Gears.

"It's hard to explain…" replied Jalal. "And there was a good reason why it defeated our golems so easily.

"You see, golems are powered by elemental spirits bound to the constructed body, almost always an earth spirit, as most golems are made of earth-based materials. Like stone, iron, and even flesh, in the case of those made by necromancers.

"Bloodsilver golems are no different, but they emit an aura that weakens all other elemental beings. Thus, it weakens all other golems that try to fight it."

"So just what is a bloodsilver golem?" asked Jinx. "What the heck is bloodsilver?"

"You may recall," said Jalal, "how in many mythologies, there are myths of how beings whom mortals perceived as gods fought epic battles with other beings for dominance of the world before the birth of mortals."

"Like how Zeus and his siblings overthrew the Titans?" asked Gears.

"Exactly," said Jalal. "The Norsemen had another myth, where Odin and his two brothers defeated Ymir, the first of the frost giants.

"Practically every mythology has a story of a great battle where the gods defeated some other creatures at the beginning of time. Although myths often say these battles were short, they in reality lasted for centuries, if not millennia. The elves claim that Corellon's legendary battle with Gruumsh lasted a day and a night, but most sages who study elven mythology believe the two gods fought for eons before Corellon finally defeated his foe.

"During these deific battles, the blood of the participants was shed, and over the long periods of the conflicts, some of it mingled with the raw ore of the young Earth itself. As the world continued to form in the aftermath of these battles, as the victors paved the way for mortal races, the ore became an enchanted metal called bloodsilver."

"And they can make golems out of _that_?" asked Ember.

"Well, not anymore they can't," replied Jalal. "Only one group was once able to.

"Three-thousand years ago, around the time of Pharaoh Atemu, there was a sect of elementalist wizards who called themselves the Primals. They were an incredibly secretive group. They apparently thought that they had stumbled upon some great secret of the universe, and unlike most sects, they weren't too keen on sharing their beliefs with anyone. They kept their goals and motivations under their hats.

"This didn't keep others from making educated guesses, of course. They were all elementalist wizards, and they called themselves the Primals. This led some to believe that their beliefs had something to do with mastering the building blocks of creation, the primal materials that make up the universe. In other words, learn about the materials that compose existence, and you'll master it. Their secrecy made some people believe that they were up to no good, but they never suggested anything sinister…

"But they were no doubt, powerful wizards. Elementalist magic is incredibly powerful…"

"No kidding…" said Ember.

"They were apparently able to find enough bloodsilver to make a few golems," continued Jalal, "incredibly powerful ones. Stories seem to substantiate three of these golems, although there may be as many as five.

"Then, one day, all the Primals disappeared without a trace. No-one knows what happened to them. Most folks believe they discovered something that was best left undiscovered, and it destroyed them. You know the old saying..."

"There are some things that men were not meant to tamper with..." said Gears.

"Exactly," replied Jalal. "Whatever happened to them, the Primals were simply gone, but they left behind some of their work, including the bloodsilver golems, which stood inert, possibly waiting for their masters to return. Only someone who knows the proper incantations can command one of them now.

"Fortunately, it's impossible for more bloodsilver to be created. The true gods have agreed never to manifest their true forms in the mortal world, as they know that doing so would cause a war that would tear the world apart. Even evil gods would much rather rule the world than destroy it. That's the primary difference between gods and demons."

"So who the heck could have found a three-thousand-year-old golem with divine power and figured out how it worked?" asked Shichiro.

"I don't know," replied Jalal. "But whoever managed it kidnapped Hebi-Na and directed it to Stonehenge, and used the standing stones' power using the golem itself as a focus to open a portal. We were able to trace the portal, and Hebi-Na is somewhere in this part of the world now, likely in the company of someone whose magic won't quit. And since she came from Neo Domino, this might be the first place to look…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

When the ophidia clan leader Saramanda convinced a large group of ophidia into defying the Treaty, most assumed that she was simply fed up with having to compromise the traditions of the ophidia, the ones where humans were regarded as prey. Not many knew that she had deeper, more sinister goals.

Saramanda had expected the Shadowchasers to come. She had promised that they would be defeated in a battle that would make the heavens weep in anguish. And she had prepared for this battle.

An evil ritual was prepared to be cast. When the battle was joined, the blood and souls of her enemies would be offered to Seghulerak, their dark goddess, as a tithe for her request for the ascension to the form of a powerful ophidia anathema. After taking such a powerful form, she could unite all the ophidia clans in the world under her leadership, and she would be unstoppable.

But she sorely underestimated the Shadowchasers, and she would not get the chance. They did not give her the battle she desired. They sent a squad of iron golems to storm her compound, and incapacitate her whole army with an alchemical gas designed especially for reptiles. Her uprising stood no chance, nor did her ritual.

This is why she panicked when the death penalty was proposed at her trial. This is why she agreed to turn informant. Unlike members of certain human terrorist groups, this was one terrorist who didn't believe that a reward was waiting for her in the great beyond. If she died, having failed her task, she would enter an afterlife where she would be face to face with her incredibly angry goddess, who would condemn her to an eternity of torture and slavery. Her only chance was to reject Seghulerak entirely, and turn against her own people.

Would anyone have done differently? Would anyone else have not turned traitor if they knew not doing so would cost them their immortal soul? Could anyone be asked to be _that_ loyal? It's a question for philosophers, perhaps…

But no-one knew that Saramanda had a sister. Her name was Taramanda, and was given the job of recruiting other clans. She was in China when the attack happened, so she was never caught, or even discovered.

Taramanda was enraged at her sister's capture. She prayed to her goddess, offering something different in exchange for the power that Saramanda had desired. Instead of a sacrifice, she would make a pact. A Pact of Vengeance.

Taramanda promised revenge on the Shadowchasers and on humans in general, if the power was given to her to do so. Her offer was accepted, and Seghulerak transformed her into an anathema. But the goddess warned her that her patience would only last thirty years. If she had not fulfilled her goal by then, she would spend eternity as one of her slaves to pay for the power.

Taramanda quickly got busy. She would still refuse to recognize the Treaty, which she believed her people had gotten the worst of. But rather than make her identity, goals, and even existence publicly known, like most terrorist leaders did, like her sister did, she would hide them all. She would keep herself concealed, planning in secret, letting her people gain power as she researched ever option, until she decided she was truly prepared to openly oppose the Shadowchasers. Only when she was truly ready would she strike.

So she gained her power in secret, gradually recruiting clans and slowly becoming the hidden ruler of the ophidia clans in this part of the world. Even common ophidia only knew of her and her servants through minions whom she contacted via messages. Any visitors who were let into the palace who did not serve her on a permanent basis, even ophidia, were blindfolded before coming within a mile of it, and blindfolded again until they were mile from it when they left. And those who _did _serve her on a permanent basis could only do so after willingly subjecting themselves to a curse that would cause an agonizing death if they tried to betray the secrets they knew. Taramanda would not take chances that an arrested ophidia or mercenary would lead the Shadowchasers to her door.

Then, one day, her ambassador, the ophidia who dealt with the races who weren't enemies of the ophidia (of which there were few), came to her. The ambassador, whose name was Hebi-Na, said that a sorceress who was the daughter of Athentia the Great Sphinx, had proposed an alliance. She could flood the world and drown the humans, and at the same time, devolve the ophidia back to their forerunner race, who were able to live comfortably in a flooded world.

Taramanda trusted Hebi-Na… She even gave her a deck of cards that had included Vennominaga, a Monster Card that could channel the avatar of their goddess…

Hebi-Na had failed miserably, and in the duel where Vennominaga was summoned, the avatar was defeated…

Understandably, Taramanda was not very pleased with Hebi-Na right now…

Hssimim and Csimith led the golem into a large, brightly lit, lavishly decorated chamber, where dozens of other ophidia, most of them footsoldiers and bodyguards for the most important one in the room, stood watching. At the far end of the room, reclining on a comfortable couch, was Taramanda, being fanned by two male ophidia using fronds.

Taramanda looked similar to Hebi-Na in basic body design – female human torso and head with a snake's trunk in place of legs – but she was taller, her tail was much longer, and she radiated an authority that was impossible to ignore. She wore a bustier that seemed to be made out of gold, and wore a great deal of gold jewelry: bracelets, rings, a tiara, and a belt studded with fire opals.

As the golem put Hebi-Na down, she waved her hand, and the two ophidia fanning her stepped back.

"Hello, Hebi-Na," she purred. "Were you happy in prison, child?"

She spoke in a very soft, gentle tone, almost as if Hebi-Na _was_ a child.

"Hebi-Na, you know that what you did was a big no-no," continued the Empress. "I gave you Seghulerak's card, and what happened?"

Hebi-Na didn't dare answer.

Taramanda got a little angrier.

"You lost…" she said, getting off her throne. "You let our goddess be struck down… by a Shadowchaser apprentice!"

Hebi-Na wanted to run, but she knew she'd never make it to the door. No regular ophidia could outrun this creature, even if there weren't a small squad of guards and that golem standing by.

"But all that aside, I would have been content to simply let you rot in jail," continued the Empress. "But despite your failure, you simply know too much. I couldn't leave you in the hands of the Shadowchasers. The curse I put on you may have kept your mouth shut for a while, but curses can be detected and lifted, and sooner or later, they were going to wonder why you would prefer the Coffin of Stone to turning informant...

"When Saramanda turned informant, dozens of ophidia projects were set back years, and dozens more were _completely_ ruined… I could not risk the possibility that you'd do the same thing…"

Taramanda seized Hebi-Na by the throat…

Then a transformation started to occur. Every other ophidia in the room, Hssimim and Csimith included, started to get nervous. Taramanda was starting to assume her true form.

It was a horrifying sight to behold. Her face changed shape to that of a king cobra, and two smaller cobras sprouted from her shoulders. Her human half became covered with snake-like scales.

"_Time for your punishment, Hebi-Na,"_ hissed the anathema.

Only the bravest ophidia in the room could watch now. Most were cowering in fear. Taramanda was clearly going to swallow Hebi-Na whole. This was more than an execution when it was done to another ophidia – it was a condemnation. By killing an ophidia this way, the victim's soul would be marked, and would be delivered directly to Seghulerak for further punishment. It was the worst form of damnation for this species.

Clearly, it was all over for Hebi-Na…

Then, Hebi-Na managed to scream something…

"Your majesty, please!" she screamed. "I still know something! I learned something before you brought me here! Something important that you can use!"

Taramanda hissed a little.

"_Go on…"_ she hissed.

"A dark power…" pleaded Hebi-Na. "Hidden right here in the hidden tunnels under Satellite! A power that we could use against the Shadowchasers!"

Taramanda paused.

"_Hebi-Na…"_ she said. _"Look into my eyes…"_

Hebi-Na _really_ didn't want to do that. However, before she could make that decision, Taramanda grabbed her chin, and forced her to look.

Taramanda stared into Hebi-Na's eyes with a glaring look that seemed like it could pierce the soul. And it could. She looked deep into her underling's soul to find out just what this dark power was.

She hissed again. Her forked tongue lashed out of her mouth briefly…

Then, she started to calm down. She slowly reverted back to her less bestial form.

"_Very well, Hebi-Na…"_ she said. "Maybe this is worthwhile… I'll let you live, for a while at least…

"But until I make a final decision…"

She pressed her left hand against Hebi-Na's forehead, and Hebi-Na screamed. Taramanda's hand burned against her flesh like a branding iron.

Then Taramanda threw her to the ground.

Hebi-Na felt her forehead, where a brand had indeed been made. It was black sigil of a strange design. The Mark of the Disgraced… That was the last thing she needed… So long as an ophidia had this mark, her status was little better than that of a slave.

"Msskim," said Taramanda.

"Yes, milady?" asked another ophidia, one even more muscular than Hssimim, and almost six-foot-five, who was standing nearby.

Msskim was Taramanda's field commander. As such, he was her chief bodyguard, and would command her army, should one ever be formed. He was eager to do so, but he was cautious about making any proposals for that purpose. His brother had held the same position for Saramanda, and her army had met a bad end. His brother had been rather foolish, in fact. He was one of the few ophidia who tried to stand up to the squad of golems, and had to spend six months in the hospital before he could even be brought to trial for his part in the conspiracy.

"Find something for Hebi-Na to do until lunch," said Taramanda. "Have her clean the latrines or something."

Hebi-Na got up, and Msskim gave her a shove.

"You heard her," he said. "And you lucked out, by the way."

Hebi-Na realized something. She had, at this point, hit rock-bottom.

As they left, Hssimim and Csimith approached Taramanda, who returned to her throne.

"Uh, milady," said Hssimim. "What exactly is this… dark power that's so important that we have to let that blasphemer live?"

"And there are all sorts of 'dark powers', you know," added Csimith. "For all we know, this could be the cubic zirconium of dark powers."

Taramanda reclined back on her couch.

"Oh, it's worth our time, no doubt," she said. "It's something that might make us stronger than ever. I was rather surprised that the things were still around… But if we could get them, we could certainly profit.

"I saw them clearly when I looked into her soul... Hebi-Na knows where to find them, or at least believes she does."

"Can't she draw us a map?" asked Hssimim.

"No, I don't believe she can," said Taramanda, somewhat annoyed. "Routes to magical treasures tend to defy such simple means of recording.

"Csimith, gather our strongest warriors and arm them. After our noon repast, Hebi-Na will lead us to this power…

"For her sake, she'd best hope it's there…"

"As you wish," said the chamberlain, making a bow.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At the townhouse, the doorbell rang. Ember got up and opened it.

Standing at the door was a tall, intimidating man dressed in a dark suit and cloak. He was completely bald, and wore a monocle.

Ember looked noticeably shocked.

"Uhm, greetings ma'am," said the man, sporting a thick Germanic accent. "I don't believe we've met… I am Baron Wilhelm von Gottschalk."

His voice was deep, commanding, and very intimidating.

"Uh, heh…" said Ember, nervously. "So you are…"

"Who's at the door, Ember?" asked Shichiro.

Then he saw who it was.

"Wilhelm!" he said with a grin. "How long has it been?"

"Too long, old friend…" said the man.

"You know this guy, Shichiro?" asked Ember.

"Of course," said Shichiro. "This is Sorsha's owner."

Ember looked shocked again. She looked at Wilhelm.

"The hellfire warlock?" she asked.

"That's right," said Wilhelm, "and I came to get my cat…"

The three of them walked into the lounge, where Sorsha was napping on the mantelpiece. But she quickly woke up, and leapt into Wilhelm's arms.

"There's my little Sorsha," said Wilhelm, stroking the cat.

"So, where have you been all this time, Wilhelm?" asked Shichiro, as they sat down.

Boris floated into the room, carrying a plate of tea and strudel.

"The Abyss," replied Wilhelm, as Boris poured the tea. "I was stranded. My Cubic Gate malfunctioned, leaving me unable to come back home. I was trapped in a realm where demons were the rulers. It wasn't the best situation to be in, as you might imagine."

"Whatever did you do?" asked Shichiro.

"Well, being a hellfire warlock helped a great deal…" started Wilhelm. "Knowing how to tap the raw energy of the Lower Planes can work wonders in fighting off the natives. I tried making deals with some demons in positions of power, hoping to gain access to a portal or vortex, but I was double-crossed each time. Unlike devils, they rarely keep their word. But time and again, I escaped."

"So how did you find your way home?" asked Ember.

"Well…" said Wilhelm. "The key to outsmarting demons is to think like demons. I had to think like the foul embodiments of Evil and Chaos that they were. That's not an easy feat for a mortal being, as you might imagine…

"But once I managed a small facsimile of it, I formed a plan that centered on using the same method they often used… Trickery. I went to the largest commerce center of the Abyss, where human merchants and mercenaries were at least tolerated, and purposely spread rumors that I was in possession of the Dagger of Al-Shymir."

"What's that?" asked Shichiro. "Some sort of grand artifact?"

"Well, no…" replied Wilhelm. "Not technically. As far as magical items go, it's only a dagger with a bane enchantment, bane against devils."

"Huh?" said Ember.

"A dagger especially useful against devils," replied Shichiro.

"True," said Wilhelm. "But it had not one, but two legends behind it. You see, the armies of devils in the Blood War are led by eight diabolic generals named the Dark Eight. But long, long ago they were the Dark Nine. Their leader was a mighty fiend named Cantrum. The most powerful general ever to lead the infernal armies.

"The first legend says that a mighty, heroic knight named Al-Shymir stormed the Gates of Hell, and for three-hundred and thirty-two days, rained death upon every devil in sight. On the three-hundred and thirty-third, he confronted Cantrum, and after a bloody fight, drove the dagger through the fiend's heart, slaying him. Al-Shymir then died of his wounds, as he had expected to all along. The legend doesn't say just what his reasons were for this kamikaze mission, which makes the second legend a little more believable."

"Second legend?" asked Ember.

"The second legend says that Al-Shymir was no hero," explained Wilhelm. "He ended up in Hell after getting lost, and died soon after. But he just happed to have a dagger with a bane enchantment against devils, not that it did him much good. It was left where his body fell, and later picked up by an abishai."

"Abishai…" said Shichiro. "Minor devils… Low men on the infernal totem pole."

"And this nameless abishai hated the politics of Hell that had put it so low on that totem pole," continued Wilhelm, "which had passed it up for promotion time and time again. It took the dagger, and drove it between Cantrum's shoulders, scoring an incredibly lucky hit. Cantrum perished from the wound, but not before tearing the abishai to pieces in his dying rage.

"Anyway… Most devils believe the second legend, and to devils in high positions, the Dagger is symbolic of the hardest lesson they have to learn. No matter how strong you become, no matter how much power you amass, you can never let your guard down. Even the most insignificant-looking threat can lead to doom.

"But let's get back to me. Once I spread the rumor that I had the long-lost Dagger of Al-Shymir, every powerful demon got excited. Demons everywhere would have paid through the nose for it."

"Not because it was bane against devils, I assume…" asked Ember. "They likely have lots of those…"

"Of course they do," replied Wilhelm. "The devils would probably be _insulted_ if they faced a demonic army where less than half of the demons had them. And a diabolic army likely has plenty of weapons that are bane against demons."

"They wanted it for the symbolic value," said Ember.

"Exactly," said Wilhelm, nodding. "Whichever legend is correct, it was the weapon that killed Cantrum. It's not only a great trophy, it could be used to demoralize whole devilish armies.

"It was no hard feat to obtain a fancy dagger with bane against devils, and pass it off as the real thing. I knew that it would take hours of alchemical inspection to detect auras that were as old as the ones they would have to find to discern its authenticity.

"So, demonic ambassadors approached me. They offered to barter. As I expected, many tried to con me using fake magical items. Eventually, they learned that I could not be fooled.

"Finally, one powerful demon noble came to me and presented me with this…"

He gestured, and a decorated staff appeared in his hand with a twinkle of light.

"That's a Staff of the Portals!" exclaimed Shichiro.

Wilhelm chuckled.

"An item with the power to open gates to anywhere in the universe," he said, "if one knows the right command words, of course. I said I might be interested in a trade, and asked if I could inspect the staff to see if it was worth it. How was I to know it had more than two charges remaining, I asked. He let me inspect it, thinking I had no way of using it.

"I was a fast learner. A quick spell later, I knew the simplest command word, the one that allowed a user to transport to his native dimension. I used it, and left the Abyss behind.

"And wound up in downtown Cairo. Thank goodness I still had my ATM card…"

"That guy must have been pretty angry," said Ember.

"Don't know…" replied Wilhelm, "Don't really care. Don't ever feel pity for demons, they don't deserve it.

"Anyway, I can't stay long. I'm leaving Japan soon, but I can take Sorsha with me this time. But I do have something to repay you people with."

He reached into a pouch at his side, and took out a small, obsidian statue of an exotic bird. He placed it on the coffee table.

"A statue of a phoenix?" asked Shichiro.

"Statue nothing," replied Wilhelm. "That's a real phoenix. His name is Gabriel. He's very young… Less than two hundred years old.

"Well, technically, it's only been that long since his last death and rebirth. Phoenixes have strange life cycles.

"And he's very shy. But he likes sweet food. Just offer him fruit or candy, and he'll come out of that shell he's in.

"Good day, now… Come, Sorsha. We have a plane to catch for Mumbai."

"Oh, a plane?" whined Sorsha. "Do we have to?"

"Afraid so," said Wilhelm, standing up. "I don't have my Cubic Gate any more, remember? And the staff's charges aren't renewable."

"You don't like planes, Sorsha?" asked Ember.

"You wouldn't like them much either if you had to ride in a pet carrier!" whined Sorsha.

"Oh…" said Ember. "Good point…"

"It's… undignified…" moaned Sorsha.

"Ah, well… bye, everyone…"

As Wilhelm left with his cat, Ember took a good look at the phoenix…

She picked up a piece of cherry strudel, and held it in front of the statue. It started to glow…

It turned into a small, exotic-looking bird, with orange feathers and sparkling eyes, shrouded in an aura of flames.

It made a grab for the strudel, and in doing so, set fire to a doily on the coffee table. Ember grabbed a magazine, and beat out the flames.

"Oh, did I do that?" asked the phoenix. "I'm sorry…"

Ember sighed and looked at Gabriel.

"This is gonna be an experience…" she said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Far under the city, the mysterious man in a black suit and sunglasses once again walked into the dark cavern with the pool of water.

Once again, he watched as the large creature emerged from the pool.

"Everything is going as planned, master," he said. "Hebi-Na should lead her kin to the shrine in a matter of hours."

"_Mmm,"_ said the being in its telepathic voice. _"Does Taramanda suspect who led her to the golem?"_

"She told her subjects it was given to them via the blessings of their goddess," replied the man. "Whether she personally believes this, I do not know."

"_If she does,"_ said the being, _"she will likely believe that Hebi-Na came to this new knowledge via the same way. _

"_All we must do now is watch and observe. That is where you come in. I expect careful notes to be taken as the situation develops."_

"I excel at such things," said the man.

He bowed, and then left the cavern.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Hebi-Na: The Empress forces me to partake in a dangerous Shadow Duel to obtain the dark power I have led her to. I'm forced to duel a demonic guardian, and I don't even have a deck. Why do I agree to do this? Simple… At this point, I really don't have anything left to lose. **

"**Secret Pass to the Treasures" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Bonetail: Vengeful Spirit**

The Shadow Queen had it all: wealth, magical abilities that would have made Merlin green with envy, and prodigies in the forms of her six children. She also had a thirst for power, to the extent where she had aspirations to make the world her own.

Unbeknownst to her, there was someone in her ranks with the same ambitions; and it was the last being she would have ever expected.

That being was Bonetail. He was once a great beast, a dragon the Shadow Queen kept as her 'pet.' Exactly which sub-race of dragon he once was has been forgotten, but clearly, he was one of the worst of the lot. Monstrous, ravenous, and seemingly mindless, he was seen as nothing more than a method of executing prisoners and incompetent servants; their bones serving as reminders of what happened to those who "failed for the last time." The space he took up within the palace was worth far more than his actual usefulness.

Or so it seemed.

Bonetail was actually quite intelligent, and even possessed magical abilities of his own. He also shared dreams of conquering the world, but doing so in his own, more destructive fashion. He plotted to overthrow the Shadow Queen once he had built up enough power to do so.

Unfortunately for him, things didn't go quite as planned.

The Shadow Queen found out about Bonetail – about his power and his ambitions. As punishment, she placed a curse on him; his physical energy was drained, and he was cast into the deepest part of her dungeon. The only way he could be freed was by defeating and absorbing the souls of a thousand victims, something deemed impossible given his new quarters. She figured the "wretched old dragon" would die sooner or later.

However, Bonetail wasn't a true dragon, but a dracolich, a species that has the same looks and abilities the basic human-created stereotype. The biggest difference, by far, was the species' ability to use necromantic on itself, similar to how evil human wizards can transform into foul undead sorcerers called liches. When Bonetail's physical body passed on, he literally took over his own corpse, transferring his soul into a vessel called a phylactery. His soul could live on even if something happened to his body. In a sense, he was now immortal, his magical abilities still intact; the only way he could be killed was if the phylactery was destroyed.

Meanwhile, the Shadow Queen put her plans into motion, aiming to first wipe out the Three Heroes - those prophesized to defeat her – through a Duel Monsters tournament held at her kingdom, dubbed 'Monster Island.' Her trusted servants were given decks so they could serve as Eliminators. As one passed by the cell holding Bonetail, he took a chance and absorbed the essence of his deck to create a copy for himself. When the Shadow Queen learned of this, realizing that Bonetail was still technically alive, she split his dungeon into a hundred levels and placing sentinels to guard each one. The dungeon was then sealed off by her magic as an extra precaution. Now there appeared to be no way Bonetail would ever be freed.

It seems that even the best plans can be foiled. The Shadow Queen was defeated by the Three Heroes, her magic influences ceasing with her departure from this world. The curse on Bonetail was still in effect, however, but help came in an unexpected form. Sometime after the Monster Island Tournament, rumors spread of a treasure being kept within the Pit of 100 Trials, this name referring to the dungeon he was imprisoned in. The rumors reached every corner of the globe, and people came in droves to try and retrieve it, despite the best efforts of the Shadow Queen's children to prevent it. Those who entered the dungeon did not last long, and surprisingly Bonetail could feel their souls being absorbed into him.

Apparently, since the curse was cast on the dungeon – and since he was inside, thus making him a part of it – he didn't have to defeat his victims directly. Slowly but surely his soul count rose; it got to the point where he needed only one more to break the curse. Luckily, as a teen by the name of Uriel conquered the first ninety-nine Levels of the Pit; this would have made victory all the more joyous. A clash of titans erupted in the form of Duel Monsters, but despite his best efforts, Bonetail was defeated. His physical body disintegrated, and without a body his soul was cast away.

Beaten, battered, and weakened in every sense of the word, the dracolich aimlessly wandered the world for years, unable to muster the power to choose which direction to go in, let alone possess another body. He remained in this limbo until the battle between the Signers and Dark Signers erupted in Neo Domino City. When the Dark Synchro monster One-Hundred Eyes Dragon (another draconic spirit of pure evil) made its presence known, it had an immense effect on malevolent beings of this dimension, increasing both ferocity and energy for a short time. It was just what Bonetail needed to get back on his feet. He took the opportunity to find refuge in the corpse of a businessman and went into hiding, preparing himself and the world for what he has in store...

**Story Ideas: **Bonetail's return has not gone unnoticed. Since he is such a powerful entity, he will have more than the Shadow Queen's offspring looking for him. The Shadowchasers will definitely want to catch him and bring him to justice. He will dive into the underworld to renew his strength and magical abilities. He is certainly no slouch when it comes to defending himself or dueling his way out of sticky situations. He learns quickly, knowing how to keep himself hidden from the public eye while still creating mayhem. When his powers reach a certain level, he will be able to give himself a magical makeover to appear passable as 'human' and 'alive,' making interactions above ground a bit easier for him. If that backfires, there's always falling back to tried and true methods: killing those who go against him, as well as eliminating any witnesses.

He still has aims to conquer the world, and is working to strengthen himself for the time when he can achieve it. However, the curse that was placed on him in life latched onto his soul, so he won't return to his former glory until he can defeat and absorb the souls of another thousand victims. The methods for defeat do not seem to matter anymore, but Duel Monsters is always a viable option. This will become his mission, his purpose. Another item on his to-do-list is to get revenge on Uriel, the one responsible for his predicament in the first place, but encountering him now is as unlikely as finding a needle in a haystack…

In terms of allies, he is still wary, considering how he sees the Shadow Queen's punishing him as a form of betrayal. He has come into contact with many a Shadowkind, especially those who share a similar dislike of humans. He'll eventually learn about the Sons of Kyuss, an organization of necromancers who share powers and ambitions similar to his own. Whether he will look into allying himself with them or use their influence to his advantage is still up in the air.

**Deck Suggestions: **The deck Bonetail used during his 'stay' in the Pit of 100 Trials – the one he stole the essence of – contained Zombies of various sorts. He loved to swarm with his creatures, and packed a Dark Armed Dragon as his finisher. When his body was destroyed, he lost that essence. After making his return, he felt he needed to stick to his roots; it was all a matter of rebuilding – using cards stolen from his victims. His deck now packs new weapons that include Synchro Monsters – Archfiend Zombie-Skull and Revived King Ha Des among them – and other Zombie-related support such as Zombie World, Everliving Underworld Cannon, and Trap of the Imperial Tomb – making it even deadlier than before. The more victims he slays, the stronger he and his deck will become…


	7. Secret Pass to the Treasures

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**DUEL SEVEN**

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**Secret Pass to the Treasures**

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Gears turned on the computer, as his three comrades watched behind him.

"Okay…" he said. "My first thought was that someone kidnapped Hebi-Na because she knows something, and wanted to silence her. That would mean that the most obvious suspects would be her co-conspirators in Sonja's plan.

"Only trouble is…"

Three faces appeared on the screen.

"…they're all dead."

"I see what you mean…" said Shichiro.

Gears highlighted one of the images, a frightening picture of a monstrous face with mauve skin, two cold eyes, and four tentacles where the mouth would be. This was Louis DaPen, the illithid crimelord that had allied himself with Sonja, whom she had ordered killed when he had outlived his usefulness.

"After DaPen's death," said Gears, "his mob territory was taken over by the Yakuza crime boss Himato Kuin. But Kuin is a Mundane, and not nearly as cruel as the Shadowkind crime bosses… I doubt he's behind it…"

He turned to a picture of a man in a hood wearing a porcelain mask.

"Then there was Edmund Mason… The worm that walks… But he's gone… And we made sure that he had no apprentices or other students ready to take his place…"

He turned to the final picture, that of a forty-something man with a handsome face and a goatee.

"I don't think Mr. Draco could be behind it," said Ember. "Even if he somehow managed to survive in some form, he saved my life. Whatever happened to Sonja would have happened to me if it weren't for him."

Gears typed in some commands, and Hebi-Na's mug shot came up.

"So that begs the question…" said Jinx. "Did we miss someone?"

"Hebi-Na's own statement when she was arrested said she passed through from Shadow only two years ago," replied Gears. "She said she didn't have a mate, not now nor previously. And she claimed to have never joined an organized clan."

"She might have lied," said Jinx. "She might have bee trying to protect someone…"

Gears rubbed his chin.

"Well," he said. "She wasn't wearing any symbols of any ophidia clan we know about…"

"She was certainly familiar with the other ophidia in this city," said Ember. "She seemed to be a regular at that bar I investigated that catered to them."

"So then…" said Gears. "DID we miss someone? Did Sonja's whole plot have another conspirator the whole time that never confronted us?"

"We'd better find out," said Shichiro. "If it's true, kidnapping Hebi-Na might be the least of the crimes they have to answer for."

"Good point…" said Gears.

He sighed.

"I just wish I knew where we had to start looking."

Ember looked long and hard at the mug shot.

Then she said something peculiar, in English:

_Yesterday, upon the stair,_

_I met a man who wasn't there._

_He wasn't there again today._

_Oh, how I wish he'd go away._

"What's that?" asked Shichiro. "A nursery rhyme?"

"Kinda," replied Ember. "It was something I read in literature class a few years ago… Part of a poem written a long time ago by some poet from the States…

"But I'm thinking it might illustrate our problem… What if the answer was obvious the whole time, and we just didn't pick up on it? In other words, we might have seen another factor to the whole equation in plain sight, but we never realized its importance, never realizing it was 'there'?"

They all looked at her.

They all looked at the mug shot again.

"I think I see what she means…" said Gears. "But we're going to have to retrace all our steps to find it…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The sewers under Satellite were home to a great many vermin…

Rats… roaches… spiders…

And today, snakes.

Fifteen ophidia made their way through the sewer. Hebi-Na was leading them, two soldiers armed with spears guarding her, prodding her with them every now and then. Taramanda watched from behind.

Of course, she was unwilling to drag her coils through this filthy place, so she had brought a magical device with her to maintain some dignity. She was seated on a large chair that had eight metal legs, resembling an ornate throne on a huge spider. This device wasn't very comfortable, but sometimes you had to sacrifice comfort for style.

Behind her was Hssimim, Csimith, and Msskim, each of them with flashlights and Duel Disks (just in case) followed by the final eight ophidia, soldiers armed with scimitars. Three of them had semi-automatic pistols tucked in their belts in case they needed to break tradition.

The past few hours had been anything but pleasant for Hebi-Na. She had not even been given a change of clothing; she was still wearing the prison-issue shirt that she had been wearing when she was kidnapped, a shirt that was now soiled and filthy. She was hungry too. All she had been given to eat since she got to Neo Domino were the table scraps that the other ophidia couldn't eat at the lunch table, which wasn't much. And all of them had insulted her at every opportunity.

This had caused a drastic shift in her outlook since the encounter in the throne room. Her fear of her Empress had now turned into incredible anger. After all, when you've hit rock-bottom, you tend to stop worrying about the consequences of your actions. Thoughts of murder, or better yet, murder-suicide were on her mind.

Of course, she had no idea yet how she was going to do that. Taramanda had bodyguards attending her around the clock, was incredibly powerful even without them, and as a Disgraced ophidia, Hebi-Na was not allowed to have a weapon.

Still, the thoughts were still on her mind. That much was certain.

"Oh, this is a waste of time!" cursed Hssimim. "There's nothing down here but busted pipes and asbestos!"

"If there's asbestos here," said Taramanda, "then that means this place hasn't seen a maintenance crew since years _before_ Zero Reverse. It's been illegal to sell and use that stuff as building material in this and most other developed nations since the 1980's.

"It could mean something valuable is hidden here… Or it could mean there's nothing here worth coming for."

"If there is some great treasure down here," said Csimith, "wouldn't it make sense that there'd be something guarding it?"

"Hold up…" said Hebi-Na.

She felt the wall to her right, and then gave it a shove. It crumbled into a pile of broken stone.

Beyond the opening was a dark tunnel, which was made of finely mortared brick, and in far better repair than the older sewers.

"You first," ordered Taramanda.

The two guards poked Hebi-Na with their spears, and she grunted. She slithered into the dark tunnel, and the others cautiously followed.

After walking for about three-hundred feet, the tunnel terminated in a stone wall.

"Dead end," chuckled Hssimim.

"Shine a light on here," said Hebi-Na.

Taramanda pointed, and the three nobles shone their flashlights on the wall. They noticed a series of slashes carved in the stone in an orderly fashion. The slashes were arranged into four horizontal lines, perpendicular to each other.

"Is that some sort of writing?" asked Msskim.

Taramanda rode her chair to the wall, and inspected the slashes.

"It's qualith," she said. "Ancient, non-humanoid races like the illithids who are telepathic have no true written language, so when they feel the need to write, they use this alphabet. It's similar to Braille."

"Can you decipher it?" asked Hssimim.

"Qualith is incredibly complex," replied Taramanda, studying them. "Each line modifies the preceding lines through explaining abstract concepts associated with the above words. Only by looking at the entire message at once, and understanding all four lines simultaneously, can the message be understood."

"In other words, you can't decipher it…" sighed Csimith.

"Maybe I can…" replied Taramanda. "Some divine magic might be able to translate it…"

She held up her right hand, and her eyes glowed with a green light, as she channeled the divine power of her goddess. The qualith marks glowed, and then started to transform into regular words.

She opened her eyes, and read:

"The secrets of all things lie in their beginnings, and beginnings lead to endings, which lead to new beginnings."

There was a rumble, and a sound like stone upon stone, and a secret door lifted up where the writing had been.

Hebi-Na slithered in, and the rest of the party followed.

They were in a creepy chamber that looked like a foreboding temple, lit by violet torches, with an altar in front of them flanked by two pillars of skulls. Even more frightening was the guard who was standing at the altar, in front of a thick, wooden door. It was a tall creature, even bigger than Msskim, standing seven feet tall, muscular, shirtless, wearing black trousers, and an iron mask that didn't seem to even have eyeholes. He held a huge axe that had a sinister design.

"I knew it," said Csimith.

Hebi-Na was even more surprised by the door. It was the same one as the one in her vision.

Were those Monsters behind it?

The hulking guard looked at the party of ophidia (they knew he was looking at them, even though his eyes were hidden), and then spoke in a voice that was deep and demanding.

"Who intrudes on this sacred sanctuary?" he said.

"Uh…" said Hebi-Na.

Taramanda got off her throne, and pushed Hebi-Na aside.

"We seek the great power that is supposedly stored here," she said. "That which was returned to this temple after the defeat of its masters to await a new master."

The Guardian chuckled.

"And you snakes wish to become the new masters…" he said. "Well… The great power is indeed here, and I am obligated to accept any challenges for it, if one has the courage to try to claim it…"

"Child's play," replied Taramanda. "What does this challenge entail? A battle of swords? Incantations?"

The Guardian held up something with his free hand.

It was a deck of cards.

"Duel Monsters??" gasped Taramanda.

"Indeed," said the Guardian. "However, whoso challenges for this power and fails will be condemned to eternal torment in the Underworld. This power does not come easily."

"So then, it's a Shadow Duel?" asked Taramanda.

The Guardian nodded.

Taramanda turned to Hebi-Na.

"Well?" she snapped.

"Well what?!" asked Hebi-Na.

"WE weren't the ones who suggested we come here," replied Taramanda, "so it certainly won't be WE who risk our souls in a Shadow Duel. Duel him."

"Oh, this ought to be good!" chucked Hssimim.

"I don't have a deck!" protested Hebi-Na.

"Well, I certainly cannot accept a challenge from someone with no deck," replied the Guardian.

Taramanda looked at the three nobles.

"Csimith, lend her your deck," she ordered. "She'll use that."

"Why mine?" asked Csimith.

"Well, I'm certainly not letting her use _mine_!" said Taramanda.

Csimith sighed, and removed his Disk from his arm.

"Let me see that…" said Hssimim, snatching it.

He took the deck and looked at the cards.

"Okay, it will suffice…" he said.

He handed it to Hebi-Na.

Hebi-Na slipped the Disk on her own arm with another sigh.

"This will be a step towards gaining some respect back, Hebi-Na," said Taramanda. "Win me those cards, and I might feed you tonight.

"Lose, and I won't have to punish you… This demon will do it for me…"

Hebi-Na growled.

The Guardian chuckled softly. Then he held the axe out in front of him, and it was surrounded by an aura of dark energy. It transformed into a Duel Disk that fit over his left arm. It was a frightening-looking device, made of black metal, shaped like a dragon's head. The deck fit in the dragon's mouth.

Taramanda's eyes narrowed a little as she looked at it...

"Duel!" shouted both duelists.

The two Disks auto-shuffled the decks.

**(Hebi-Na: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Guardian: 8,000)**

"Ladies first," said the demon. "And I use the term loosely…"

"Uh, thank you…" said Hebi-Na, making her first draw.

She looked over the six cards with a suspicious look.

"Uh…" she said, as she played a Spell Card. "I think I'll play Allure of Darkness…

"Now I get to make two draws…"

She drew two cards and looked them over.

"Then I have to remove a Dark Monster in my hand from play, or I lose my whole hand…"

She took Obsidian Dragon, and placed it in her shirt pocket.

"Then… uh… I play Card of Variation."

Another Spell Card appeared.

"That means I get to draw two more cards…"

She made two more draws.

_What kind of a crazy deck is this?_ she thought.

Of the ten cards she had drawn from her deck so far, the Monsters had included four Dark Monsters, one Wind Monster, and an Earth Monster, and there was no real common thread among the Types.

She took a card from her hand.

"I'm… I'm sending Lesser Fiend from my hand to the Graveyard," she said.

She placed the card in the discard slot.

"By discarding a high-Level Dark Monster, I get to Special Summon Dark Grepher."

In an aura of shadow, a sinister-looking Warrior with armor and ebony skin, holding a longsword appeared. It was supposedly what Warrior Dai Grepher was, right before he transformed into Dark Lucius. (1,700 ATK)

"Now, I use his effect…" she continued. "I send another Dark Monster to my Graveyard…"

She discarded Spirit Reaper from her hand.

"...to send one from my deck to the Graveyard."

In a flash of light, images of all the Dark Monsters in her deck appeared in front of her. She considered for a minute.

"Well, at least she knows how to use Dark Grepher," said Csimith. "That's a plus."

"Guess I'll choose you," said Hebi-Na.

She touched a second Dark Grepher, and it vanished, falling into her discard slot.

"Next, I set a Monster," she said, playing a card.

A set Monster appeared.

"I end my turn… And since I used Card of Variation, I now have to discard a card from my hand, or I lose 3,000 Life Points…"

She took Reload from her hand, and discarded it.

"Not bad," said the Guardian. "But now it's my move…"

He made a draw.

"I'll start by playing my Foolish Burial," he said, as a Spell Card appeared.

A card slipped out of his deck.

"Now I can send a Monster from my deck to the Graveyard."

He discarded the card.

"Now, a more long-lasting Spell Card."

He fit the card into his Disk, and with a rumble, a frightening apparatus appeared. It looked like a cannon… A cannon made of bones and skulls, not all of them human, held down by chains.

"What is THAT?" shouted Hebi-Na.

"It's the Everliving Underworld Cannon!" exclaimed the Guardian. "And I get to fire it whenever I Special Summon a Zombie-Type Monster, dealing you 800 points of damage."

"Seems this guy is using Zombies," said Msskim.

"Genius," said Hssimim. "What was your first clue?"

"Now, I'll summon Zombie Master," continued the Guardian.

In an aura of dark energy, an undead creature with rotting flesh and moldering clothes appeared on his side of the field. (1,800 ATK)

"Now I'll use its effect," he continued. "I'll discard one Monster from my hand to Special Summon a Zombie from my Graveyard… Like the one I discarded with Foolish Burial…"

He discarded a card, and a second Zombie Master appeared. (1,800 ATK)

Everliving Underworld Cannon glowed. Then it fired, and a burning, glowing skull shot at Hebi-Na, striking her in the chest and knocking her over.

"I'm not done!" laughed the Guardian. "I'll discard _another_ Monster to use the second Zombie Master's effect, and bring out the Monster I discarded to summon it."

He discarded another card, and a third Zombie Master appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"Fortunately for you, my Cannon needs a full round to recharge before it can fire again. But why stop there?"

He discarded another card.

"I use the third one's effect to summon Mezuki!"

With a low growl, a bestial demon with the head of a horse, holding a nasty axe appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"You can't use that effect again," said Hebi-Na, narrowing her eyes.

"But I have another Spell Card," said the Guardian, as he played the last card in his hand. "The dreaded Book of Life! Now, I can bring Clown Zombie back from my Graveyard…"

With an evil cackle, a rotting, decayed clown balancing on a ball, holding a staff tipped with a scythe blade appeared. (1,350 ATK)

"Clown Zombie?" asked Hebi-Na. "Why'd you include that thing in your deck?"

"All cards have a purpose," said the Guardian. "And as per the second effect of Book of Life, I now get to remove one Monster in your Graveyard from play. And since Lesser Fiend is the biggest threat right now, I choose that one."

Lesser Fiend fell out of Hebi-Na's discard slot.

"Well, it was fun when it lasted," chucked Hssimim.

"Let's continue," said the demon. "Zombie Master number one… Incinerate Dark Grepher with wrath of the undead!"

The first Zombie Master threw back its arms, and threw a volley of lightning bolts at the Dark Warrior. He cringed, and then shattered into black shards.

"Second Zombie Master…" continued the demon. "Her concealed Monster!"

The second Zombie made the same attack. A big, green mantis appeared crouched on the card, and was blown to bits.

"That was Flying Kamakiri #1!" shouted Hebi-Na. "And when it gets totaled, I get to Special Summon a Wind Monster with a low Attack Score from my deck."

The qualifying cards appeared in front of her in holographic form. Looking at them, Hebi-Na slowly began to realize the strategy behind this deck.

"I summon a second Kamakiri!" she shouted.

Another big bug appeared in front of her. (1,400 ATK)

"I have three more attacks coming," said the Guardian. "Third Zombie Master, attack!"

The third Master shot its bolts, and the second mantis was blasted apart.

"I summon a third Kamakiri!" shouted Hebi-Na, as yet another of the Insects appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"Then I'll destroy the last one," said the demon. "Mezuki, doom chop!"

Mezuki made a slash with its axe, beheading the mantis. Its body shattered.

"I use my final Kamakiri's effect…" said Hebi-Na. "Come on out, Chaosrider Gustaph!"

There was a sound like a noisy engine, and a fiendish-looking Warrior rode onto the field on a motorcycle. He wore a horned helmet and a leather studded harness, and carried a long pike. (1,400 ATK)

"Humph," said the Guardian. "Clown Zombie can't beat that… My turn is over…"

**(H: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (G: 8,000)**

"My move…" said Hebi-Na.

She drew a card.

"I summon Bazoo the Soul-Eater!" she shouted.

In a burst of energy, a decidedly different Monster appeared. It looked like a large mandrill ape with purple fur, and sharp claws and teeth. (1,600 ATK)

"Bazoo here may look like some dumb monkey," said Hebi-Na, "but it has an effect that can be very powerful if used right. I can remove up to three Monsters in my grave from play, and for each one, Bazoo gains 300 Attack Points."

All three of the Flying Kamakiris fell out of her discard slot. Bazoo screeched as it glowed with energy. (2,500 ATK)

"Gustaph has a similar effect," continued Hebi-Na. "I can remove up to two Spell Cards from play, and for each one, he gains 300 Attack Points."

Allure of Darkness and Card of Variation slipped out of her discard slot, and Gustaph's engine roared. (2,000 ATK)

Hebi-Na waited for a response from her opponent, but he said nothing.

"Bazoo," she ordered, "destroy one Zombie Master! Breath of souls!"

Bazoo opened its jaws, and breathed a blast of pure energy at one of the Zombie Masters. It exploded into bones and shards of cloth.

"Gustaph, destroy another one!"

Gustaph started his motorcycle, and sped at a second Zombie Master, cutting it in twain with his weapon.

"I set a card facedown, and end my turn," said Hebi-Na, as a facedown card appeared in a flash of light. "And by the way, the bonuses to their Attack Scores won't wear off until the end of your next turn."

**(H: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (G: 7,100)**

"You know," said Msskim, "she's not doing half bad."

"It's still early…" growled Hssimim. "Don't forget, this is the one who messed up while using the Venom Deck. You know, the one with Vennominaga?"

Hebi-Na seethed in rage…

She had made up her mind. Once this duel was over, even if it was the last thing she did before she was dragged into the Underworld, she was going to tell everyone here who was _really_ responsible for her losing that duel.

She had kept quiet about it up to now… How a crucial factor had played a part in the action that led to her losing… But she would be quiet about it no longer.

"My move…" said the Guardian. "I draw one card…"

He made a draw.

"I move my Monsters to Defense Mode…"

The last Zombie Master and Clown Zombie slumped down and knelt. (0 DEF) Mezuki knelt and held its axe in its lap. (800 DEF)

"Next, I'm sending Plaguespreader Zombie to the Graveyard to use Zombie Master's effect."

He discarded the card he had drawn, and another Zombie Master appeared. (0 DEF)

The Everliving Underworld Cannon glowed, and fired, hitting Hebi-Na and knocking her over again.

"Man, I can't believe I forgot to bring my video camera…" chuckled Hssimim.

"Aw, shut up!" shouted Hebi-Na.

"What I can't believe is that he didn't summon Plaguespreader Zombie," said Csimith, "and use it with one of his Level 4 Zombies to Synchro Summon Doomkaiser Dragon."

"Or Revived King Ha Des," replied Msskim. "It doesn't make sense."

"All of you, be quiet!" scolded Taramanda. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth!"

**(H: 5,700) - - - - - - - - - - (G: 7,100)**

"My move…" said Hebi-Na.

She made a draw.

"Once again, I remove three Monsters from play to power up Bazoo…"

She took both Dark Grephers and Spirit Reaper from her Graveyard, and Bazoo rose to an Attack Score of 2,500 again.

"Then I remove Reload from play, to give Gustaph 300 more Attack Points."

Reload slipped out of her discard slot, and Gustaph rose to 1,700 Attack Points.

She threw a Spell Card into her Disk.

"Then, I Equip Bazoo with Big Bang Shot! This gives it 400 more Attack Points, and lets it inflict damage even when attacking a defending Monster."

(2,900 ATK)

"Good lord!" gasped Msskim. "Those Zombie Masters have zero Defense Points!"

"I'm not done!" said Hebi-Na, playing the last card in her hand. "I play a Spell Card called Dimension Distortion. Because I have no cards in my Graveyard now, I get to Special Summon a Monster that was removed from play."

A glowing portal opened, and Lesser Fiend appeared with a roar of bloodlust. (2,100 ATK)

Then Hebi-Na's facedown card lifted.

"Finally, I activate Escape From the Dark Dimension! This lets me Special Summon a Dark-Attribute Monster that's been removed from play."

A dark portal opened, and Dark Grepher stepped out. (1,700 ATK)

"Now, let's kill some Zombies… Bazoo, destroy one of the Zombie Masters!"

Bazoo blasted its breath of souls, and one of the Zombie Masters exploded. The Guardian cringed a little.

"Dark Grepher, the last one!"

Grepher made a slash with his blade, and the last Zombie Master was blown apart.

"Gustaph, take out Clown Zombie!"

Gustaph started his motorcycle, and literally ran the undead clown down.

"One left…" said Hebi-Na. "Lesser Fiend, obliterate Mezuki!"

Lesser Fiend breathed a blast of black flames at the bestial demon. Mezuki turned to bones, and then the bones disintegrated.

"I end my turn…" said Hebi-Na.

**(H: 5,700) - - - - - - - - - - (G: 4,200)**

"I draw one card…" said the Guardian, making a draw.

"So what are you gonna do?" asked Hebi-Na. "All you've got is that one card."

The Guardian quickly played it.

"It may be all I need," he replied. "It's called Card of Reversal, and I can use it _because_ it's the only card I have. By playing it, I get to draw one card for each face-up card that you have on the field.

"And I count five."

He quickly made five draws.

"No way…" said Hebi-Na.

"Yes way…" said the Guardian. "I now summon Bone Crusher…"

He played the card, and a Monster appeared that was a bare skeleton, dressed in tattered furs and a Viking's helmet, holding a stone hammer. (1,600 ATK)

"…and then I play Nightmare's Steelcage."

He played the card, and a large, domed cage studded with spikes formed around Hebi-Na and her Monsters.

"That will keep you from attacking for two whole turns."

"But it will also keep _you_ from attacking," said Hebi-Na.

"I know how my cards work," replied the demon. "I end my turn."

Hebi-Na paused for a minute.

"I thought Bone Crusher was destroyed at the end of the turn it was summoned," said Csimith.

"Only if it's Special Summoned," replied Taramanda. "That was a Normal Summon."

_He probably intends to sacrifice Bone Crusher for something powerful,_ thought Hebi-Na. _Better draw something good…_

She made a draw.

It was Nobleman of Crossout.

_Might be useful later,_ she thought.

"I can't do anything," she said. "I pass…"

The Guardian made a draw.

"Very well," he said. "I pass as well…"

Hebi-Na made a draw.

It was D.D.R. Different Dimension Reincarnation.

_Should I go with this?_ she thought.

_Maybe I should wait…_

"I remove Dimension Distortion from play to give Gustaph a boost," she said.

Gustaph rose to an Attack Score of 1,700.

"And that's all for my turn."

The Steelcage shattered into shards.

"Then maybe now I'll draw a card worth using…" said the Guardian.

He drew, and looked at the card.

"Eh, this one's no good either," he said. "It's your move…"

"I've heard of bad hands before…" said Msskim. "But not even something he could use as a bluff?"

"He's up to something…" said Hssimim.

Hebi-Na drew.

She had drawn Mirror Force.

_Yeah, I know what he's up to,_ she thought. _One of the cards in his hand is Gorz, the Emissary of Darkness._

_He thinks I'm going to attack Bone Crusher, and then attack directly. Then he'll be able to summon Gorz, which will lead to him summoning Kaien as well._

She looked at Mirror Force.

_Well, he's in for a surprise…_

She was about to order an attack…

Then she paused…

_Why the heck didn't he move Bone Crusher to Defense Mode?_ she thought.

She looked nervously at Bone Crusher, who looked back at her with a cold stare. Hebi-Na's hand shook…

"She's losing it…" said Hssimim.

"Quiet, you!" ordered Taramanda. "This guy is planning something…"

She knew about Honest… The incredibly rare card that housed a Duel Spirit that was once owned by Judai Yukai. This Monster's effect could be activated from your hand during your opponent's turn, making another Monster's Attack Points rise by an amount equal to the attacking Monster.

But even if it was possible for someone else to have it, it only worked on Light Monsters, and Bone Crusher was decidedly Earth.

Hebi-Na paused.

_Maybe I should…_ she thought.

_NO! I'm not gonna back down!_

"Lesser Fiend… Destroy Bone Crusher!"

Lesser Fiend breathed its dark flame, and Bone Crusher was dissolved into a pile of dust.

The demon laughed.

"Since you just dealt damage," he said, "I get to summon THIS!"

He played a card, and an explosion of black soot and smoke appeared on his side of the field, accompanied by an evil laugh…

With a bellowing roar, a hideous demon towered over the field. It had black skin, a muscular torso, spikes jutting out of its back, and a lower body composed of six spider-like legs.

"What is THAT?" shouted Hebi-Na. "That's not Gorz!"

"No…" said the Guardian. "It's a Fiend named Tragoedia. He's more powerful than Gorz.

"One of his effects is how his Attack and Defense Points are calculated. Both scores are 600 for each card in my hand. Note that I have four right now…"

(2,400 ATK)

Hebi-Na looked at Mirror Force. She fit it in her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"I… end my turn…" said Hebi-Na, nervously.

**(H: 5,700) - - - - - - - - - - (G: 3,700)**

"I draw!" said the Guardian.

He made a draw, and Tragoedia's Attack Score rose to 3,000.

"Hebi-Na's shaking like a leaf," said Msskim.

"That's because her opponent just summoned the ugliest Duel Monster I've ever seen!" said Csimith.

"Who are you snakes calling ugly?" asked the Guardian. "Don't worry, Tragoedia won't be here much longer.

"First… I place one card from my hand on the top of my deck, to Special Summon Plaguespreader Zombie from my Graveyard."

He placed the card on the top of his deck, and in an aura of darkness, a Zombie appeared that was in worse shape than even most Zombies. It was bloated and in a state of advanced decay. Its arms were covered in fur, and its hands were paws. (400 ATK)

"Hold on!" shouted Hebi-Na. "How can you Tune those two Monsters together? That Fiend is Level 10! There's no such thing as a Level 12 Synchro!"

Then she grunted as Everliving Underworld Cannon's blast hit her again.

"True," said Guardian. "But I have my ways…

"Next, I play Giant Trunade!"

The Spell Card appeared, and a fierce wind ripped across the field. The Cannon vanished, and the card reappeared in his hand, while Hebi-Na's Spell and two Trap Cards were blown back to her hand.

"And since I got rid of Big Bang Shot and Escape From the Dark Dimension," continued the Guardian, "Bazoo and Dark Grepher leave as well."

Hebi-Na stepped back in shock, as Bazoo and Dark Grepher vanished in flashes of light.

"Next," said the Guardian, "I replay my Cannon…"

Everliving Underworld Cannon reappeared. Tragoedia fell to an Attack Score of 1,800.

"…And then play the Field Spell, Zombie World!"

He fit a card into his Field Slot, Tragoedia's Attack Score fell to 1,200, and the whole room was shrouded in darkness. Evil-looking tombstones covered with vile moss, and twisted, dead trees sprang up around them.

"In this realm," said the Guardian, "all Monsters on the field and in both Graveyards are considered Zombies, and neither player can Tribute Summon a Monster unless it was a Zombie to begin with."

"What good would it do you to make my Monsters Zombies?" asked Hebi-Na.

"It wouldn't," replied the Guardian. "I needed to make Tragoedia a Zombie.

"Next, I use one of Tragoedia's effects. I choose one Monster in my grave, and for the rest of the round, Tragoedia assumes that Monster's Level.

"I'll choose that Clown Zombie you destroyed a while ago. That means Tragoedia's Level falls to 2.

"Next, I summon another Clown Zombie."

Tragoedia's Attack Points fell to 600, as another of the undead jesters appeared. (1,350 ATK)

"You all wanted to know why I didn't summon Doomkaiser Dragon or Revived King Ha Des earlier. Well, I could have, but I knew it would have been pointless. She could have destroyed either Monster on her next turn with Bazoo.

"But now that Bazoo is out of the picture, I can Synchro Summon a Monster more powerful than either of them…"

The three Monsters dissolved into six glowing stars.

"A Zombie Synchro so powerful, that to summon it, I need Plaguespreader and no less than _two_ other Zombies!

"Arise… Archfiend Zombie-Skull!"

Lightning flashed over Zombie World, and a new creature rose in a blast of electricity. At first glance, it looked like Yugi Mouto's famous Summoned Skull, but this Monster was clearly undead, looking gaunter and slightly decayed. Its wings were tattered and torn, and moss clung to its bony carapace. (2,500 ATK)

"I know what you're thinking…" said the Guardian. "It's only slightly stronger than the two Synchros you mentioned.

"Well, it has a powerful effect, but before I get to it…

"Since I returned Everliving Underworld Cannon to my hand, and then played it again… I can fire it again!"

The Cannon blasted, and Hebi-Na screamed.

"Now, as for my Skull's effect," continued the Guardian. "It prevents all Zombies I control from being destroyed by card effects."

Hebi-Na looked in disbelief.

She looked at the Mirror Force in her hand.

_Then this is worthless!_ she thought.

"And just to be safe," said the demon, as he played his last card, "I Equip Skull with Mist Body. This prevents it from being destroyed in battle.

"Now… Time to battle! Archfiend Zombie-Skull… Annihilate Lesser Fiend with zombie lightning strike!"

The Archfiend's eyes glowed, and it hurled a blast of lightning at Lesser Fiend, blowing the four-armed horror to gibbets.

"It's your move…" said the Guardian.

**(H: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (G: 3,700)**

"Okay…" said Msskim. "So… If she can't destroy it with card effects… And the Equip Spell prevents it from being destroyed in battle…"

"She's gonna have to find a way to defeat that thing without destroying it," replied Csimith.

"That's your deck she's using," said Hssimim. "Is it possible?"

"Maybe…" replied Csimith. "Depends on a lot of things…"

Hebi-Na nervously made a draw.

"Okay, demon…" she said. "I have nothing to lose at this point… Absolutely nothing…

"So, it's time to bet the farm, so to speak.

"I play the Spell Card, Card of Sanctity."

The Spell Card appeared.

"When I play this card, I have to remove everything I have from play… Every card on my field, and in my hand…"

Chaosrider Gustaph vanished, and so did the five cards in her hand, Escape From the Dark Dimension, Big Bang Shot, Mirror Force, Nobleman of Crossout, and D.D.R. Different Dimension Reincarnation.

"Why the heck is she doing that?" asked Hssimim.

"Because once she does that, she gets to draw two cards," said Taramanda. "She's betting it all on these two draws."

"Seems like playing with eternal fire," said Hssimim.

"Seems like," replied Csimith.

Hebi-Na closed her eyes, and drew two cards. Every eye in the room was on her.

She looked at them.

Then she smiled.

"You liked summoning that big, ugly, Fiend?" she laughed.

She threw a card on her Disk.

"Well, meet MY big, ugly, Fiend!"

There was an explosion of flames, and a savage storm erupted over Zombie World. For once, the Guardian looked a little frightened…

With a bellow that wasn't even remotely human, a beast that was just as big as Tragoedia emerged from the flames. It was clearly a Fiend, and it wasn't humanoid. Standing on all fours, it had an exoskeleton the color of fire that looked like a cross between an insect's carapace and a frame of bones. Its head had multiple horns, it had savage-looking claws, and huge wings that would be the envy of any dragon.

"Gren Maju Da Eiza!" exclaimed the Guardian.

"That's right!" exclaimed Hebi-Na. "The Lord of Chaos! And as such, its Attack Score is 400 for each card that I've removed from play.

"So far, there have been sixteen!"

"Hold on…" said Msskim. "Four-hundred… Eight-hundred…"

"Don't strain your brain," said Csimith. "Suffice to say, this duel is over…"

(6,400 ATK)

"You heard what he said…" said Hebi-Na. "Your Archfiend might survive this blast…

"But in the end, that's not gonna matter…

"Gren Maju Da Eiza…"

The Chaos Fiend's eyes glowed with evil energy…

"…attack with Flames of Chaos!"

The ophidia in the room all dove for cover as all of Zombie World became awash with fire. A bellow came from Archfiend Zombie-Skull as the attack hit home…

**(H: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (G: 0)**

When the smoke cleared, the Guardian was down on one knee, and all of the ophidia in the room except for Hebi-Na and Taramanda were cowering in fright.

The Guardian's Disk vanished, and his axe reappeared.

He got up.

"Congratulations," he said. "You have prevailed."

Then Taramanda pushed Hebi-Na aside.

"Fine, fine," she said, walking up to the Guardian. "Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I'll take those cards now."

The Guardian glared at her.

"Excuse me, snake," he said. "Did I give you permission to approach me?"

Then he swung his axe and hit the Empress hard with the flat of it, knocking her clear across the room. Everyone in the room gasped in horror.

"No, I did not," he said.

All the ophidia raised their weapons.

"You can't treat the Empress like that!" shouted Hssimim.

"If she or any of you come near me like that again," said the Guardian, "I will strike with the edge of my axe, and it will be lethal…"

"Do you know who I am?!" screamed Taramanda. "I am the Empress of the Ophidia, the Chosen of Seghulerak!"

"I would likely be more impressed if I was an ophidia," replied the Guardian, "or if I recognized the authority of Seghulerak. I am not, and do not. Keep your distance, or you will die."

"My proxy won the duel!" shouted Taramanda. "I demand the reward."

"Heh, heh…" chuckled the Guardian.

Then he laughed out loud.

"Proxy?" he said. "Surely you jest… You cannot use a proxy to battle in a Shadow Duel. Even the Pharaoh of Egypt knew that in this type of contest, you have to fight on your own.

"The reward goes to the actual winner. Hebi-Na won the duel, even though the deck she was given was sabotaged so that she would lose."

"What are you implying?!" shouted Hssimim.

"Hebi-Na, look at the five cards at the bottom of the deck you were given," said the Guardian.

Hebi-Na took the deck out of the holder, and took the bottom five cards.

She held them up. They were Painful Choice, Confiscation, Raigeki, Harpie's Feather Duster, and Delinquent Duo.

"Five illegal cards??" shouted Taramanda.

"Your advisor put them there when he inspected it," replied the Guardian, "so that Hebi-Na would not only be playing with an oversized deck, but one that had five potential dead draws in it, cards that her Disk would not allow to be played. But in Shadow Duels, all liars and cheats are exposed for the treacherous rogues they are. I was aware of his scheme as soon as his mind conceived it, and the Shadows made sure the prohibited cards landed at the bottom of the deck every time it was shuffled."

"Hssimim…" growled Taramanda.

"He's lying!" shouted Hssimim.

"Hebi-Na…" said the Guardian. "Come forward…"

Hebi-Na cast an angry glare at Taramanda, and then slithered up to the podium.

The door behind him opened slightly. He reached in, and pulled out a wooden pine box, with a lock shaped like a horned skull.

The door closed.

"With the authority bestowed upon me, I bequeath to you the power of this shrine," he said. "You are the new master of the spirits who reside within here. The box will only open at your command. You are free to distribute the contents as you see fit."

He handed her the box. Then he stood back against the door.

"Hebi-Na…" said Taramanda, angrily. "You give me those cards…"

Hebi-Na looked at her.

"No," she said. "It's kind of hard to share with someone who kidnaps me, marks me for execution, puts the Mark of the Disgraced on my forehead, works me like a slave, and forces me to duel in a Shadow Duel that someone tries to rig.

"And don't think that killing me will get you these cards. That will send them right back to this temple."

"You dare refuse me, Hebi-Na…" growled Taramanda. "You dare refuse the one who our goddess favors?"

"YES!" shouted Hebi-Na. "Because it was our goddess's fault that I lost that duel with Ember!"

Everyone gasped.

"I'll tell you the real story now, your majesty," she said, sarcastically.

She took a deep breath.

"When Ember summoned Flamvell Urquizas, and set a reversed card, I may have talked tough, but I was worried, despite the fact that I knew Vennominaga was immune to all card effects. Ember was not an idiot, and I knew she wouldn't have made such a dumb move.

"And the card I had drawn on that turn, my last turn, was Dust Tornado!

"A common Trap… And if I had set it, and waited one round, I would have destroyed Samsara Dogma, and won the duel.

"Why didn't I, you ask? Because with her avatar on the field, your precious goddess was whispering in my ear, urging me to finish Ember quickly. She said Ember was a fool for thinking that a Trap would work, and I'd be a fool if I believed it would make a difference.

"What was I supposed to do, oh great exalted chosen of our goddess? Show weakness in front of the mighty Seghulerak?

"So I attacked… And it turned out that the only fool was me for listening to her…

"I wasn't being entirely truthful when I told him I had nothing to lose… Sometime during that duel, I gained something back… My self-respect. And I'm keeping it this time.

"So kill me if you want… Devour me if it makes you feel big… But you can be sure that my last words will be to curse the goddess that got me into this big mess!"

And she punctuated that remark by shoving Taramanda in the chest, daring her to respond to it.

The ophidia gasped again. And this time, Taramanda looked visibly nervous.

"That's enough!" shouted Hssimim.

He grabbed Hebi-Na by the neck.

"You hand over those cards right now!" he ordered. "A worthless slug like you doesn't deserve…"

"RELEASE HER!" boomed Taramanda's voice.

Hssimim froze in fear. He looked at Taramanda, whose eyes were now the cold, savage eyes of her bestial true form. And they were fixated on him.

His hand shook. He slowly released Hebi-Na.

"If _anyone_ lays a hand on Hebi-Na," said Taramanda, "he'll be the next one with the Mark of the Disgraced…"

She blinked, and her eyes turned back to normal.

"This bears careful consideration," she continued. "We will discuss it back at the palace…

"Let's go…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

One hour later, the party was back at the palace. Taramanda was in a private meeting room with Hssimim and Csimith. Msskim and two guards were watching Hebi-Na in the room outside.

"This is wonderful," growled Taramanda, as she paced back and forth. "If what she said is true, we're punishing her for something that was my fault! If word of this gets out, the other ophidia clans are going to start to think of me as a despot!

"Nice going sabotaging her deck, Hssimim! You just added fuel to the fire!"

"She put those cards in the deck herself!" said Hssimim with a scowl.

"Oh, really?" asked Taramanda, crossing her arms. "Where did she get them from? The prisoners at the detention center aren't allowed to carry cards, you know."

"If you believe the word of that demon and the word of a Disgraced ophidia over me," said Hssimim, "I'll take it as an insult."

"Watch it," said Taramanda. "I'm seriously considering revoking my decision."

"Hebi-Na committed blasphemy!" shouted Hssimim. "Not once, but twice now! She does not deserve a second chance no matter what benefit she now has!"

Taramanda sighed.

"Hssimim," she said. "Do you remember the ophidia representative that we assigned to deal with the Shadowchasers soon after Saramanda turned traitor? He said that he was going to make peace with them, to lift the sanctions.

"Blasphemy, you screamed. Ophidia would never make peace with humans, you shouted. It will be a true dark age for our kind, you said. So, like a fool, I listened to you, I had him killed, and replaced him.

"And what did the replacement do? He didn't do any negotiating. He flat-out demanded that the sanctions be repealed, rudely telling Jalal to his face that he had no right to impose them and insulting every ambassador at the summit. Then, when Jalal held him in contempt, he said to Jalal's face, in front of dozens of witnesses, that the Age of Serpents would come, at which point Shadowchaser Headquarters would be turned into a grand temple for our goddess, and the Shadowchaser Council would be the first sacrifices!

"Someone really should have told him that was a dumb thing to do. But he sure was loyal to our goddess. And thanks to his loyalty, he's in jail for making terrorist threats, the sanctions against ophidia clans have increased, and the ophidia even gotten back the right to have a negotiator at all yet.

"Hssimim… I'm not going to let your interpretation of blasphemy be an excuse for losing a great opportunity like this. And furthermore, that little stunt you pulled is making me question whether or not there's a personal reason you want her dead. I'm not about to condemn someone to the Venomous Tarns just because you don't like her. From now on, it will be up to me and me alone what constitutes blasphemy."

"We don't need those silly cards!" shouted Hssimim. "The golem is more than enough to…"

Taramanda grabbed him by the collar.

"The bloodsilver golem that I used to break her out of the detention center at their headquarters?" she asked. "Oh, yes… Using it against the Shadowchasers again is a lovely idea!

"Never mind the fact that Jalal obviously identified it by now, and likely has every Shadowchaser researcher _and_ his Incantifer allies pouring over all the information they can find on the Primals so that they can find out what its weaknesses are, so that when we use it again, as they likely _expect_ us to, they can reduce it to a pile of junk!"

She gave him a shove.

"I'm not going to let that happen, Hssimim," she growled. "Need I remind you what we went through to get that thing in the first place?"

"No… ma'am…" said Hssimim, somewhat scared now.

Taramanda reclined back on her couch.

"It's the very mistake my sister made…" she grumbled. "She thought humans were dumb…"

She sighed. If she truly _had_ been a despot, she would have had Hebi-Na drawn and quartered simply for the insult directed at her. She didn't like being insulted; empresses rarely did. But despots were stupid. Taramanda was smart. And she knew she couldn't let her pride cloud her judgment.

She had another reason why she felt she had to spare Hebi-Na. Rather than execute her as a heretic, she had to change her view. The reason was, Hebi-Na had stumbled upon a secret that Taramanda, as the chosen one of their goddess, had to keep secret at all costs…

Seghulerak was a deity in decline. And as much as Taramanda didn't like it, Hebi-Na's anger towards her was justified. Seghulerak could give special treatment to her chosen ones, but very little to anyone else.

She was once a goddess on par with such beings as Odin and Zeus, on several worlds, at times when the ophidia were a strong race… When they ruled empires, and conquered whole nations, enslaving whole civilizations. There was once a time when her temples were grand and terrible cathedrals, and the divine magic that she channeled produced epic spells that could make whole landscapes tremble.

But that was long ago. As time passed, evolution seemed to favor humans far better than it favored the ophidia. While humans became stronger as their race matured, the ophidia grew weaker, and their natural powers atrophied. Humans took back the lands that the snake men had stolen, and Seghulerak's neglected temples were left to rot.

With her people weakening, Seghulerak suffered. She lost power, and couldn't compete with other gods. The Venomous Tarns, the realm she ruled in the Abyss where the spirits of faithful ophidia went after death, grew smaller as other gods of that demonic plane pilfered land from it. She tried her best to hold onto the faith that her worshippers had, and losing any of it was a big blow.

As an anathema, Taramanda had to maintain the illusion that their goddess was still powerful, so that faith and dedication continued. If it ever stopped because the truth was realized, it would mean disaster.

If an ophidia got so angry that she cursed Seghulerak and withdrew her faith, it struck the goddess like a dagger to the heart. Hebi-Na had blamed their goddess for losing a crucial battle, and had done it in front of a dozen witnesses. Taramanda wasn't dumb. She could kill Hebi-Na for blasphemy, but she knew that the other ophidia might realize that she had something, and would spread the infidel's words. A dead ophidia could not be silenced! If more ophidia started to doubt Seghulerak's power because of this, it would be a calamity…

Taramanda couldn't kill Hebi-Na… She had to change Hebi-Na's outlook.

And for the same reason, she couldn't forfeit the great power that Hebi-Na had been given. It could make the ophidia more powerful than they had been in centuries… Finally give them a potential edge against the Shadowchasers, in their own game no less. The bloodsilver golem had worked once, but Jalal would find a flaw in its construction… She could almost count on it.

"Send her in…" she said.

Csimith opened the door. Hebi-Na came in, still clutching the box, with Msskim behind her.

"Hebi-Na…" said Taramanda, raising her hand, "it is the will of our goddess to grant forgiveness…"

It was like a massive weight off of Hebi-Na's shoulders as the mark on her forehead vanished and her skin healed.

"You are pardoned…" continued Taramanda. "And due to your acquisition, I now appoint you Minister of Special Tactics."

"Well…" said Hebi-Na. "That's more like it…"

Taramanda reclined on her couch again.

"You'll also need proper lodging," she said. "You can have the suite in the north wing."

"I thought that was the Supply Master's suite," replied Hebi-Na.

"It was!" said Taramanda, with a frown. "Until the ungrateful jerk tried to slip cyanide into my wine!"

"And his replacement isn't doing a good enough job to deserve a suite," added Csimith. "The food we've been getting since he took over has been kind of bland. We haven't had stroganoff for weeks…"

"So, we've got these powerful cards…" growled Hssimim. "What does our 'Minister of Special Tactics' suggest we do with them?"

"Uh, well," said Hebi-Na, "using them ourselves may not be wise until we make sure they're safe… We should give them a test run… It's not like we can lose them if something goes wrong..."

"Smart…" said Taramanda. "But I wouldn't trust them in the hands of any common grunts either."

"Then…" said Hebi-Na. "Maybe we should hire some professionals."

"You mean duelist assassins?" asked Taramanda. "That just might work… All we need are the right ones…"

Then Msskim spoke up.

"I know two guys who are pretty good," he said. "They'd work for anyone if the money was right. One of them is…"

"Fine," interrupted Taramanda. "Bring them."

"Ahem," said Msskim. "I can have them here in an hour…"

He turned and left.

"Well…" said Taramanda. "One hour… Hebi-Na, I have one more thing for you to do in the meantime…"

"Yes?" asked Hebi-Na.

"Go use the bathhouse," replied Taramanda. "I mean, you really stink…"

Hebi-Na sighed, and turned for the door.

"The inside of a golem is rather humid…" she said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CARD OF VARIATION (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A Duel Monsters card floating in clear water.

**Card Description:** Draw two cards from your deck. During the End Phase of the turn, discard one card from your hand. If you do not, take 3,000 points of damage.

_Note: "Card of Variation" was first used by Kenzan in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Primal Instinct". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CARD OF REVERSAL (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Vorse Raider, KA-2 Des Scissors, Crawling Dragon, and Half-Goblin forming fighting stances with a card blocking their path.

**Card Description:** You may only use this card when you control no cards on the field and you have no cards in your hand other than this card. Draw one card from your deck for each face-up card controlled by your opponent.

_Note: "Card of Variation" was first used by Kenzan in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Taken by Storm (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Author's note: Although Tragoedia is a character in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" manga, it has appeared as a game card, its actual form, in "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's". This story uses the latter continuity._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Shichiro: I thought that this punk was only a D-Wheel thief… I was wrong… He's tricked me into a duel using a Monster with an aura of evil so intense, I can feel it in my bones. How can this be? I'm seeing with my own eyes something that I thought can't possibly exist…**

**Taramanda: Wow, Shichiro… For a Shadowchaser, that's saying a lot!**

"**Soul Resurrection" is coming soon!**

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Vlad Iscar, Hunter of Souls**

Among the Chaser Hunters, unusual riff-raff abound. Some are angry, some are greedy, and some are merely hungry.

Vlad Iscar is a Shadowkind known as a "Soul Drinker". Soul drinkers are humanoid in appearance and indeed there is little physical difference between them and humans. A soul drinker's unique ability comes from becoming temporarily superhuman when it takes a fragment of a person's soul, becoming _permanently_ superhuman when they have managed to total up a complete soul (depending on the strength of the souls, this can take from as little as five fragments to as many as a couple hundred). To take a fragment can be done in several ways for a soul drinker. The easiest perhaps is the traditional 'vampiric' method of drinking their blood. However, they can also take a fragment by seducing a victim, which is more difficult, but allows them to take more then the vampiric method. A third way is beating an opponent in a fair challenge (such as a duel), which earns them more then blood but less than seducing the victim. A person with a fragment of their soul missing often feels 'incomplete', which usually leads to extreme depression or psychosis.

Vlad is a soul drinker who has managed to nearly obtain a whole soul (which has not actually been done by a soul drinker for about two centuries). He is also proficient at sorcery, primarily magic that gives him stealth and illusion abilities. He prides himself with every kill or fragment taken, and if he is unable to get a piece of their soul as a 'souvenir' he takes whatever he can. He often took jobs as a mercenary even before he joined the Chaser Hunters because he felt that making a profit was an added bonus.

He was, unfortunately for him, caught once by the Shadowchasers in what he saw as an embarrassing moment. After just taking a fragment, he was caught in the act, and fought as was detailed by the Treaty. He lost, despite his temporary power boost due to his lack of a real fighting style up-front.

He escaped from the death sentence due to the fact that the Shadowchasers are usually lenient on his kind if the first fragment of a soul they took was by accident. Some have likened their desire to consume fragments as an addiction, which isn't far off. And Vlad did indeed take his first fragment by accident: It was the result of a relationship that went south after the fragment was taken and there is reason to believe he didn't realize it would happen.

However, Vlad escaped. His pride having taken a serious blow, the one thing he wants now more then anything is the soul of a Shadowchaser. For this reason, he joined the Chaser Hunters after one of them approached him.

**Story Ideas:** Vlad has become a bloodthirsty savage who wants power and the soul of a Shadowchaser more then anything, making it all too easy for him to be taken in by dark forces. But before his run-in with the Shadowchaser's he was willing to take jobs for even the 'grey area' good guys so long as they didn't mind a fragment of the target's soul missing.

Vlad is very close to consuming enough fragments to obtain a complete soul. If that were to happen, the power surges he gets from consuming them would become permanent, and he'd become even more dangerous. What might happen after that, no-one knows. Likely, not even Vlad knows, as he knows of no others of his kind who have succeeded.

Vlad is not main character material however. He would most likely be at best the hired help for the villain or a major minion of one, or at worst a one-time obstacle.

**Deck Suggestions:** Vlad prefers Zombies, or more specifically, ones that allow him to take his opponent's monsters for himself such as the Red Eyes Zombie Dragon and Paladin of Cursed Dragon in combination with Zombie World. He just loves taking his opponent's monsters for himself, so he probably also has cards like Brain Control and Creature Swap.

_Vlad was a creation of fanfic author Aelsthla-Mental._


	8. Soul Resurrection

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**DUEL EIGHT**

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**Soul Resurrection**

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One hour later, Msskim was leading two other Shadows through the hallways of the palace, both of them blindfolded. (As previously said, that was the rule.)

One of the two Shadows was Selmith. He had sought sanctuary with the sahuagin lord Sslenic, the most influential sahuagin in this part of the world, only to be told to leave. Sslenic was not about to make his community a target of Sultan Alrahad's army. Selmith didn't know where to turn at this point, and was willing to cut a deal with the ophidia.

The other Shadow was clearly a bugbear. Bugbears were cousins of goblins, much larger and hairier. They were covered with black fur, stood about seven feet tall, had claws and sharp teeth, and muzzles that looked like those of bears (which was, not coincidentally, how the species got their name).

This bugbear seemed a little better-off than most of his kin, who tended to be uncultured and barbaric. He wore a black suit, vest, trousers, and cloak. A silver stickpin was in his vest.

"So why do we gotta be blindfolded again?" asked the bugbear.

"Yeah, when do we get to meet this guy with the big job?" asked Selmith.

"Now," said Msskim, pulling off the blindfolds.

The two Shadows looked around. They were in Taramanda's throne room, surrounded by dozens of ophidia.

"Whoa…" said the bugbear. "It's like through the looking glass…"

Taramanda looked at them sternly. Hebi-Na was at her side. Her prison-issue shirt was gone (she had burned it) and she was now wearing only a red halter top.

"Your majesty," said Msskim, "this is Selmith and Oscar, duelists for hire."

"So…" said Taramanda, leaning backwards. "You two fancy yourself duelist assassins?"

"I'll do away with anybody," said Oscar, "dueling or otherwise, for the right price…"

"I just want protection from Sultan Alrahad," replied Selmith. "You want my services as a duelist, that's what I want in return."

"Then you'll get it," replied Taramanda. "And the monetary payment will be considerable…

"I require you to duel two of the Neo Domino Shadowchasers…"

"Hmmm…" said Oscar.

"Is that a problem?" asked Taramanda.

"No," replied the bugbear, "but for a target that important, I'll require payment up front. It's a little policy I have."

"How about a down payment?" asked Hebi-Na.

"Down payment?" asked Selmith.

Hebi-Na slithered up to the two assassins with two manila envelopes.

"Msskim told me about your deck strategies," she said. "These envelopes contain special cards that will make you more powerful than you ever have been before, along with instructions on how they work.

"Read them carefully, because they are difficult to understand. I do hope you two aren't bad at math…

"You will see that they are an adequate down payment for your task…"

Oscar and Selmith looked at the cards. They grinned.

"They won't know what hit them…" chuckled Selmith.

As Msskim led them out, Hebi-Na started to get dressed. She put on sunglasses, and a long skirt to conceal her tail. This was her usual method of dress when dealing with Mundanes.

"Where are you off to?" asked Hssimim, who had been watching.

"While they get acquainted with those cards," replied Hebi-Na, "I know someone else we might be able to recruit."

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The Shadowchasers were having very little luck locating their quarry. Very few tipsters seemed to know anything about any golems appearing in town, nor about any unusual activities involving the ophidia. Shichiro had even questioned a few of the more moderate ophidia, although a "moderate ophidia" was one that uncaring, and couldn't really be trusted.

At six o'clock, Shichiro turned towards the Pandora's Box for a quick burger. These fast food restaurants were hang-outs for Shadowkind, as the franchise made a habit of hiring them. They were more-or-less like any other thematic burger places, but the theme was a medieval tavern, and the kids' meals included toys that seemed to be truly magical.

"All right, let's see," he said, looking at the menu. "I'll have the double…"

Then he was interrupted by what seemed to be a car alarm going off outside.

He spun around. That was the alarm on his D-Wheel.

He rushed outside, and saw Oscar trying to disable the system.

"HEY!" shouted Shichiro.

Oscar turned, and ran. Shichiro hit a button on his keychain, activating the advanced security system, and chased after the bugbear, as he ran into a building under construction.

If Shichiro had realized the significance of this type of location, he may never have followed the bugbear. But he did anyway. He wanted answers.

He ran into the ground floor of the construction site, and saw Oscar standing there with a big, toothy grin, on his hairy face.

"Not smart, Shadowchaser," chuckled the bugbear. "Ever hear about the duel that the King of Games got into after he chased a crook into a construction site? It started something he regretted for a long time."

"You know, buddy," said Shichiro, "I don't find you the least bit funny… Trying to steal a Shadowchaser's D-Wheel… If I didn't know better, I'd say you _wanted_ to be arrested."

"Naw…" said Oscar.

He took the stickpin out of his vest, and picked his teeth with it.

"You see, I know you have a reputation… You're the best Shadowchaser in Neo Domino… And I heard you were pals with Yusei Fudo and Jack Atlas before they became famous."

"If that's true," replied Shichiro, "and that is not an admission, it was a _long_ time ago."

Oscar fit a Duel Disk on his arm.

"Well, the way I see it," said Oscar, "if I outduel someone with that kind of reputation, it'll do wonders for _my_ reputation.

"You might say that's my MO… Whatever the heck that means…"

"So, you want a duel?" asked Shichiro.

He activated his Disk.

"I should warn you, I haven't had a very good day…"

The two Disks shuffled the decks.

"Duel!" they shouted.

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Oscar: 8,000)**

"I'll make the first move," said Oscar, making his first draw.

_Bugbears,_ thought Shichiro. _Always so rude…_

Oscar set a card on his Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"That's all for now," he said.

_Defending?_ thought Shichiro. _That's odd… A bugbear usually uses a strategy that's about as subtle as a five-lane highway._

"My move," he said, making a draw.

"I summon Field-Commander Rahz in Attack Mode," he said.

The Warrior that appeared wore armor that looked of similar design to that of Marauding Captain, but it was worn and dented, and his cape was torn. He was younger than the Captain too, and wore a headband over his forehead. He carried only one sword, of a plain design. (1,600 ATK)

"Rahz here has a special effect," said Shichiro. "By summoning him, I get to take any Level 4 or lower Warrior from my deck, and place it on top…"

His Disk beeped, and a card slipped out of the deck. He took it, and looked at Command Knight.

He nodded, and placed the card on the top of the deck.

"All right, Commander, attack his Monster!"

Rahz rushed at the hidden Monster with his blade, but when he struck, there was the sound of metal striking metal. A small robotic monkey was sitting there, with a big smile on its face. (1,800 DEF)

"Acrobat Monkey?" asked Shichiro.

"That's right," said Oscar.

Shichiro took another card from his hand.

"I set a facedown," he said, "and end my turn."

A card appeared in a flash of light.

**(S: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 8,000)**

"My move again," said Oscar.

He made a draw.

"And I think I'll just set a facedown as well."

A reversed card of his own appeared.

"Your move."

Shichiro drew.

_I'm waiting for something big,_ he thought. _But not seeing much yet…_

"I summon Command Knight!" he shouted.

In a burst of fire, the elaborately dressed female knight appeared, holding her sword. (1,200 ATK)

"And due to her effect, all my Warriors gain 400 Attack Points," he continued.

Rahz went up to 2,000 Attack Points, while Command Knight herself went up to 1,600.

"Next, I play my Double Summon Spell Card," he said, as a Spell Card appeared in front of him. "I'll use my second Normal Summon to bring out Chthonian Soldier."

In an aura of darkness, the soldier of Hades appeared next to the other two Warriors. (1,200 ATK) –) (1,600 ATK)

"Rahz, let's try this again! Destroy Acrobat Monkey!"

Rahz made a slash with his blade, cutting the small robot in half down the middle. The remains shattered.

"Command Knight…"

"Not so fast!" shouted Oscar, as his facedown card lifted up. "I activate my Regretful Rebirth Trap Card. This lets me bring Acrobat Monkey back to the field to protect me!"

In a flash of light, Acrobat Monkey appeared again. (1,800 DEF)

"All right…" said Shichiro. "I end my turn… And due to the side effect of Regretful Rebirth, your Acrobat Monkey goes away."

Acrobat Monkey shattered into pixels.

"I draw…" said Oscar.

He grinned a grin that Shichiro did _not_ like.

"I summon Magician's Ape in Attack Mode!" he laughed.

In another aura of dark energy, a rather weird Monster appeared. It looked like a gorilla wearing a wizard's robe and hood, holding a long staff topped with two curved prongs. (800 ATK)

"Mmph!" said Shichiro, trying very hard not to laugh.

"You find something funny about my Monster?" asked Oscar, with a scowl.

"Well, I'd say how ridiculous it looks…" chuckled Shichiro. "But I'm sure it gets that all the time. I mean really, an ape dressed up like a wizard? How corny can you get?"

Oscar discarded a card from his hand, a Voltic Kong.

"Let's see how funny your Command Knight finds it once I use its effect," said Oscar.

Magician's Ape pointed its staff at Command Knight, and she gasped as a dark aura surrounded her.

Then she was pulled over to Oscar's side of the field.

"HEY!" shouted Shichiro.

Both of his other Monsters lost 400 Attack Points.

"Magician's Ape has the power to turn one of your Monsters into my servant once per round," said Oscar. "Not so funny now, is it?

"Command Knight, attack Chthonian Soldier!"

Command Knight rushed at Chthonian Soldier, and struck him down with her sword.

"Nice going," growled Shichiro. "Due to his effect, we both take battle damage."

"Then I'll set a facedown, and end my turn," said Oscar.

A facedown card appeared in a flash of light.

**(S: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 7,600)**

_I guess that thing isn't as funny as I thought,_ thought Shichiro. _But it should be easy to deal with…_

He drew a card.

"Rahz, destroy Magician's Ape!" he shouted.

The Field-Commander made a slash at the primate sorcerer with his blade, and Magician's Ape grunted before shattering into pixels.

"So much for him," said Shichiro, placing two more cards in his Disk. "I set a Monster and a facedown card, and end my turn."

A second reversed card and a reversed Monster appeared.

**(S: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 6,800)**

"My draw…" said Oscar, drawing a card.

His facedown card lifted up.

"With my Limit Reverse Trap, I can bring Acrobat Monkey back from the Graveyard."

Acrobat Monkey appeared again. (1,000 ATK)

_Huh?_ thought Shichiro. _Why'd he choose to bring that back instead of Magician's Ape?_

"Now, I sacrifice it…" continued Oscar.

Acrobat Monkey vanished.

"To summon Swamp Battleguard!"

With a bellow, a primitive looking savage with green skin, horns, a hairy chest, and sharp teeth, wearing a purple loincloth and carrying a club appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"Swamp Battleguard?" said Shichiro, in disbelief. "Good grief, that's an old card that no-one used when it was new! It's useless without its brother, and you have to sacrifice another Monster to summon it, assuming you can draw it."

"Wrong on both counts," said Oscar. "I have a Spell Card to make that easier."

A Spell Card appeared in front of him.

"Vow of the Battleguards?" gasped Shichiro.

"I simply have to pay 1,000 Life Points," said Oscar, "and so long as I have one Battleguard on the field, I get to summon the other one from my deck. So now I summon Lava Battleguard."

With another bellow, another savage appeared, one who looked much like the first Battleguard, only with red skin. (1,550 ATK)

"As you know, each Battleguard gives the other one 500 more Attack Points.

"And since both Battleguards are Warriors, technically, they gain the bonus from Command Knight's effect."

Swamp Battleguard rose to an Attack Score of 2,700, while Lava Battleguard rose to 2,450.

"Alright… Command Knight, attack his hidden Monster!"

Command Knight rushed at the facedown Monster. Mystic Swordsman appeared on the card, and was cut down.

"Swamp Battleguard, attack his Field-Commander!"

Swamp Battleguard roared, and made a rush at Rahz.

"Not so fast!" shouted Shichiro, as one of his facedown cards shot up. "I activate Draining Shield!"

A dome of force sprang up, and the Battleguard's club bounced off of it. Energy flowed into Shichiro.

"Humph," said Oscar. "Lava Battleguard, _you_ do it!"

Lava Battleguard slammed its club into Rahz, and the Warrior was thrown backwards before shattering.

"I end my turn…" he said, with a grin.

**(S: 9,250) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 5,800)**

"It's my move!" shouted Shichiro.

He drew a card.

He looked at it, and the other card in his hand.

_Good,_ he thought.

"I summon Junk Synchron!" he shouted.

He played the card, and the cute Tuner appeared hovering over the field. (1,300 ATK)

"And thanks to its effect, I get to bring Mystic Swordsman LV2 back from my Graveyard."

Mystic Swordsman appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (0 DEF)

"Synchron… Swordsman… You know what to do…"

Junk Synchron yanked its ripcord, and both it and Mystic Swordsman flew towards the ceiling. They dissolved into five glowing stars.

Once again, Shichiro chanted:

"_Treasure from trash, relics from refuse. A powerful fighter formed from the debris neglected and thrown away! Clustering stars call a new force…"_

With a roar, Junk Warrior landed on Shichiro's side of the field. (2,300 ATK)

"Your Junk Warrior doesn't scare me!" shouted Oscar.

"Then maybe this will," said Shichiro, as his other facedown card lifted. "I activate the Rush Recklessly Spell Card. It boosts my Monster's Attack Score by 700 points for one round."

(3,000 ATK)

"Junk Warrior, flatten Swamp Battleguard with Scrap Fist!"

Junk Warrior's jetpack ignited, and it flew at the barbarian, socking it in the face. The Battleguard collapsed, and then shattered into shards.

"And with him gone, the other one loses its bonus," said Shichiro.

Lava Battleguard fell to an Attack Score of 1,950.

"I throw down a facedown card, and end my turn," said Shichiro, placing his last card in his Disk.

A facedown card appeared.

**(S: 9,250) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 5,500)**

"So, ready to give up yet? After all, I have almost 4,000 more Life Points than you do."

"Give up?" asked Oscar.

He took out the stickpin and picked his teeth with it again.

"I'm just getting warmed up."

He drew a card.

Then his faced turned into a far more evil expression.

"I summon Dark Tuner Dark Ape," he said.

A Monster appeared, that looked like another monkey – sort of. Truth be told, it looked more like a collection of odd shapes put together into a way that vaguely resembled the outline of a monkey. (0 ATK)

"Big deal," said Shichiro. "It has zero Attack Points."

"Maybe so, Shadowchaser," said Oscar, in a sinister voice. "But that hardly matters. You have yet to comprehend the true power my cards possess…"

_Is it just me,_ thought Shichiro, _or did he just take on a completely different personality?_

Oscar played a Spell Card.

"I play Dark Wave," he said. "This lets me take Lava Battleguard's Level, and multiply it by -1."

Shichiro's eyes opened wide.

"WHAT?" he shouted. "That's impossible! That would make its Level… -5! A Duel Monster can't have a Level lower than one!"

"You'll soon learn differently, Shadowchaser," chuckled Oscar. "Unlike your Monsters, who combine their powers to create greater forces, mine feed off each others' energies, creating dark and negative forces.

"In other words, where your Monsters add to create Synchros, mine subtract…"

Dark Tuner Dark Ape dissolved into two glowing stars. Lava Battleguard's expression turned noticeably nervous. It was almost as if it didn't approve of this.

Then it howled, as the two stars literally burned into its skin…

…and then, it burst, forming seven _dark_ stars. They spun around Oscar.

"What's going on?" shouted Shichiro.

Oscar threw his arms to the ceiling.

"_When the Shadows are devoured by even darker Shadows, the curtain is pulled back to reveal… a world without light!"_

A dark form started to rise on his side of the field. Even Command Knight was now starting to look nervous.

"Arise…" said Oscar. _"Demonic Monkey King Zeman!"_

The creature that appeared was an ape that was fully humanoid in form (not semi-bipedal like the typical primate) with a gaunt face, burnt red hair on his head and the same color beard, wearing a black cape with gold trim, a black kilt with similar design, and black boots. He carried a staff that looked exactly like the one that Magician's Ape used.

However, this was not nearly as humorous as Magician's Ape had been… (2,500 ATK)

"No way…" said Shichiro. "A… Level -7 Synchro Monster?"

"Not Synchro," said Oscar. "_Dark_ Synchro."

Shichiro didn't know what secrets this creature was hiding… But one thing was for sure…

He could feel unspeakable evil coming from it. Its wickedness radiated from Oscar's side of the field like a furnace.

"Before I handle your Junk Warrior," said Oscar, "Dark Ape's effect now lets me draw one card…"

He made a draw.

"And I couldn't have asked for better…"

He opened his Field Slot.

"I summoned Zeman… Now welcome to his domain…"

He played the card.

"I play Closed Forest!"

Shichiro stepped back in shock, as twisted vines started to grow out of the floor. The vines quickly grew into ugly, dead trees that formed a dark and foreboding forest.

"Super…" said Shichiro.

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Shichiro didn't know it, but only thirty feet away, hiding behind a column, Csimith was watching. While Oscar was summoning Zeman, he was dialing his cell phone.

"Yeah, it's me," he said. "I'm watching the duel right now. Oscar managed to summon Demonic Monkey King Zeman."

In her throne room, Taramanda answered.

"Excellent," she said. "Keep watching."

"Uhm, not to question your judgment," said Csimith, "but wasn't Zeman sort of a top banana among the Dark Synchros?"

"Interesting choice of words," replied Taramanda. "But yes. From what Hebi-Na told me, he was in charge of keeping the Earthbound Gods' most important prisoner, Ancient Fairy Dragon, while Demak the Dark Signer held onto her card.

"But Zeman was the victim of a peculiar circumstance. While Ruka's brother Rua fought Demak in the mortal world, where Demak summoned Zeman in card form, Ruka and Ancient Fairy Dragon's servant Regulus fought Zeman's true form in the Spirit World.

"And in a bizarre twist of fate, Regulus destroyed Zeman's true body at the exact same instant that Rua defeated his card."

"And I suppose it didn't turn out too well for Zeman, huh?" asked Csimith.

"He was apparently able to survive as sort of a vestige, so long as his card existed," replied Taramanda, "but he quickly fell from being one of the strongest Dark Synchros in terms of spiritual power to one of the weakest. So I see nothing wrong with using him here.

"So keep watching."

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"This Field Spell is bad news for you," said Oscar, "because it grants all Monsters on the field 100 extra Attack Points for each Beast-Type Monster in their owners' Graveyard. I have three…"

The phantoms of Magician's Ape, Voltic Kong, and Dark Tuner Dark Ape appeared behind him. Zeman rose to an Attack Score of 2,800, while Command Knight rose to 1,900.

"…but I don't think you have any.

"Now, let's battle! Zeman, attack his Junk Warrior! Cursed Flare!"

Zeman aimed his staff at Junk Warrior.

"I activate my facedown card!" shouted Shichiro.

His facedown card started to rise…

But then it sparked with glowing magic, and fell back down.

"Huh?" said Shichiro.

Zeman shot a blast of flame at Junk Warrior, and the Synchro Warrior screamed as it was burned alive.

"I should have warned you…" chuckled Oscar. "Zeman prevents you from activating Spells and Traps during the Battle Phase…

"Command Knight… Attack him directly!"

Command Knight leapt at Shichiro, and slammed her weapon into him.

"ERGH!" grunted Shichiro.

He fell over.

"Ugh..." he grunted.

_That really hurt…_ he thought. _Something strange is going on here… It's like the appearance of this Demonic Monkey King has changed the whole duel…_

_Has this thug somehow been able to create a Shadow Duel?_

Oscar fit his last card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

**(S: 7,050) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 5,500)**

Shichiro got up.

"My move!" he shouted.

He drew a card.

_This'll do…_ he thought, looking at it.

"I summon Max Warrior!" he shouted.

In a flourish, a new Warrior appeared. It was a grim-faced fighter in blocky armor with a tall helmet and large gauntlets, holding an odd weapon: a long staff shaped like a tuning fork. (1,800 ATK)

"That guy's no match for my Monkey King," chuckled Oscar.

"Well, your King can't stop me from using my facedown card NOW!" shouted Shichiro, as his facedown card shot up. "I activate… Shrink! Now your King loses half of its base Attack Points!"

Zeman fell down to an Attack Score of 1,550.

"Now, my Max Warrior attacks," said Shichiro, as Max Warrior pointed its weapon. "And when it attacks a Monster, it gains 400 Attack Points.

"Dethrone his Monkey King! Swift Thrash!"

Max Warrior rose to an Attack Score of 2,200, and it blasted a bolt of green lightning from its staff. An explosion rocked where Zeman was hit…

But when the smoke cleared, Zeman was still standing.

"Heh, heh, heh…" said Oscar.

"HOW?" shouted Shichiro.

"I didn't mention Zeman's other effect," said Oscar. "If he's ever attacked, I can send another Monster from my field or hand to the Graveyard to negate the attack. So I got rid of your Command Knight, and escaped without a scratch."

It was true. Command Knight was gone.

"My move…" said Oscar, making a draw.

Then his facedown card lifted up.

"I activate the Trap Card, Uproarious Earth," he said.

"Never heard of it," growled Shichiro.

"Well it works as follows," said Oscar. "It lets Beast-Type Monsters inflict damage even when attacking Monsters that are in Defense Mode. Plus, when they attack, their targets lose 300 Attack Points.

"Now attack his Max Warrior! Cursed Flare!"

Zeman blasted his evil spell at Max Warrior, and the Warrior's Attack Score fell to 1,500 right before he went up in flames.

Shichiro cringed in pain…

**(S: 5,750) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 5,500)**

_Okay..._ thought Shichiro. _This Dark Synchro or whatever it is clearly means business…_

_I have no cards in my hand, none on the field… what I draw next had best be a winner…_

He made a draw.

"Here's something for your monkey," he said.

He threw the card into his Disk.

"A set of monkey bars! I play Nightmare Steelcage!"

Oscar stepped back as a dome-shaped steel mesh formed around him and Zeman.

"Bah!" said the bugbear.

"That will hold you off for two rounds," said Shichiro. "I end my turn…"

"I draw one card," said Oscar, making a draw.

He looked at it and the other card in his hand.

He fit them both in his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

"That will do for now," he said.

"My move…" said Shichiro.

He made a draw.

He quickly set the card on his Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"Defending?" asked Oscar. "Have you forgotten about my Uproarious Earth?"

"No, I haven't forgotten," said Shichiro. "Just make your move…"

"I draw!" said Oscar, making a draw.

He looked at the card. It was Terraforming.

"I think I'll just pass this turn, and let this Spell Card of yours expire," he said.

The Steelcage shattered into black shards.

Shichiro drew a card and looked at it. It was Road Synchron.

_Here goes nothing,_ he said.

"I flip Morphing Jar into Attack Mode," he said.

His facedown Monster flipped up, and the one-eyed thing in a jar appeared. (700 ATK)

"Now we each have to ditch the card we have, and draw five new ones."

"Gladly," said Oscar, as they both discarded the one card they had.

They both made five draws.

"But you seem to have made an error. Your Morphing Jar, which has only 700 Attack Points, is now vulnerable to an attack from my Monkey King, who has 2,800. And don't forget, my Monkey King will prevent any attempt to block an attack with a Spell or Trap."

"We'll see about that," said Shichiro, looking at his five cards. "It's still my move…

"I first summon Mataza the Zapper."

In an aura of dark energy, a shadowy figure clad in oriental armor with his hair in a ponytail, holding a katana blade appeared. (1,300 ATK)

"I'll set two cards facedown, and end my turn…"

He threw two cards into his Disk, and two reversed cards appeared.

Oscar made a draw.

"Hmm…" he said.

Before Hebi-Na had given him Zeman, this card had been the star of his deck, and his favorite card. His mind was somewhat clouded now… He only vaguely recognized it as his former ace…

He couldn't use it now anyway, not unless he got rid of Zeman, so he figured he'd save it for later.

"Trap Card, activate!" shouted Shichiro.

"Huh?" said Oscar.

One of Shichiro's facedown cards shot up.

"Threatening Roar!" exclaimed Shichiro. "Now neither your Monkey King nor anyone else can attack this round."

"You're trying to stall, and it won't work," growled Oscar. "Very well… I'll just summon a few more of his subjects for next round…

"First, I summon Berserk Gorilla."

With a roar, a very angry gorilla with red fur appeared. It beat its chest in rage. (2,000 ATK)

"Then, I'll activate Call of the Haunted!" he said, as one of his facedown cards lifted up.

Swamp Battleguard appeared again. (1,800 ATK)

"Don't forget," said Oscar, "thanks to my Field Spell, "each of my Monsters now gains a Graveyard bonus of 300 points…"

Berserk Gorilla rose to an Attack Score of 2,300, while Swamp Battleguard rose to 2,100.

"And don't forget Zeman's effect either… So long as I have another Monster on the field, or one to discard, your Monsters can't touch him!

"It's your move…"

Shichiro looked at his deck.

_Here goes…_ he thought.

He drew a card.

He grinned.

His other facedown card lifted up.

"See this?" he said. "I have a Call of the Haunted too!"

Chthonian Soldier reappeared. (1,200 ATK)

"But like your big monkey, he's not staying long. I'm sacrificing him, Mataza, and Morphing Jar…"

All three Monsters vanished.

"Three sacrifices?" gasped Oscar. "Wait… That means…"

"Yup…" said Shichiro, throwing a card on his Disk.

Thunder rolled.

"I summon the power of the storm! Come forth, Gilford the Lightning!"

There was a louder clap of thunder, and lightning flashed. With a roar, the mighty Gilford appeared in an aura of violent electricity. (2,800 ATK)

"With this kind of power," said Shichiro, "I can turn your apes into banana pudding. Show them, Gilford…"

Gilford looked sternly at Zeman. He slowly drew his sword…

Then lightning flashed, and Swamp Battleguard, Berserk Gorilla, and Zeman himself screamed. The three Monsters exploded into blasts of pixilated remains.

"You may have defeated Zeman, Shadowchaser!" cursed Oscar, "but his death will not be in vain…"

He thrust a card forward, the card he had drawn last turn.

"Since you just destroyed a Beast-Type Monster, I can spend 1,000 Life Points to Special Summon _this_!"

With a bellow, another gorilla appeared, this one bigger than any that Oscar had summoned so far. It might have been ten feet tall if it stood upright, but it was hunched over. It wore a leather jacket, and had green fur, along with a thick, green beard and ample hair on the top of its head. It carried a huge, wooden club. (2,600 ATK)

"Meet Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest," said Oscar.

Green Baboon looked around nervously. It may have been the Defender of the Forest, but it didn't seem to like _this_ forest too much.

"And once again, the bonus of my Field Spell applies…" said Oscar.

The phantoms of all the Beasts in Oscar's Graveyard appeared again, and this time, there were two new additions: Demonic Monkey King Zeman, and Berserk Gorilla. (3,100 ATK)

"Not good…" said Shichiro.

He looked at the three cards left in his hand.

He took two of them, and placed them in his Disk. Two facedown cards appeared.

"Your move…" he said.

**(S: 5,750) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 4,500)**

"I draw!" shouted Oscar.

"And I'm gonna finish you off! I play Wild Nature's Release!"

A Spell Card appeared, and Green Baboon roared with rage.

"This boosts Green Baboon's Attack Score by his Defense Score!"

(4,900 ATK)

"Attack Gilford the Lightning! Hammer Club Death!"

The huge Beast charged at Gilford.

"Don't forget, this triggers the effect of Uproarious Earth, causing your Monster to lose 300 Attack Points!"

Gilford fell to an Attack Score of 2,500.

"I activate… Dust Tornado!" shouted Shichiro, as one of his facedown cards lifted up. "I'm blowing this creepy forest of yours away!"

A tornado ripped through the field, uprooting the dead trees, and returning them to the construction site. Green Baboon fell to an Attack Score of 4,400.

"Then I chain-activate Emergency Provisions! I'll send Dust Tornado and my now-worthless Call of the Haunted to the Graveyard to gain 2,000 Life Points!"

The two Trap Cards vanished.

"It's still all over for your Warrior!" cursed Oscar.

Gilford was thrown backwards as Green Baboon's club slammed into him. He shattered into shards.

"I'm not done with you!" continued Oscar, as his facedown card lifted up. "I activate Beast Soul Swap! Now, my Beast returns to my hand…"

Green Baboon vanished.

"…so long as I then swap it for another Beast of the same Level. That means I can summon Green Baboon right back!"

Green Baboon appeared again. (2,600 ATK)

"You're defenseless! Get him!"

Shichiro tried to brace himself as the huge ape's club came crashing down, but he was still thrown off his feet.

"Ow…" muttered Shichiro. "Ow, ouch, ow…"

Oscar set a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Make your move…" he said.

**(S: 3,250) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 4,500)**

Shichiro got up.

He drew a card.

"I play Pot of Avarice…" he said.

Junk Warrior, Rahz, Command Knight, Chthonian Soldier, and Mataza slipped out of his Graveyard slot. He added them to his deck, and the Disk auto-shuffled it.

_Please let these two cards be something I can use…_ he thought.

He made two draws.

_Hey..._ he thought. _Not bad…_

"I activate the Spell Card, Brain Control!" he shouted. "I'll pay 800 Life Points, and we'll see how you like having your Monster stolen!"

The fiendish brain appeared, and two hands grabbed Green Baboon.

"Not so fast!" shouted Oscar, as his facedown card shot up. "I activate Cursed Needle!"

"Cursed Needle?" asked Shichiro.

"I can only activate this when there's a Dark Synchro in my Graveyard," said Oscar. "When there is, I take its Level, multiply by -1, and only Monsters that are higher than the result can attack.

"Since Zeman is Level -7, only Monsters that are higher than Level 7 can attack."

"WAIT a minute…" said Shichiro. "Are you implying…"

He paused.

"Are you implying that there are _more_ of these… Dark Synchros out there?"

Oscar didn't answer.

"Of course there is…" said Shichiro. "Everything is falling into place…

"How many of these things are there? Is it a covey of some sort? Or is it a whole damn army?"

Oscar still didn't answer.

"Suit yourself…" said Shichiro. "I wasn't going to attack you with Green Baboon anyway… I had something else in mind…"

He played another card.

"I summon Turbo Synchron!"

In a small flash of light, what looked like a tiny car with a head and a set of small limbs appears next to Green Baboon. (100 ATK)

"Another Tuner?!" exclaimed Oscar.

"That's right…" said Shichiro. "That means it can give Green Baboon a Tune-up!"

Turbo Synchron's headlights flashed, and both it and Green Baboon faded into eight glowing stars.

Shichiro chanted again.

"_Flesh and machinery combined, cybernetically enhanced muscles create the ultimate super soldier! Clustering stars, combine to form one who is more than a man… One who can truly be called a giant!"_

With a roar, a huge humanoid creature, even bigger than Green Baboon landed in front of Shichiro with a crash.

"Behold… _Colossal Fighter_!"

The creature in front of him stood ten feet tall, and had a build that would be the envy of most bodybuilders. He was covered from head to toe in cybernetic armor, and wore a green visor over his eyes. Clearly, this Warrior lived up to his name. (2,800 ATK)

"This guy doesn't need any creepy forest to gain a Graveyard bonus," said Shichiro. "His own effect gives him 100 Attack Points for each Warrior in _both_ Graveyards. I have four in mine, and I believe there are two in yours."

Six phantoms appeared behind Shichiro: Mystic Swordsman LV2, Junk Synchron, Max Warrior, Gilford the Lightning, and the two Battleguards. Colossal Fighter flexed his muscles, and his Attack Score rose to 3,400.

"And since he's Level 8, you can forget about that Cursed Needle stopping this attack."

"Fine, attack me," growled Oscar. "You'll regret it next round…"

"Not gonna be a next round, pal," said Shichiro, playing his last card. "I play Battle-Tuned!

"Now, I can remove a Tuner in my Graveyard from play…"

Road Synchron slipped out of his discard slot.

"…and Colossal Fighter is powered up even more!"

The Synchro glowed with a fierce aura of energy… (5,000 ATK)

"Hey, wait a minute!" shouted Oscar.

"Take him down!" shouted Shichiro. "Attack with Mega Knuckle!"

Colossal Fighter roared, and socked the bugbear assassin directly in the gut. Oscar was thrown backwards, and collapsed on his back.

**(S: 2,450) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 0)**

Shichiro took a deep breath as his Monster faded away.

He walked over to the prone bugbear, who was groaning.

"Get up!" he ordered. "Do you realize I have all the evidence I need to arrest you for practicing dark magic?"

He grabbed Oscar's Duel Disk, and took the cards from the deck and discard slot.

Then he looked through them…

He was surprised when he did. He was wrong. He had absolutely _no_ evidence.

There was nothing in this deck to indicate that it had ever been anything but a regular Beast Deck. That Dark Synchro was gone, as was the Dark Tuner, Magician's Ape, the Field Spell, and all the other weird cards he had used.

"Ooh…" groaned Oscar, as he got up, holding his head. "What happened?"

"Don't you remember?" asked Shichiro. "You know, we were dueling?"

"Hey!" shouted Oscar. "Y-you're a Shadowchaser!"

He got up and backed away.

"I don't want any trouble!"

"You don't remember anything?" asked Shichiro.

"Okay, okay…" said Oscar. "I'm a bounty hunter, but I haven't had much work lately…"

"Retrace your steps," said Shichiro. "What do you remember?"

"I got up this morning…" said Oscar, "got dressed..."

"What's the most recent thing you remember?" asked Shichiro.

"Last thing I remember," said Oscar, "I was in Bootleg, drinking beer… Then this guy wearing a hood walked up to me…

"Then he… Oh, it's all a fog!"

Shichiro shoved the Duel Disk back into his hands.

"Where you going?" asked Oscar.

"You want my advice, pal?" said Shichiro. "Don't talk to strangers again."

He took out his cell phone.

"I gotta call the others and warn them…" he said to himself as he dialed Ember's mobile. "I doubt this was an isolated incident…"

He listened into the receiver as he ran back to his bike.

"_Your call has been forwarded to a voice messaging system,"_ said a recorded voice. _"__Eiko Michiko is not available. Please leave your message after the tone."_

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Ember!" he shouted. "Who the heck are you talking to??"

I just hope the reason she isn't answering isn't because she's another target of this… whatever it is, he thought.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DEMONIC MONKEY KING ZEMAN (Monster Card, Anime version)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Beast/Dark Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** -7  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters – 1 Dark Tuner Monster

To Special Summon this card, subtract the Level of the Dark Tuner Monster used as Synchro Material from the combined Levels of the non-Tuner Monster(s) used. The value must equal the Level of this card. When this card attacks, your opponent cannot activate set Spell or Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step. If this card is attacked, you can send one Monster from your hand or field to the Graveyard to negate the attack.

_Note: This is the Dark Synchro version of "Demonic Monkey King Zeman" which was used by Demak in the anime. The card has been released as a true Synchro Monster for the OCG and TCG with a similar effect._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK TUNER DARK APE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Beast/Dark Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** When this card is used for a Dark Synchro Summon and sent to the Graveyard, draw one card from your deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MAGICIAN'S APE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Beast/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 800  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** This card is also treated as a Spellcaster-Type Monster. Once per turn, if this card is in face-up Attack Position, you may discard one card from your hand to take control of one opposing face-up Monster. A Monster obtained by this effect cannot change its Battle Position.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK WAVE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A pentagram pulsating with dark energy.

**Card Description:** Select one face-up Monster you control. The original Level of the selected Monster is multiplied by –1 until the End Phase of the current turn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CLOSED FOREST (Spell Card)**

**Field Spell**

**Image:** A mass of dead, twisted trees with a demonic eye staring out of them.

**Card Description:** All face-up Monsters gain 100 Attack Points for each Beast-Type Monster in their controllers' Graveyards.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**UPROARIOUS EARTH (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** A werewolf on a hill in a forest at night, against an ominous red moon, howling.

**Card Description:** When a Beast-Type Monster you control attacks a Defense Position Monster with a DEF lower than its ATK, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent. When a Beast-Type Monster attacks an opposing Monster, the attack target loses 300 Attack Points.

_Note: The proceeding five cards were first used by Demak in the multi-part "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Mark of the Monkey". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**VOW OF THE BATTLEGUARDS (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Swamp Battleguard and Lava Battleguard in a dark castle corridor, fighting a mob of skeletons.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when you control either 1 "Swamp Battleguard" or 1 "Lava Battleguard". You cannot activate this card if you control 1 copy of each card or multiple copies of either card. Pay 1,000 Life Points. Special Summon from your hand, deck, or Graveyard 1 "Lava Battleguard" (if the card you control is "Swamp Battleguard") or 1 "Swamp Battleguard" (if the card you control is "Lava Battleguard").

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CURSED NEEDLE (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** A Cursed Needle (a long staff topped with two curved prongs) sticking upward from the ground in front of an odd rock formation in the middle of a wasteland.

**Card Description:** Select one Dark Synchro Monster in your Graveyard that was previously summoned properly, and multiply its Level by –1. Monsters whose Levels are not greater than the result cannot declare an attack. During your Standby Phase, pay 500 Life Points. If you do not pay, destroy this card. If the selected Dark Synchro Monster is removed from the Graveyard, destroy this card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Shichiro: Ember! Pick up the phone! Pick up the phone! I have to tell you something!**

**Ember: What? Selmith, is that you? Well, you're not getting away from me this time…**

**Shichiro: Ember, please pick up… You may be going unprepared…**

**The rules have changed dramatically… I don't know what these Dark Synchros are, but they're bad news… That much was obvious.**

"**Frozen Soul" is coming soon…**

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**Dark Synchros**

The secret is out. The dark power that Hebi-Na now holds is the Dark Synchros. As an aid to those who aren't sure about them, I thought I'd give a small 401 on this anime-only game mechanic.

Although some of the Dark Synchros have been released in the actual game, they have been released as real Synchros. For sake of story, this fanfic uses the anime rules, where Dark Synchros are completely different.

Dark Synchros have negative Levels, something that is otherwise impossible in the game. The cards are identified by their black backgrounds, and are kept in the Extra Deck along with regular Synchros.

To perform a Dark Synchro Summon, a special Tuner called a Dark Tuner is required. The Dark Tuner's Level is then subtracted from that of the non-Tuner(s) used in the summoning, and the result must equal the Level of the Dark Synchro. For this reason, Dark Tuners tend to be high-Level (but not always). All known Dark Tuners are Effect Monsters. They tend to have effects which aid in the Dark Synchro Summoning. All known Dark Tuners have zero Attack Points, and all but one also have zero Defense Points. (The likely reason is, if the user summoned a typical high-Level Monster, whose scores were high, there'd be no need for the Dark Synchro Monster.)

Dark Synchros tend to be incredibly powerful. A Level -5 Dark Synchro is even stronger than a Level 5 Synchro in terms of pure might. Despite their name, a Dark Synchro is not always a Dark Attribute Monster; theoretically, a Dark Synchro can be of any Attribute (although Light is very unlikely). All known Dark Tuners, however, are indeed Dark.

Dark Synchro Monsters are considered a subcategory of Synchro Monsters, and all effects that affect and influence regular Synchros also affect them. For example, when Yusei activated his "Synchro Destructor" Trap in response to Kiryu's "One-Hundred Eyes Dragon" being destroyed, the Trap reacted as if the destroyed Monster was a regular Synchro.

However, Dark Synchros, as a subclass, also function alone. Cards have been made especially for them, like Demak's "Dark Matter" Trap Card which is activated when a Dark Synchro is destroyed.

Well, I believe I have covered everything… How did these creatures survive the defeat of the Dark Signers?

You'll have to keep reading to find out.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Ylem, Logic Defined**

Defenders of Law as a concept, platonics enforce the vital axioms of the universe. One vital law that they often enforce is the one that says that all mortal beings must die. Creatures that use unnatural means to cheat the Reaper are eventually targeted by these creatures, which hunt them down and deliver the death that they sought to avoid. Whether Jalal is on their list or not, no-one knows, but disposing of one target turned out badly for the platonic that now calls itself Ylem.

Its target was a common one for this type of offense: a lich. But the platonic didn't know that the lich was a wild mage, and that it had every intention of fighting back. The undead sorcerer couldn't defeat the platonic, but in its final act, it triggered a powerful wild surge on purpose, hoping to take the platonic with it.

The platonic survived, but it would never be the same. It had been polluted with the essence of pure Chaos, and had lost most of its powers. It knew it could not go home, lest it be disassembled (it felt self-preservation for the first time), and decided to stay on Earth.

Although its fellow platonics would see it as a chaotic wild-child, Ylem, as it now called itself, was still an incredibly lawful being. It started to roam the world, seeking out things that it perceived as illogical, and correct them. It saw no other purpose than this.

If it saw popcorn offered at a movie theater in three sizes, medium, large, and extra-large, it was quick to point out that "medium", by definition, should mean a size between two sizes, and the setup was illogical. If it heard a philosopher say that there were no absolutes in life, it quickly told him that he was making a statement that was an absolute, and was thus debunking his own theory. It continually challenged any claims by hard-core vegans that killing animals for food is morally wrong, stating that every living being, including vegetarians, must kill something in order to feed.

All this seemed harmless, until Ylem started challenging much bigger organizations. It spoke out against parts of national constitutions and international treaties and doctrines that it didn't believe made sense. For instance, it questioned how logical the United States Electoral College was. (If all other political offices in the U.S. are elected by popular vote, why isn't the President?) By doing this, Ylem has caused trouble many times. Outdueling it is easy when it agrees to do so (see below), but Ylem still possesses a fraction of the power it once had, and even that fraction makes it dangerous and hard to catch.

It seems only a matter of time before Ylem starts something that cannot be ignored, due to the perceived illogical nature of it, and steps must be taken to bring this rogue platonic down. Ylem simply doesn't understand that it's not a perfect world.

**Story Ideas:** If something doesn't make sense, Ylem will oppose it. And there are plenty of things that it might not find sense with. Fad weight loss programs, state lotteries, reality TV shows, entrees at a health food restaurant that are bland and tasteless which cost twice as much as the value meals at a hamburger joint down the street… In a sense, it sees that people are often ignorant and fooled by the mass media. Taking a stand against this may be a noble cause. However, Ylem threatens to use violence to do so, which cannot be tolerated. Heroes might have to stop its latest crusade against what it perceives as nonsense.

Ylem has recently learned to duel. Like Misawa and Kinomiya, it tries to analyze an opponent before meeting one in a duel, and prepare its deck accordingly. Unfortunately for Ylem, it suffers the same weakness as Misawa and Kinomiya: It fails to understand that humans are not statistics, and their actions often defy analysis.

**Deck Suggestions:** If caught with no time to prepare, Ylem uses a Machiners Deck. This choice is, again, based on logic, and more simple logic than most. It reasons that Machiners Force can defeat practically any Monster short of the F.G.D., so it should work. Ironically, this deck has had more success than any it has made by analyzing its opponent.


	9. Frozen Soul

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL NINE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Frozen Soul**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

In Japan, you'll find many traditions that you won't find in the West. One of them is the Japanese tea ceremony.

This age-old tradition is a gathering by the elite members of society. It consists of the host serving confections and mild tea, sometimes with geisha providing entertainment (if the host is rich enough) and some meditative techniques.

A tea ceremony is properly done in a _chashitsu_, or tea room, which is a building built for this exclusive purpose. In modern times however, many folks aren't rich enough to build their own chashitsu, so public tea houses can often be used instead. These places are actual businesses, and when not being used for a private ceremony, served the same purpose as coffee shops did in the West, serving tea instead of coffee, of course.

People came here to drink and calm their nerves, and sometimes drown their sorrows…

Around the time Shichiro's duel with Oscar was starting, Hebi-Na entered a tea house in the suburbs, the veil hiding her serpentine nature from the Mundanes. She saw her target sitting on one of the soft pillows on the floor, sipping from a cup and looking at a binder. He was a thin, gaunt man in a black business suit with glasses. He was kind of a living scarecrow, he was so thin.

Hebi-Na sat down beside him.

"You look pretty depressed, pal," she said.

He looked at her suspiciously.

"What?" she asked.

"Beautiful women usually don't talk to me unless they want something," he replied.

"I just noticed your cards," she said. "Interesting stuff…"

"These were my uncle's cards," said the man. "He was a great duelist in the Pro League way back when…

"They called him X. He had the best Mill Deck ever made."

"A Mill Deck?" asked Hebi-Na, trying hard to sound surprised.

"Uh huh," said the man. "He was on a higher tier than Edo Phoenix. See this? This Trap Card was the key to his deck…"

He pointed to a Trap Card.

"It's called Monster Register. When it's in play, every time a player summons a Monster, it costs him one card from his deck for each Level it has.

"Now, that affects both players, but my uncle had a way around it…"

He pointed to another card, a Level 4 Dark Machine Monster with 800 Attack Points.

"It's called Trap Sluzer. It has a low Attack Score, but so long as it's in Attack Mode, the controller and his cards are completely immune to Traps."

"That sounds kind of broken," replied Hebi-Na.

"It IS broken!" exclaimed the man. "That was the whole problem!"

He sighed.

"Whoever designed the card thought that the low Attack Score made it balanced. But a low Attack Score can actually help a Monster. It could be searched for with Sangan, Mystic Tomato, or Damage Condenser, revived by Limit Reverse, protected by Heart of Clear Water… So many ways to get it and protect it…"

"So what happened to your uncle?" asked Hebi-Na.

"He took a job as a duelist assassin," sighed the man. "He was hired by some crazy cult leader to duel Judai Yukai."

"Uh oh!" said Hebi-Na.

"Uh oh is right…" muttered the man. "He made the same mistake that so many of Judai's opponents did… Judai may have defeated the Sacred Beasts, but so long as he wore that

Osiris Red jacket, everyone assumed he was a loser."

"I can't argue," replied Hebi-Na. "A smart duelist knew that many Osiris students were losers too. They were just losers from rich families who bought their way to the upper-class dorm. Of course, Duel Academies were different back then…"

"Ain't it the truth," sighed the man. "But what happened was more embarrassing than my uncle could _ever_ have imagined. Judai not only beat him, he turned the tables on him… Won by decking _him_ out!

"And then word spread all over the Pro League that he had been beaten. He suspected that Edo told a few people, seeing as he had witnessed the duel. People at KaibaCorp started to watch him more closely…

"After a few weeks, they decided that Trap Sluzer and two other cards he was using were too powerful. They were outlawed. His status in the Pro League fell like an anchor…"

He gave a sad look, and sipped his tea.

"Do you duel?" asked Hebi-Na.

"Yeah…" muttered the man. "But I'm nowhere near as good as he was…"

Hebi-Na took off her sunglasses. Of course, he was Mundane, and didn't see her snake-like eyes. All he saw were green eyes… Deep, sea green eyes that were almost hypnotic, as Mundanes would often perceive the eyes of an ophidia.

"Maybe I can make you even better…" she said with a sinister smile. "I can give you a few things that can make you even better than your uncle…"

"What's the catch?" asked the man, nervously.

Hebi-Na tickled his chin.

"Oh, I just want you to test the cards I give you out after I give them to you…" she said. "One little duel…"

"Uh…" he said. "Who would I have to duel? You?"

"Naw…" said Hebi-Na. "I've got someone else in mind…"

Ophidia had a talent for seduction when it was necessary. This was one of the reasons why snakeblooded were among the most common of Shadow-touched. It was even rumored that the legend of Don Juan was based on a male ophidia who had been especially good at it.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Around the time this was happening, Ember was picking up a blouse at a dry cleaner's in midtown Neo Domino.

"Any trouble with this, Cheng?" she asked.

"Well, truthfully, Ms. Eiko," said the clerk, handing her the wrapped up blouse, "it was a challenge. May I ask how it got so stained?"

Ember laughed nervously.

"Uhm…" she said. "Would you believe it was from wrestling a foulspawn?"

"Uh…" said the clerk.

Then Ember's cell phone rang. She quickly answered it.

She was shocked to hear Selmith's voice.

"Hello, Ember," he said. "Remember me?"

Ember quickly looked at the clerk. Then she made a pleasant expression.

"Hey, lover!" she said, beaming. "I knew you'd call."

"Eh?" said Selmith. "No, it's me, Selmith!"

"I'll pick that up later," said Ember to the clerk.

She started walking out of the store.

"I'd never forget your voice, lover," she said.

Once she closed the door, her happy face turned angry.

"Okay, fish-face," she said with a scowl. "Now that I'm out of that clerk's earshot… How'd you get the number of this phone?"

"I recently got into contact with a Shadowjack who can break into the phone company's database," replied Selmith.

Ember frowned. Shadowjacks… Computer hackers who could cast magical spells through the internet to aid them in their illegal task.

"But seriously," continued the sahuagin, "I was thinking of reconsidering your offer…"

"Seriously?" asked Ember.

"Tell you what," said the sahuagin. "You know that candy store three blocks down the street?"

"Professor Praline's Turkish Taffy?" asked Ember.

"That's the one," said Selmith. "Meet me there… I just want a rematch. If you defeat me, I will turn myself in."

Ember sighed as she hung up the phone.

"Gonna regret this…" she said.

She hit the off button on her phone.

_Better turn this off for now,_ she thought. _No telling who else has my number…_

She was surprised as she saw a ball of flame appear next to her in mid-air.

"Did someone mention Turkish taffy?" it asked.

The ball changed shape, and Ember saw that it was Gabriel.

"I thought I left you at home!" she snapped.

"I got bored," said the small phoenix.

"So why did you follow me instead of the others?" asked Ember.

"I like you better!" replied Gabriel. "Now what was this about taffy?"

"I have to work now!" said Ember. "Look… Be quiet while I take care of this guy, and I'll get you some of the candy. But you'll have to wait."

She ran down the street, with Gabriel following.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Meanwhile, Selmith, true to his word, was waiting outside of the sweet-shop.

As you might expect, the diet of most aquatic Shadowkind consisted of fish, crustaceans, and edible sea flora. The only way they could really get anything else was by trading with surface dwellers.

And some foods they couldn't even get that way. Their food was prepared uncooked, for the simple fact that a cooking mechanism could not function underwater. Their bodies could handle fish eaten raw, but not other meat, so most merfolk and tritons could only wonder what cheeseburgers or fried chicken actually tasted like.

Sahuagin could survive on land easier than most aquatic races, but being enemies of most other races, they didn't trade with surface-dwellers as often as the others. So for them, surface food was a luxury that was very hard to get. Selmith had taken this opportunity to spend some of the cash he had saved on candy.

He was quite disappointed to learn that the colorful little fish-shaped candies called Swedish fish had almost nothing to do with actual fish.

"Yuck!" he said.

He spit out one of them.

"That's worse than a Gummi bear…"

Ember came running up, with Gabriel flying behind her.

"All right, fish-face," she said. "How many rest room walls did you write my number on?"

"Oh, come on," replied Selmith. "I'm a sahuagin warrior! Do you really think I'd stoop to such a juvenile prank?"

"Maybe," said Ember. "So… Ready to throw in the towel?"

"Don't you remember the deal?" asked Selmith. "Duel now… Negotiate later…"

He lifted his Disk, and it activated.

"Fine…" said Ember, as her own Disk activated. "When I signed up for this job, I knew it wasn't gonna be easy…

"Don't think you'll be able to run off this time. You don't have the ocean to your back to dive into… Besides, what could you pull out of that deck now that could surprise me?"

Selmith grinned a toothy grin.

_More than you could ever __imagine!_ he thought. _And I have no intention of fleeing this time, because I have no intention of losing. My new deck is going to beat you black and blue!_

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Selmith: 8,000)**

"I'll make the first move this time," said Ember, drawing a card.

"I summon The Thing in the Crater!"

She played the card, and a small, boiling, bubbling pool of lava appeared in front of her. A shadowy, vaguely humanoid shape rose out of it. (1,000 ATK)

"I end my turn," she said.

"Then I draw!" shouted Selmith.

He drew a card.

"And here's something you may remember… The Field Spell, A Legendary Ocean!"

He played the card, and the street became swamped with a shallow sea, and an undersea palace rose behind Selmith. The Thing's lava pool was extinguished, but it kept above the surface.

"I'm sure you don't need me to remind you how this Field Spell works…"

"All Water Monsters gain 200 points to both scores," said Ember. "And their Levels are decreased by one."

"Exactly," said Selmith, playing another card. "Now, I play Enemy Controller, to move The Thing in the Crater to Defense Mode!"

The Thing shielded itself with its arms. (1,200 DEF)

_Why would he do that?_ thought Ember. _It's a better defender than it is an attacker…_

"And now…" said Selmith, as he played another Spell Card, "I play Anchor Bind!

"I put this in my deck especially for you. With my Field Spell in play, it destroys all Fire Monsters that are in Defense Mode."

The Thing in the Crater shattered.

"Someone needs to bone up on the effects of Fire Monsters," said Ember. "When The Thing in the Crater is destroyed, I get to Special Summon a Pyro Monster from my hand.

"Meet Neoflamvell Saber."

In a burst of fire, a new Pyro appeared. He looked like a warrior with a mane of flaming hair, dressed in armor and holding two burning scimitars. (1,500 ATK)

"And guess what, Selmith?" she continued. "Since your Graveyard currently has less than five cards in it, he gains an Attack Point bonus of 600."

(2,100 ATK)

"Uh, I meant to do that…" replied Selmith.

"Yeah, right!" laughed Gabriel.

"Who asked you?" said Selmith, setting two cards on his Disk.

A reversed Monster and a reversed card appeared.

"That will do for now…"

Ember drew a card. Gabriel moved in to take a peak.

"Ooh, good cards!" he whispered.

"Will you stop looking over my shoulder?" said Ember, somewhat annoyed.

She chose one card.

"I summon Flamvell Gurnika!" she shouted.

In another burst of fire, the flaming, humanoid Dragon appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"Neoflamvell Saber, attack his Monster!" she shouted. "Flaming saber strike!"

The Pyro charged at the facedown card. The Monster that appeared was almost humorous; it was a chubby penguin, dressed in a tuxedo, bowtie, and top hat. It was blown to pieces.

"Nightmare Penguin!" gasped Ember.

"That's right!" laughed Selmith. "And since it was flipped face-up, I can return one of your cards back to your hand. So your Gurnika won't be attacking me directly."

Flamvell Gurnika vanished, and its card appeared in Ember's hand.

Ember sighed.

"I end my turn…" she said.

Selmith made a draw.

"I activate Limit Reverse…" he said, as his facedown card lifted up. "I'll bring Nightmare Penguin back from my Graveyard."

Nightmare Penguin appeared again. (900 ATK)

"And in addition to the bonus from the Field Spell, its own effect grants all Water Monsters an additional 200 Attack Points."

"Now I summon Ice Knight."

He played the card, and what looked like a Warrior with armor and a helmet made entirely out if ice appeared, holding a spear. (1,300 ATK) –) (1,700 ATK)

"Ice Knight gains 400 more Attack Points for each Aqua-Type Monster on the field."

(2,500 ATK)

_So why the sudden change to an ice theme?_ thought Ember.

"Ice Knight," ordered Selmith, "put the chill on Neoflamvell Saber!"

Ice Knight pointed its spear, and blasted a bolt of ice, frost, and snow, and Saber staggered against the extreme chill. He iced over, and then shattered.

"Now, Nightmare Penguin attacks directly!"

The sinister Penguin leapt at Ember, and slapped her in the face with its flipper.

"Why, you little…" she muttered.

"I end my turn…" said Selmith.

**(E: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 8,000)**

Ember drew a card.

It was Sakuretsu Armor.

Gabriel's eyes lit up. Ember quickly glared at him, warning him to be quiet.

She quickly took another card.

"I summon Flamvell Gurnika again," she said.

In a small burst of flame, the Dragon reappeared. (1,700 ATK)

"And because you have less than four cards in your Graveyard, and I have a Flamvell Monster on the field, I can Special Summon Neoflamvell Origin."

The Monster that appeared next was actually kind of cute. It looked like a campfire with a childish face poking out of the top. (500 ATK)

"I've seen cigarette lighters that were scarier than that," said Selmith.

"Neoflamvell Origin is also a Tuner," replied Ember. "So now, it can give Gurnika a Tune-up!"

Both Monsters faded into six glowing stars. Once again, Ember chanted:

"_Born in the fiery core, rage empowered by white hot flames, strength of an erupting volcano! Clustering stars form a spark to light a roaring fire! Ignite… Flamvell Urquizas!"_

With a roar, Urquizas appeared, hovering above the sea. (2,100 ATK)

"Turn that Nightmare into penguin cutlets!" she shouted. "Fist of flame!"

Nightmare Penguin squawked as the powerful Pyro flew towards it. He socked it with his fist, and it was no more.

"Now, Urquizas gains 300 Attack Points…" said Ember.

(2,400 ATK)

"And with Nightmare Penguin gone, Ice Knight loses 600 Attack Points."

Ice Knight fell down to an Attack Score of 2,000.

"I set one card, and it's your move."

She set Sakuretsu Armor into her Disk, and a card appeared facedown.

**(E: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,200)**

Selmith growled and drew a card.

And then he smiled a wicked smile.

"You think you're so smart," he said, in a voice that was very different than his normal voice. "Well, prepare to experience terror like never before!

"I play the Spell Card, Sacrifice Icicle!"

He played a Spell Card.

"This conjures up an Icicle Token."

What looked like a tall column made of ice with a grim face on it appeared in front of him. (0 ATK)

Then a second column, one that was half the size of the first, appeared off to the side.

"You said _one_ token," said Ember.

"That isn't a token," replied Selmith, pointing to the second column. "It's a marker. You see, when I play this Spell Card, one space in my Monster Zone is sealed off, and I can no longer use it for the remainder of the duel.

"But it's worth it, because if I use this Token as a sacrifice, it can count as two sacrifices."

_Two sacrifices?_ thought Ember. _But… He has A Legendary Ocean in play… Even if he was summoning Daedalus, he wouldn't need two sacrifices…_

"So I sacrifice it…" said Selmith.

The Icicle Token vanished. The sky above A Legendary Ocean started to darken.

He held up his last card…

"I summon Dark Tuner Catastrogue!"

The Monster that appeared in place of the Token was hideous. It was an impossibly thin Fiend, whose upper body was separated from its lower body, with a glowing orb between the two sections. Its limbs were as thin as pipe cleaners, it had ragged wings, and its skull-like head had one beady, red eye exposed, and a single horn on the right side. (0 ATK)

"A Level 8 Monster with zero Attack Points…" said Ember, narrowing her eyes. "And you were willing to seal off a space in your Monster Zone to summon it…

"And it's a Tuner? Just what can summon with a Tuner that high-Level?"

"_Dark_ Tuner, Shadowchaser," said Selmith, whose voice was now more inhuman than ever. "And my Monsters don't combine their powers like your wimpy Monsters do. They drain the powers from each other, like a snake swallowing the tail of a snake that's swallowing _its_ tail…"

Catastrogue dissolved into eight glowing stars. Ice Knight gave a look of fright, and backed up as they circled around it.

Then they burned into its armor, and it screamed…

Then it burst, and five dark stars started to spin around Selmith.

"What have you done?!" shouted Ember.

Selmith threw his arms to the heavens…

"_When the Shadows are devoured by even darker Shadows, the curtain is pulled back to reveal… a world without light!"_

All of a sudden, Ember felt a fierce chill. The warm weather had suddenly turned as cold as winter.

But it wasn't just an ice-like chill…

…it was also a chill like that associated with death…

Before Ember's eyes, an even more hideous Fiend appeared in front of her. It looked like a huge stalactite made of ice, with a skull-like face on top, two clusters of ice on the sides that might pass for arms, and two thin legs below.

"Behold Freezing Fitzgerald!" laughed Selmith. "And the Field Spell grants it even more power!"

(2,500 ATK) –) (2,700 ATK)

"What's going on?" gasped Gabriel.

"I'll tell you what's going on," replied Ember, looking at the icy demon. "I'm in for the fight of my life!"

"But before I attack," continued Selmith, "I'll activate the effect of my Dark Tuner Catastrogue. You see, when it goes to the Graveyard to make a Dark Synchro Summon, I get to destroy one of your cards."

A phantom of Catastrogue appeared behind him. Then it flew at Flamvell Urquizas with a cackle. Urquizas groaned, and then shattered.

"URQUIZAS!" screamed Ember.

"And by the way, Shadowchaser," continued Selmith, "if you think that facedown card is going to stop this attack, think again. Fitzgerald prevents you from activating Spells and Traps during the Battle Phase."

_Then my Sakuretsu Armor is worthless!_ thought Ember, starting to sweat.

"Enough talk!" shouted Selmith. "Freezing Fitzgerald, attack directly!"

The frigid demon lifted its two legs, and fired a volley of ice shards with the speed of a machine gun. Ember screamed as she felt like she was being stabbed by knives.

She fell on her behind, and held her torso in pain.

**(E: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,200)**

_That hurt!_ she thought. _This is as bad as the time I dueled Sonja!_

_That thing is no Disk-created hologram… This is real… Somehow this two-bit hood has been able to create a Shadow Duel…_

Selmith chuckled.

"That little bird of yours is taking this harder than you are," he laughed. "Ooh, look! The poor thing is crying!"

Ember looked up. Gabriel was indeed crying, and the tears were falling on her.

"Come on, Gabriel," she said, "it's not that bad, it…"

Then, suddenly, she felt the pain easing. Then it went away entirely. She felt a surge of energy.

She stood up, and took a deep breath.

"The phoenix is the symbol of life…" she whispered. "Its tears can heal any illness… Or wound…"

She looked at Gabriel.

"Seems there are some benefits to having you around after all!"

"Yeah, Ember, but I can only do that once a day," said Gabriel, "so try not to get hurt again."

"Don't worry…" said Ember.

She drew a card.

"I'm gonna bring down that oversized popsicle…"

She set a card on her Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"I'll end my turn there," she said.

"Well, you certainly can't take down my Monster by defending," said Selmith, as he drew a card.

"Especially since I'm Equipping my Monster with Fairy Meteor Crush!"

He played the card.

"I know, it's ironic to Equip a Fiend with a card that has the word 'Fairy' in its name, but it does the job.

"Freezing Fitzgerald, put her Monster on ice!"

The demon shot its round of ice shards, and UFO Turtle appeared on the card. It exploded into hot slag.

"Ergh…" groaned Ember.

**(E: 2,100) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,200)**

"I use UFO Turtle's effect to summon Little Chimera!" she shouted.

In a small burst of flame, a small cat with batlike wings appeared. (600/550)

"Look at the cute kitty!" laughed Selmith. "Is she friendly?"

"She's friendly to Fire Monsters," replied Ember, "because she grants them 500 Attack Points."

(1,100 ATK)

"But she _isn't_ friendly to Water Monsters. She causes them to lose 400."

Freezing Fitzgerald fell to 2,300 Attack Points.

"Well, your kitten is road kill next turn," said Selmith.

Ember drew a card.

"Not if I melt your Fiend this turn!" she shouted. "I summon Evocator Chevalier!"

In another burst of fire, the Warrior in scarlet armor appeared. (1,900 ATK) –) (2,400 ATK)

"Humph," said Selmith. "I definitely remember _that_ guy."

"Well, maybe you'll remember this," said Ember, playing another card. "I play Salamandra!"

Evocator Chevalier's sword burned with flames. (3,100 ATK)

"Attack!" she shouted. "Destroy Freezing Fitzgerald!"

Evocator Chevalier made a downward slash with his blade, and a wave of flames ripped across the sea. Freezing Fitzgerald exploded into chunks of ice.

"Ergh…" muttered Selmith.

**(E: 2,100) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,800)**

Then he chuckled.

"Fool…" he said. "Freezing Fitzgerald won't be vanquished so easily…

"If it's destroyed by battle, I'm able to immediately Special Summon it back to the field in Defense Mode!"

In another aura of cold, Freezing Fitzgerald rose again. (2,700 DEF)

"No way…" gasped Ember.

"And now that you're done attacking," continued Selmith, "all Monsters that attacked it this round are destroyed."

The beast shot a blast of frost, freezing Evocator Chevalier solid. He shattered into pixels.

_This is too much…_ thought Ember.

She turned a card, and Little Chimera sat in Defense Mode. (550 DEF)

"I have to end my turn…" she said.

"My move…" said Selmith.

He made a draw.

"I activate Hidden Armory," he said, playing it. "By sending one card from my deck to the Graveyard…"

He discarded a card from his deck.

"…I get my Fairy Meteor Crush back."

The card slipped out of his discard slot.

_Damn,_ thought Ember, as he Equipped the card to Freezing Fitzgerald again. _I should have kept Chimera in Attack Mode…_

Freezing Fitzgerald shot its shards of ice at the small Beast, and it burst in a small puff of soot. Ember groaned.

"And with it gone," said Selmith, "my Monster regains its full Attack Score…"

(2,700 ATK)

"It's your move… Still think that you can overpower Water with Fire?"

**(E: 350) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,800)**

Ember growled. She made a draw.

She took a card from her hand.

"I play… Pot of Avarice!" she shouted.

She played the card, and Neoflamvell Saber, Neoflamvell Origin, Flamvell Gurnika, Little Chimera, and The Thing in the Crater fell out of her discard slot. She placed them in her deck, and the Disk auto-shuffled it. She made two draws.

She quickly threw all four of her cards into her Disk, and a facedown Monster and three facedown cards appeared.

"Still haven't learned yet, huh?" chuckled Selmith, making a draw.

As he looked at the card, one of Ember's facedown cards lifted up.

"Huh?" said Selmith.

"Dust Tornado!" she shouted.

The wind blew across the field, blowing the Fairy Meteor Crush to shards.

"There goes your Monster's edge," she said. "Just because I can't stop an attack with Trap Cards doesn't mean they're useless.

"So… Got a Monster strong enough to finish me off?"

Selmith looked at the card he had drawn, and snarled.

"Attack her Monster!" he shouted.

Freezing Fitzgerald fired his volley of shards again. Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

"Humph…" said Selmith.

He discarded the one card in his hand. They both made five draws.

"Just make your move…" he muttered.

"I will!" said Ember, making a draw.

_There it is…_ she said.

One of her Trap Cards lifted up.

"I activate DNA Transplant," she said. "This lets me change the Attribute of all Monsters on the field to Fire."

The chilling cold went away, and the warm temperature slowly started to return.

"Eh?" said Selmith. "What good would it do you to turn my Monster's Attribute to Fire?"

"Well, for one thing," replied Ember, "it causes it to lose the bonus from your Field Spell."

Freezing Fitzgerald fell to 2,500 Attack Points.

"But we'll get to the rest later. I activate Call of the Haunted!"

Another Trap Card lifted, and Flamvell Urquizas reappeared. (2,100 ATK)

"Next, I summon Flamvell Archer!"

In a blast of fire, a tall, bare-chested archer with flaming hair and a beard appeared next to Urquizas. (1,000 ATK)

"With Archer on the field, I can sacrifice a Pyro-Type Monster once per round to give 800 Attack Points to a Flamvell Monster…

"And since Flamvell Archer himself is a Pyro-Type Monster…"

Flamvell Archer vanished, and Urquizas rose to an Attack Score of 2,900.

"Destroy Freezing Fitzgerald!" she shouted. "Fist of flame!"

Urquizas flew at the Fiend, and socked it hard. It burst in an explosion of vapor.

"Ergh…" muttered Selmith.

**(E: 350) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,400)**

"You just don't get it, do you?" he snarled. "Let me refresh your memory…

"I use its effect to revive it in Defense Mode!"

Freezing Fitzgerald appeared again. (2,500 DEF)

"And once again, now that your Battle Phase is over, your Monster is destroyed!"

Flamvell Urquizas shattered into shards.

"Now, uhm…

"Uh… Why are you smiling like that?"

"Because…" said Ember, "you did just what I wanted you to do… Time to destroy that thing for good!

"It's still my turn, and I'm playing Double Spell!"

She quickly played a Spell Card.

"Now, for the cost of one other Spell Card…"

She discarded Heavy Storm.

"I can take one Spell Card from your Graveyard and use it."

A card flew from Selmith's discard slot, into Ember's hand. She held it up.

"My Anchor Bind!" he shouted, his eyes opening wide.

"NOW do you see why I used DNA Transplant?" asked Ember, as she played the card. "If I remember correctly, this Spell destroys all Fire Monsters in Defense Mode while your Field Spell is in play.

"That means your Freezing Fitzgerald is about to be buried at sea."

Selmith watched in horror as his Dark Synchro shattered into pixels.

"Still my turn…" she continued. "I'm removing one Fire Monster in my Graveyard from play…"

Flamvell Archer slipped out of her discard slot, and she pocketed it.

"…to Special Summon Spirit of Flames in Defense Mode."

A fiery demon with flames for a lower torso appeared in front of her. It knelt and shielded itself. (1,000 DEF)

"It's your move…"

Selmith growled, and drew a card.

"I summon Cold Enchanter!" he shouted.

In a flash, an icy woman in a long gown and a headband, holding a long staff with a snowflake on the end appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, by ditching one card, I can put an Ice Counter on any Monster on the field, and she gains 300 more Attack Points for each.

"And to make sure she always has that bonus, I'll put it on her."

He discarded Trojan Blast, and Cold Enchanter glowed. (1,900 ATK)

"Attack Spirit of Flames!" he shouted.

Cold Enchanted aimed her staff.

"Hey, Selmith!" shouted Ember. "Did you forget about _this_?"

Her Sakuretsu Armor card, the one she had set before he had summoned Freezing Fitzgerald, flipped up.

"Your Dark Synchro may have kept me from using it," she said, "but Cold Enchanter can't!"

Cold Enchanter shattered into bits.

Selmith glared at her.

"Make… your… move…" he growled.

"Draw…" said Ember.

She made a draw.

"Time to end this!" she shouted, as she played a card.

"I play Fire Back! I toss one Fire Monster…"

She discarded Infernal Flame Emperor.

"…to Special Summon one from my Graveyard. Flamvell Urquizas, welcome back."

Urquizas leapt onto the field. (2,100 ATK)

"Then I move Spirit of Flames to Attack Mode…"

Spirit of Flames moved forward. (1,700 ATK)

"…and summon Ultimate Baseball Kid!"

She played her last card, and a pint-size kid in a red little-league outfit, holding a metal bat, with the kanji symbol for Fire on his helmet, leapt onto the field. (500 ATK)

"Ultimate Baseball Kid gains 1,000 more Attack Points for each Fire Monster in the field, other than himself."

(2,500 ATK)

"Now, all together, people…" she said.

The three Monsters charged at the sahuagin, Spirit of Flames gaining 300 Attack Points. Flamvell Urquizas led the assault, striking the fish-man with a blazing fist. Spirit of Flames followed, hitting just as hard. Then Ultimate Baseball Kid hit a flaming baseball that knocked the criminal over.

Selmith fell over, out cold.

**(E: 350) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 0)**

The Ocean Field vanished as Ember walked up to the unconscious Selmith.

_Better call Shichiro,_ she thought.

As she turned on her cell phone it rang, giving her a shock. She hit the button.

"Shichiro?" she said, as she fished a gemstone out of her pocket.

"Huh? Yeah, I know…"

She pointed the gem at Selmith, and he vanished.

"Uh, I think Gears and Jinx went to go eat at Giorgio's place."

On the other end, Shichiro's brow furrowed with worry.

"No wonder I can't get ahold of them," he said. "Cell phones don't work there…"

Giorgio was a retired Shadowchaser who owned a pizza and pasta restaurant. It was also a place where Shadowchasers could meet outside their townhouse when they wanted to discuss things with people whom they couldn't let there. Shichiro had taken Ember there when they had first met.

Privacy was a must at Giorgio's. Among other things, cell phones and other electronic communication devices could not get a signal there.

"Ember, meet me there," he said, "we have to find them and warn them before they're attacked too."

"I'm on it," said Ember.

She hung up.

"Come on, Gabriel."

"Aw, no taffy?" he said.

"Gabriel, come to your senses!" said Ember. "That Freezing Fitzgerald was a creation of dark magic! Gears and Jinx may be in grave danger!"

"Well, if you put it that way…" said Gabriel.

Ember ran down the street, with the phoenix flying behind her.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SACRIFICE ICICLE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** An obelisk made of ice with a dour face on the front, in an arctic mountain pass in the middle of a blizzard.

**Card Description:** Select one unoccupied space in your Monster Zone. The selected space cannot be used for the remainder of the duel. Special Summon one "Icicle Token" (Aqua/Water/Level 1/ATK0/DEF0). If an "Icicle Token" is Tributed for the Tribute Summon of a Monster, it can count as two Tributes.

_Note: "Sacrifice Icicle" was first used by Asuka in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Heart of Ice (Part 1)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ANCHOR BIND (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A flash of light surrounding a three-weighted bolos.

**Card Description:** Activate only when "Umi" is face-up on the field. Destroy all opposing FIRE Monsters in face-up Defense Position.

_Note: "Anchor Bind" was first used by O'Brien in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "What Lies Beneath (Part 1)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ICE KNIGHT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Aqua/Effect  
**Attribute:** Water  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,300  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** Increase the ATK of this card by 400 for every face-up Aqua-Type Monster on the field.

_Note: "Ice Knight" was first used by __Kourimaru__ in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Taken by Storm (Part 1)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FREEZING FITZGERALD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Dark Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Water  
**Level:** -5  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF:** 2,500

**Card Description:** _1 or more non-Tuner Monster – 1 Dark Tuner Monster_

To Special Summon this card, subtract the Level of the Dark Tuner Monster used as Synchro Material from the combined Level of the non-Tuner Monster(s) used. The value must equal the Level of this card. When this card attacks, your opponent cannot activate set Spell or Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step. If this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon it in face-up Defense Mode. At the end of the Battle Phase, destroy all Monsters that attacked this card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK TUNER CATASTROGE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Dark Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** When this card is used for the Synchro Summon of a Dark Synchro Monster, destroy one card your opponent controls.

_Note: "Freezing Fitzgerald" and "Dark Tuner Catastrogue" were first used by Dick Pitt in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Web of Deceit (Part 1)" __Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Shichiro: Both Ember and I have been attacked by these… things… Are Gears and Jinx in danger too?**

**Maybe I'm worrying for nothing… Maybe whoever is behind this is done for the day…**

**Taramanda: Now really, Shichiro, haven't you been doing this long enough to know that things like this always come in threes? My trilogy of terror against you Shadowchasers has one more part before the day is out…**

"**Eliminating the League" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Golgolye, Power of Gems**

There's magic in gemstones. Shadowkind know it for fact. Why is does it strike them so odd that one of the most powerful Shadows in the world is a being of living gems? Such it is with the case of the unique and ancient dragon known as Golgolye.

Golgolye came into the world from beyond Shadow even before Jamor Stormbringer did, and made his lair in the Andes Mountains of South America. Exactly what subspecies of dragon he was has been forgotten, and hardly matters now. All dragons have great hordes, and Golgolye's wealth may have been even greater than Jamor's, as was his covetousness. Legends by the oldest Shadowkind clans of that region called him selfish and greedy, and claim he would kill anyone who so much as looked at his great treasure. He was also paranoid, believing that everyone was trying to steal what was rightfully his.

One day, or so the story goes, an ophidia offered to sell him a spellbook that contained an incantation that would ensure he would be able to protect his horde like no other dragon could. Against his better judgment, Golgolye accepted, paying a great deal of gold. Even if Golgolye suspected that the ophidia was a con artist, he had no idea what the spell would truly do, or he would never have bought it.

For when Golgolye cast the spell, a mighty blast destroyed his physical body, along with much of the mountain where he made his lair. Then it created a new body for him, constructed out of his horde. Golgolye's new body was made of gold and silver, and encrusted with beautiful gems of every spectrum of the rainbow. He and his great treasure had become one.

Soon, the con artist ophidia arrived with the other members of his village. Their plan had been to slay Golgolye, who he had expected to be weakened by the change, and claim the treasure more easily. But Golgolye had adapted to his new body far quicker than the ophidia assumed he would, and rained death upon the treacherous snakes.

Golgolye needed to find a new purpose. The experience humbled him, and taught him that being selfish and covetous only leads one to ruin. Golgolye has since then acted as a guardian of sacred and mystical places on the South American continent; anyone who wishes to deface or loot these sites must deal with him. Rumor has it he even knows the location of the mythical El Dorado. But Golgolye will not confirm nor deny the existence of this legendary treasure to anyone who asks, much less reveal its location to any mortal being.

With the advent of Duel Monsters, Golgolye has become a curiosity. Apparently, he can duel, even without a Disk, making the cards appear as images in front of him as he draws them. The strange thing is the nature of his deck, according to those who have dueled him and survived: he uses Crystal Beasts. This seems impossible, since Johan Anderson is supposed to own the only copies of these cards, but Golgolye has somehow duplicated them. Clearly, Golgolye must command powerful magic if he can do this. He does not seem to have Duel Spirits as companions as Johan does, but the Monsters in his deck are still clearly Crystal Beasts.

**Story Ideas:** Golgolye protects the riches of South America, both the material ones and the spiritual ones, and does so vehemently. Anyone who wants to explore the ancient Mayan and Incan ruins might have to deal with him. The only magical site he will not go near is the Nazca Lines.

Although Golgolye technically falls under the jurisdiction of the Great Treaty, he recognizes _no_ authority, not that of humans, not that of the Shadowchasers, not any other. If they have a problem with it, they can try to survive the breath of an ancient dragon that can lay waste to a small town and try to pierce a hide that is armored with hard gems. He respects the places he guards, but little else. He is willing to duel to handle a problem, because like most dragons, he cannot resist a challenge, but should the opponent lose, his fate is in Golgolye's hands. Dealing with any dragon is never easy and is often dangerous.

One Shadowkind who hates Golgolye with a passion is Darien Silverpick, the world's biggest supplier of adamantine and worshipper of the God of Greed. Time and again, he has tried to prospect for adamantine deposits that he knows are in the jungles of the Amazon, only for his men to be chased away by this powerful dragon. Unlike Golgolye, Darien will likely never learn that being selfish is wrong, and he will likely keep trying. The two have never confronted each other directly, but that may yet happen in time.

**Deck Suggestions:** As stated, Golgolye uses Crystal Beasts, but his deck differs from Johan's. For one thing, he uses multiple copies of each Crystal Beast, something that Johan doesn't do. Also, he is known to use three Monsters that Johan does not use: Dweller in the Depths, Magna-Slash Dragon, and Gravi-Crush Dragon. These Monsters benefit from having several Continuous Spells on the field (which Crystal Beasts are considered if they are in the Spell Zone) and they are Dragons, like Golgolye. One card that might also fit is Bad End Queen Dragon, but no one has ever reported him using this card. According to some people who Golgolye defeated but choose to be merciful to, Golgolye also uses the powerful Crystal Abundance, a deadly Spell that Johan never used (he had one, but it was not his style).

Golgolye has never been known to use Rainbow Dragon. It may be that he does not have one in his deck… Or, if he does, any opponent who has seen him use it has not had his life spared.


	10. Eliminating the League

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL TEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Eliminating the League**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

At the time Ember's duel was halfway through, Gears and Ember were discussing things at an outdoor table at Giorgio's restaurant.

"I'm nervous, Gears," said Jinx. "What if that golem is somewhere in this city?"

"Wherever it is," said Gears, "it's clearly under a spell of non-detection. If it wasn't, Jalal's equipment would hone in on it.

"And we have to trust Jalal. The instant it steps out of that spell, he'll know about it, and every Shadowchaser in the region he detects it in will know too. From there, we'll follow whatever emergency plan he dictates."

"It still makes me nervous," said Jinx.

"Aye!" said a jolly voice. "Gears! Jinx!"

The voice belonged to Giorgio, who had just come out. Giorgio was in his seventies, and had grown fat and bald a long time ago. But his history as a Shadowchaser would likely take days to tell.

"Long time no see!" he laughed. "How're you two today?"

"Actually, Giorgio," said Jinx, "we're pretty stressed."

"I see…" replied Giorgio. "Tough case, eh?"

"The worst," said Jinx.

"Well then," said Giorgio, "I've got just the thing to put a smile on your faces again…"

"If it's your three-sausage pizza," said Jinx, "take it easy this time! The last thing we need is heartburn."

As Giorgio went back into the restaurant, Hebi-Na poked her head around the corner a block away.

"Okay," she whispered.

The man she met at the tea room looked around the corner.

"There's your target," she said. "Go clean house…"

"Look…" he said, lifting up the deck he was holding. "These cards you gave me are kind of… weird. Are you absolutely sure they're legal?"

"Did you see them on the Pro League's list of prohibited cards?" asked Hebi-Na.

"Well… no…" he said.

"Then there shouldn't be a problem," replied Hebi-Na. "Now don't worry about it."

The man straightened his tie, and placed the deck in a Duel Disk. He strode up to Gears's and Jinx's table.

"Ahem," he said.

"Yes?" said Gears, looking at him.

"Uhm…" he replied. "I prefer to introduce myself this way…"

He handed Gears a business card.

Gears read the card:

"Mortimer Q. Grumby, Patent Attorney."

He looked at him.

"Well?" said the man, looking somewhat irked. "Aren't you gonna make fun of my name? Everyone else does."

Gears smirked a little.

"By no means, my friend," he said, handing the card back. "I know just how you feel. Want to know what _my_ name is?

"Maurice Poston. Surely you admit that's just as bad?"

Mortimer just stared at him.

"I know what it's like to have a name you hate, pal," said Gears.

"Then…" said Mortimer.

He paused.

"Then you're the perfect one to be my opponent!" he exclaimed.

He lifted his Disk.

"You want to duel?" asked Gears. "How come?"

"I just got some new cards that might be my ticket to the Pro League," said Mortimer. "I just have to test them out. I figured that since you, you know, understand…"

Gears chuckled, and put on his own Disk.

"Whatever you say Mort," he said. "That is, if I can call you that… I could use a distraction...

"And by the way, just call me Gears…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Hebi-Na was about ready to throw a fit. She started dialing her cell phone.

"It's me," she said into it. "We have a problem. I told the idiot to duel Jinx, and now he decided to duel Gears. This is gonna be a disaster.

"I don't need to tell you that Gears has a slight advantage here…"

"Perhaps," replied Taramanda. "But this may work to _our_ advantage.

"You told me that Mortimer's biggest weakness is his lack of confidence."

"True," replied Hebi-Na.

"Well…" replied Hebi-Na, "if he's pushed harder than he expected, the temptation to use the cards you gave him might become overwhelming. People like that are weak…

"And weak humans are easier to manipulate…

"Just keep watching, and don't let yourself be seen."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Duel!" shouted both Mort and Gears.

**(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Mort: 8,000)**

_Okay, Mortimer,_ thought Mort, as he made a draw. _Deep breaths now… You can do this…_

His hand moved towards one of his cards. Then he stopped.

"I play..." he said. "No... wait... Maybe I'll..."

_Boy, this guy looks pretty nervous,_ thought Gears. _He's going to need therapy before he can duel professionally._

"I'll… I'll play Card Destruction," said Mort, as the Spell Card appeared. "Now we gotta fold our hands, and draw an equal number."

"Well, whatever you say…" said Gears.

They both discarded their hands, and then both made five draws.

"Okay, let's see here…" said Mortimer, looking at the five new cards. "I set a Monster…"

A reversed Monster appeared.

"…and then I play The Dark Door."

He fit the card into his Disk, and a Continuous Spell Card appeared.

"So long as this is in play, both players are only allowed to attack with one Monster per round.

"Uh, I think I'll end there…"

_Odd,_ said Gears, making a draw.

Jinx watched closely as he looked over his cards. She was more than a little suspicious.

"I summon Ally of Justice Garadholg!" he exclaimed.

In a dark shadow, the bipedal robot holding two energy blades appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Get his Monster!" he shouted.

Garadholg flew at the facedown card. Just as it struck, a large purple worm with three spikes on its front appeared on the card. Garadholg cleaved it in half.

"A Needle Worm!" exclaimed Gears.

"That's right!" replied Mort. "And it sends five cards from your deck to the Graveyard!"

Gears gasped as five cards flew off of his deck and vanished.

_Okay…_ he thought. _Didn't expect that…_

_So, this guy's using a Mill Deck… Well, nothing I can't handle…_

"Think I'll end my turn," he said.

"Okay, I draw…" said Mort, making a draw.

He looked at the card.

He set it on his Disk, and a new reversed Monster appeared.

"Uh, that's all, I guess…" he said.

_Another Needle Worm?_ thought Gears.

He made a draw.

"I summon Ally of Justice Blind Sucker," he said.

In another aura of darkness, another Machine appeared. It looked like a cockpit mounted on a tripod, with two powerful arms, and two cannons on top. (1,600 ATK)

"Attack!" he shouted. "Photon torpedoes!"

Blind Sucker fired twin blasts of energy from its two cannons. A creature appeared on the card that looked a great deal like a Morphing Jar, but its jar was colored with red and white designs.

"That was a Morphing Jar #2, right?" asked Gears.

"Uh huh," replied Mort. "I'll explain, because this is a little complicated. Both of us send all Monsters on the field back to our decks, then we reshuffle."

Garadholg and Blind Sucker vanished. Gears added them to his deck, and the Disk auto-shuffled it.

"Then, you draw cards until you get two Monsters. If either of them are Level 4 or less, you set them. You discard anything else you draw."

Gears made one draw. He set it on his Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

Then he made a second draw. He set that one two, and a second set Monster appeared.

Mort sighed.

"Well, that plan was a bust…" he muttered. "Still your move…"

"I can't do anything else," said Gears.

"Eh?" said Mort. "Oh… right…"

He made a draw.

"Uh… I think I'll play this…"

A Spell Card appeared.

"The Shallow Grave?" asked Gears.

"Yeah," said Mort. "Now we each must Special Summon a Monster from our Graveyards in facedown Defense Mode."

Two reversed Monsters appeared, one on each side of the field.

_Ten bucks says that Mort's card is that Morphing Jar #2,_ thought Jinx. _Gears better have a plan…_

"Your move…" said Mort.

Gears drew a card. He looked at it.

_This might be useful later,_ he thought.

"First, I sacrifice one of my Monsters for Ally of Justice Clausolas," he said.

One of his facedown Monsters vanished, and what looked like a large robotic condor with sharp talons appeared, hovering over the field. (2,300 ATK)

"Then I flip this guy into Attack Mode," he continued. "Dark Hunter!"

One of his facedown Monsters flipped up, revealing an intimidating figure. It was a shadowy assassin, dressed in black leather and a flowing cape, with a face that was a cross between a hawk and a jackal. It held a long dagger. (1,600 ATK)

"Dark Hunter's effect depends on how many Dark-Attribute Monsters I have in my Graveyard," said Gears. "None or one, and it loses 400 Attack Points. Two to four, it gains 400 Attack Points.

"Five or more, like right now, I can sacrifice it, and destroy all of your reversed Monsters."

Dark Hunter vanished in a dark shadow.

"Wait a minute…" said Mort.

His facedown Monster shattered into pieces.

"Urk!" he gasped.

"Clausolas, attack directly!" shouted Gears.

Clausolas fired a volley of lightning bolts at Mort, and he strained and sweated as they hit him.

"Ergh…" he groaned. "That was unpleasant…"

**(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 5,700)**

Giorgio came out of the restaurant carrying the pizza.

"Aye!" he exclaimed. "Gears is dueling!"

"I know," said Jinx. "And I don't like it."

"But he's winning," replied Giorgio, setting the pizza down.

"For now…" said Jinx, as Mort made his draw. "I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Still… If this guy has some dark motive, he didn't study Gears very carefully…"

_Gears's Monsters were designed to combat the Worms…_ she thought. _A big part of his deck is dealing with Monsters that have Flip-Effects. And a Mill Deck depends on those a LOT._

"Uh…" said Mort, looking over the four cards in his hand. "I… think I'll set this, and that will be all."

A reversed Monster appeared in front of him.

"That guy's pretty nervous," said Giorgio. "First rule of dueling… Don't let your opponent see you sweat."

Gears drew a card.

"I play Silent Doom," he said, as he played a Spell Card. "This lets me Special Summon a Normal Monster from my Graveyard in Defense Mode. So I'll bring out Mechanicalchaser."

In a burst of energy, a sphere-shaped robot with a skull-like face and multitude of spindly limbs ending in blades appeared. (800 DEF)

"Next, I'll flip Ally of Justice Researcher into Attack Mode."

His facedown Monster flipped up, revealing the large, robotic buggy armed with lasers. (1,400 ATK)

"Next, I'll use Researcher's effect," he continued. "I'll toss one card…"

He discarded Ally Bomb.

"…and I get to flip one reversed Monster into Attack Mode, and negate its Flip-Effect."

Mort gasped as the Morphing Jar #2 in front of him flipped into Attack Mode. This was something he was _not_ prepared for. (800 ATK)

"I'm not done…" said Gears. "Now I sacrifice Mechanicalchaser and Clausolas…"

The two Monsters vanished into orbs of colored energy.

"…to summon Ally of Justice Thunder Armor!"

In an explosion of flames, a far bigger Machine appeared. It had the same basic design as Blind Sucker – robotic torso on a tripod – but the torso was more humanoid, it had a wing-engine combination on its back, and its two arms ended in glowing energy blades. (2,700 ATK)

_Gaah!_ thought Mort. _He summoned something powerful! What do I do?_

_What would my uncle do? Oh…_

"Attack!" shouted Gears.

Thunder Armor struck the powerless Morphing Jar with its blade and Mort staggered backwards as it was blown to dust.

**(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 3,800)**

"Just because I'm a nice guy," said Gears, "I'll give you fair warning… Defending is not a good idea. Thunder Armor not only has a trampling effect, it gives one to all other Allies of Justice I have.

"Come on Mort! You said you had some cards that would make you worthy of the Pro League! Let's see them already!"

Mort paused.

He slowly drew a card.

"Don't keep me waiting, Mort…" said Gears.

_Maybe he's right…_ thought Mort. _I'm never going to be as good as my uncle was unless I take some initiative…_

_And unless I do so now, at this rate, I'm gonna be wiped out long before he runs out of cards…_

He took a card from his hand.

"I summon Mystic Tomato," he said.

In an aura of shadowy energy, the large fruit with a silly face on the front appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"It's your move…"

_Huh..._ thought Gears making a draw. _What sort of Monster in a Mill Deck do you summon with Mystic Tomato?_

He looked at the card he had drawn.

_Looks like I'm gonna find out…_

"Thunder Armor, flatten that Tomato!"

The Ally made a slash with its blade, and Mort shielded himself again as Mystic Tomato was obliterated.

And then he chuckled…

**(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 2,600)**

"I use Mystic Tomato's effect," he said, now in a much deeper voice, "to call forth Dark Tuner Chaosrogue!"

An evil laugh filled the air, and another hideous Fiend appeared where the Dark recruiter had been. It had the same bodily structure as the Tuner Selmith had used – its torso separated at the waist with a glowing orb between the two halves – but the body overall resembled a harlequin dressed in purple and black, with oversized gloves and boots, and a foolscap that included a mask that covered the right side of its face. The parts of its face that you could see were a glaring eye and an evil grin that suggested madness. (0 ATK)

"What is THAT?" shouted Gears.

"It's your worst nightmare, Shadowchaser…" hissed Mort.

"What…" started Gears. "Hey, how did you know…"

"It's my move…" said Mort, drawing a card.

"This guy suddenly gained a great deal of confidence," said Jinx, "and I _don't_ think it was for the better!"

"I summon Shield Worm!" exclaimed Mort.

He played a card, and a big, ugly worm, its head held upright, with six claws, appeared next to the Dark Tuner. (800 ATK)

"When I summon it, it moves into Defense Mode..."

Shield Worm shielded itself with its claws. (2,000 DEF)

"...and it sends one card from your deck to the Graveyard."

Gears frowned as another card flew off his deck.

"Now, by subtracting Chaosrogue from my Worm," continued Mort, "I can summon a power like none other…"

Chaosrogue dissolved into eight glowing stars, and they all burned into the Shield Worm, searing its skin…

Then Shield Worm shattered, and four black stars started to spin around Mort.

"Something is seriously wrong here…" said Gears.

Mort threw his arms to the sky…

"_When the Shadows are devoured by even darker Shadows, the curtain is pulled back to reveal… a world without light!_

"Appear, Jet-Black Zumwald!"

A dark portal formed above Mort, and another sinister form flew out. It was hard to tell whether this Monster was a Fiend or Spellcaster. It had a long, black robe, and a dun brown hood covering a skull-like face. Its withered hands held a crooked staff that held four blue orbs along the length. It hovered over the ground rather than stand upon it.

But whatever it was, Gears didn't like it. Just looking at it, he felt the chill of an open grave and the stench of death… (2,000 ATK)

"Mama mia!" exclaimed Giorgio. "In all my years as a duelist, that is the creepiest thing I have ever seen!"

_Lovely…_ thought Jinx. _This from a guy who was dueling back in Battle City!_

"Before I attack…" said Mort, "I activate the effect of Dark Tuner Chaosrogue. By using it in a Dark Synchro Summon, I can send five cards from your deck to the Graveyard."

Gears gasped as five cards flew off of his deck and vanished.

"No fair!" he shouted.

"Now, let's continue…" said Mort, as Zumwald pointed its staff at Thunder Armor.

"You're nuts!" said Gears. "My Monster is stronger than that thing!"

"Not for long," replied Mort. "Because when Jet-Black Zumwald attacks a Monster, its Attack Points become the same, and for each 100 Attack Points your Monster loses as a result, you lose another card from your deck!"

Gears watched as Thunder Armor fell to an Attack Score of 2,000, and seven more cards flew off of his deck.

"You're still nuts!" shouted Gears. "They'll kill each other!"

"Actually, my Monster has a slight advantage," replied Mort. "It can't be destroyed in battle!

"Enough talk… Attack!"

Jet-Black Zumwald fired a blast of pure darkness at Thunder Armor, and a huge gash was blown in the robot's side. Gears shielded himself as the Ally was blown to pieces.

_Good lord!_ he thought. _I never dreamed…_

_He just took out one of my best Monsters with that thing… And even worse, I lost thirteen cards in that round alone! My deck is down to just seven cards..._

"I set a facedown," said Mort, fitting a card into his Disk, "and my turn is over."

A reversed card appeared in a flash of light.

Gears took a deep breath.

He made a draw.

_Does that thing's effect do the same thing if it attacks a weaker Monster?_ he thought. _If it does, an attack on Researcher will cost me six cards, and I'd be wiped out._

He looked at his hand.

_Hey… Could this work?_

He took the card.

"I summon… Shredder!"

He played the card, and an odd Machine appeared. It looked like a large, industrial-strength paper-shredder, with a small pair of arms and legs, and two glowing eyes in the front. (1,600 ATK)

"Shredder here may look like something you'd find next to a photocopier," said Gears, "but it has a special effect. It can destroy any Monster, so long as I first discard a Machine-Type Monster whose Level is equal to or less than the Level of the target Monster.

"Now, your Monster has a negative Level, and if I remember my basic algebra right, positive numbers are always considered greater than negative ones. So Shredder should be able to destroy that thing if I discard _any_ Machine."

"Gears!" said Jinx. "Are you absolutely sure that's the case here?"

"Uh…" said Gears.

He looked at Jet-Black Zumwald, and then he looked at Mort, who was looking at him with a cold glare.

"No, Jinx," he said, "honestly, I'm _not_ sure. But it's the only chance I have…"

_At least I hope it's the case,_ he thought, as he took a card from his hand, _because the only Machine I have to discard here is Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator, and it's Level 3._

_Well, it's worth a shot._

He discarded the card.

"Shredder, destroy Jet-Black Zumwald!"

Shredder's eyes glowed, and it shot a blast of razor-sharp blades at the Dark Synchro. Zumwald groaned, and then shattered into pixels.

"Bingo!" said Gears, giving a thumb's up. "And I still have its normal attack…"

"Which you won't be using…" replied Mort, as his facedown card lifted up. "I activate Threatening Roar!"

Gears sighed.

"I'll set a card of my own," he said. "And then you go."

A facedown card appeared in a flash of light.

Mort growled a little, and made a draw.

"First, I set a facedown card and a facedown Monster…" he said.

Two reversed cards appeared, one in his Monster Zone, and one in his Spell Zone.

"Then, the Spell Card, Book of Taiyou!"

He played the card, and his set Monster flipped up. It was another Needle Worm. (750 ATK)

Gears gasped as five more cards flew off of his deck.

"Gears…" said Jinx. "How many cards does that leave you with?"

"One card…" said Gears. "I've got one card left...

"Let's hope it will do the job..."

He drew the last card of his deck.

"And I think I'll activate my facedown card now," said Mort, as his Trap Card lifted up. "The powerful Gravity Bind!

"Now, not only does my Dark Door prohibit you from attacking with more than one Monster per turn, but you can't attack at all with Monsters that are Level 4 or greater."

"Is that so?" said Gears, putting his hand on his hip. "I'll have you know that Researcher over there is Level 3."

Mort looked a little nervous again.

"So it is…" he said. "Well, fine… It's not strong enough to finish me off this round anyway."

Gears looked at the three cards in his hand. Then he looked at his facedown card.

"It can't…" he said. "But I can summon something that can..."

His own facedown card lifted up.

"I activate DNA Transplant. This lets me change the Attribute of all Monsters on the field.

"Usually, I use this to change them to Light, so that my Allies have the advantage. This time, however, I'm changing them all to Dark."

"I don't get it," replied Mort. "What good will it do you to make my Monster Dark?"

"I'll get to that in a minute," said Gears. "First, I'll summon Sinister Sprocket."

He played the card, and a small Monster appeared. It looked like nothing more than a large spool of chain with two eyes, trailing a long piece of chain behind it. (400 ATK)

"That's a Tuner Monster!" shouted Mort.

"That's right!" said Gears. "And now it and Shredder are gonna show you a _real_ Synchro!"

Sinister Sprocket coiled its chain around Shredder, and the two Monsters dissolved into five glowing stars. Gears started to chant:

"_Power of the Healing Darkness, concentrated into a lethal energy beam, a weapon designed to deal death to minions of the Light of Ruin! Clustering stars form a path to bring this powerful tool to battle…_

"_Synchro Summon… Ally of Justice Catastor!"_

In an aura of dark fog, a new Machine that looked both beautiful and deadly at the same time appeared. Composed of gold, silver, and platinum, it was roughly cylindrical, with sharp edges, four spindly legs, and a featureless face made of gold shaped like an inverted teardrop with a diamond in the center. (2,200 ATK)

"That thing is Level 5," chuckled Mort. "With my Trap Card on the field, it can't…"

Then he was shocked as Gravity Bind was blown to pieces.

"But even without DNA Transplant, Catastor is a Dark Monster," replied Gears. "And when Sinister Sprocket is used to Synchro Summon a Dark Monster, I get to destroy one Spell or Trap Card.

"The problem with using Catastor is, its effect. When it attacks a Monster that isn't Dark, that Monster is destroyed automatically, without any damage calculation."

"I… uh… don't get it…" said Giorgio.

"Gears used DNA Transplant to make Needle Worm Dark," said Jinx, "so that Catastor would do Battle Damage when it attacked!"

"And I'm still not done," continued Gears, as he played a Spell Card. "I play Limiter Removal! This will double Catastor's Attack Points for one mighty blow!"

Catastor glowed with an aura of fiery red energy… (4,400 ATK)

"Catastor…" ordered Gears. "Attack Needle Worm with platinum prism blast!"

Catastor fired a beam of multicolored energy, and Mort screamed as his Monster was blown to ashes, and he was thrown backwards.

**(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 0)**

Mort was on the ground, groaning. His cards lay scattered.

Gears bent over him. His eyes fell on the Jet-Black Zumwald card.

He reached over to pick it up, but a shadowy aura surrounded it, and it faded away. Gears raised an eyebrow.

He felt Mort's neck for a pulse. Then he took out his cell phone.

"Jinx, I'm calling an ambulance," he said. "And while I'm doing that, you call our _special_ doctor…"

"You got it," said Jinx. "Giorgio, we'll take that pizza to go."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In Taramanda's throne room, Hebi-Na (who had, of course, slithered away when Mort was about to lose) looked at the three cards. Demonic Monkey King Zeman, Frozen Fitzgerald, and Jet-Black Zumwald.

She carefully placed them back in the wooden box, and closed the lid.

"Bah," said Hssimim. "I grade your stupid Dark Synchros an F-Minus. They were a failure."

"I'm the one grading this paper, Hssimim," said Taramanda. "And it's my decision that they get a B-Plus this time. They need work, but they're satisfactory."

Hssimim's face briefly had a look of rage. Then he calmed down.

"Your excellence…" he said. "They didn't do any better than…"

"They did exactly what we intended them to do, Hssimim," replied Taramanda. "These test runs made certain that they are safe to use.

"Plus, they have made the Shadowchasers uncertain, uneasy, and somewhat frightened. They won these duels, but the pain and shock they received from them will keep them on edge and make them start watching the dark alleys.

"As an added bonus, since Oscar and Selmith didn't succeed, we do not have to pay them."

"And thanks to the special properties of the cards," said Hebi-Na, "they and Mortimer will never remember where they got them. Nor does any proof of the duels exist. I have the cards right here."

She patted the chest.

"So what's our plan now?"

Taramanda leaned back on her couch.

"The Shadowchasers have gotten a taste of our power," she said, "and now they will start looking for answers.

"Maybe we should send someone to watch them. Keep an eye on their townhouse…"

"Fine…" said Msskim. "I'll do it."

"You, Msskim?" asked Taramanda.

"I have nothing better to do…" he replied.

She looked him in the face.

"Oh… yeah…" she said.

The process in which ophidia choose their mates among their own species is a complex one that is hard for humans to understand. Suffice to say that Msskim had just been turned down in his most recent attempt, and he was in a bad mood because of it. He needed something to take his mind off it.

"Fine…" said Taramanda. "Go… But don't get carried away. Need I remind you what happened to your dumb brother?"

"No…" sighed Msskim, as he left.

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At the townhouse, in the living room with the fireplace, Gears was on the phone.

"Okay Art…" he said. "Yeah… Okay… Well, tell me if there's any change…"

He hung up. He turned to Shichiro, Jinx, and Ember.

"Dr. Smalls just took a look at Mort," he said. "He's a little disoriented, and more than a little scared, but nothing else seems amiss. Apparently, any curses that he was under are gone now."

"What the Hell is going on?" asked Shichiro. "Dark Synchros? Negative Levels?"

They were surprised as Jalal materialized.

"I came as soon as I heard," he said. "Something about Dark Synchros?"

"Yeah," said Ember. "Weird Synchro Monsters whose Levels were actually negative numbers."

"We didn't even think that was possible," added Gears.

Jalal sighed.

"It isn't supposed to be," he said. "Did you catch the names of these Dark Synchros?"

"I'll never forget it," replied Shichiro.

Jalal's looked noticeably nervous as they described the abilities of Demonic Monkey King Zeman, Frozen Fitzgerald, and Jet-Black Zumwald.

"How could they have survived?" he finally said.

"What are these things, Jalal?" asked Gears.

"Terrible things," replied Jalal. "Demonic creatures of the Underworld… And servants of the Earthbound Gods…"

"No… way…" said Ember.

"Yes…" said Jalal. "They were used by the Dark Signers..."

"Dark Signers?" asked Jinx. "Why didn't we get any information on these things when that whole mess was going on?"

"Because we were spending too much time researching the Earthbound Gods," replied Gears. "They were the most obvious threat, and we didn't bother looking into the other cards they were using. We clearly should have done so..."

"Gears, what we _should_ have done was confront the Dark Signers ourselves..." said Jalal with a sigh. "I had been told that only the true Signers stood any chance at all of defeating them... And because I feared for your safety, I believed it."

"But that was a lie that the Dark Signers spread themselves," replied Shichiro.

"Maybe the Dark Signers truly believed it," said Jalal. "But it was a lie that _someone_ started. Your old friend Crow was living proof that it was a lie. We made a big mistake by doing nothing. A mistake that we won't repeat.

"I had thought that the Dark Synchros would be powerless without their masters, but they seem to be able to pose a significant threat on their own. Apparently, they now serve someone else…

"But I doubt that they have lost their original loyalties..."

"Hold on!" said Jinx. "You mean those walking mountains that were controlling the Dark Signers? The Signers sent those things packing! Blew them into a million pieces. They're gone!"

"Jinx," said Jalal, "the Signers vanquished _seven_ of the Earthbound Gods."

"You can't tell us that there're more of them?" gasped Ember.

To respond, Jalal pointed, and the television came on. The scene on it showed a bird's eye view of the Nazca Lines in Peru.

"Let me explain, people," he said. "These are the Nazca Lines, the prisons of the Earthbound Gods. There are far more than seven of them. There are hundreds of these images in the Peruvian desert. Most of them are simply lines and geometric shapes. But a little over seventy of them resemble animals or human figures."

"So there are over seventy Earthbound Gods??" exclaimed Shichiro. "Seems a lot for one pantheon…"

"The Hindu pantheon has far more than that, Shichiro," replied Gears.

"Exactly," said Jalal. "Who knows how many of these demons there are total? There may be hundreds that were never even summoned to Earth in the first place.

"The seven that the Dark Signers served were simply the most powerful ones, the nobility among the pantheon, the ones that had enough power to weaken their bonds when Zero Reverse turned the Old Momentum generator into a gateway to the Underworld.

"The rest of the Nazca Lines are the lesser demons… Lower members of their fiendish court, courtesans, knights, viscounts… Low members of the demonic hierarchy. Had the Signers lost the conflict, freeing the rest of them would no doubt have been a high priority for the seven royals.

"But despite not being as powerful as the seven that were slain, they are incredibly powerful when compared to most demons. And if the Dark Synchros are now in someone else's hands, they may be working towards weakening the bonds. And maybe even resurrecting the seven royals again."

"Heck," said Ember, "for all we know, even the lines and shapes might be trouble. I always suspected in high school that geometry was evil."

"But who?" exclaimed Jinx. "Who'd be mad enough to start that whole mess again?"

"Are the surviving Dark Signers doing anything suspicious?" asked Jinx.

Gears walked over to the computer and hit a few commands. Some images came up on the screen.

The Shadowchasers tried to keep tabs on those individuals. They had seemed to lose their memories of their activities as Dark Signers after being restored to life by the Crimson Dragon, but you could never be too sure.

"Hmm…" he said. "Unlikely. Misty just released a new evening wear line. Seems she's happy with the modeling business. Carly is still working as a reporter, albeit with a little more success than before. Bommer is still in South America, most likely helping rebuild his village. Kiryu is out of town on some sort of soul-searching expedition.

"Demak… Well, we aren't sure where he is…"

"What was his deal anyway?" asked Ember. "Did he ever say why he had such a mad-on for the Signers?"

"No…" replied Jinx. "I tend to think that he was just some vagrant who wandered too close to the B.A.D. Area. I mean, come on… the Earthbound Gods would have had a pretty hard time finding someone who was _genuinely_ angry enough at Ruka to want to kill her."

"Regardless…" said Jalal, "I think we can rule them all out. Possibly, whoever is controlling the Dark Synchros does not know the incredible danger in what he is doing. However, since two of these three attacks involved Shadowkind, it is likely that a powerful Shadow is involved.

"Be on your guard…"

Jalal faded away, leaving the four Shadowchasers to ponder this.

"It's almost nine PM, people…" said Shichiro. "There's nothing we can do now anyway… Let's just sleep on it…"

"I have one more thing to do," said Gears, getting up.

He walked into the kitchen, where Boris was reading.

The book he was reading was a cookbook written by a dwarven chef. When you read about dwarven cuisine, one thing was soon apparent – almost every recipe they had created involved mushrooms in one way or another. Of course, dwarves were a race whose homes were often at lest partially underground, so they knew more about growing edible fungus than they knew about other farming.

"Boris," said Gears. "You have the stuff here to make that cinnamon French toast tomorrow morning?"

Boris chuckled.

"Mistle is coming over, right?" he asked.

Gears blushed a little.

Mistle was Gears's girlfriend, and many would have called him the luckiest man in the world because of it. Mistle was a nymph, not a dark nymph like Shaylene, but a true nymph. Nymphs were the embodiments of nature's loveliness, and their beauty was beyond words.

It was incredibly rare for a mortal man to be loved by any kind of fey, but it happened occasionally, just as it happened in the case with Gears and Mistle.

"Don't worry," said Boris. "When's she coming over?"

"Eight," said Gears. "Make sure we have enough orange juice too…"

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**SHIELD WORM (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Insect/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 800  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, move it to face-up Defense Mode and send one card from the top of your opponent's deck to the Graveyard for each face-up Insect-Type Monster you control.

_Note: "Shield Worm" was released for the OCG in the _Yu-Gi-Oh Tag Force 4 Game Guide.

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**DARK TUNER CHAOSROGUE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Dark Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** When this card is used for the Synchro Summon of a Dark Synchro Monster, send five cards from the top of your opponent's deck to the Graveyard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**JET-BLACK ZUMWALD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Dark Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** -4  
**ATK:** 2,000  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** _1 or more non-Tuner Monsters – 1 Dark Tuner Monster_

To Special Summon this card, subtract the Level of the Dark Tuner Monster used as Synchro Material from the combined Levels of the non-Tuner Monster(s) used. The value must equal the Level of this card. This card cannot be destroyed in battle. If this card battles a Monster, subtract the ATK of the Monster with the lower ATK from the ATK of the Monster with the higher ATK. The controller of the opposing Monster sends one card from the top of his deck to the Graveyard for each 100 points of difference. Then, the ATK of the attack target becomes equal to the ATK of this card until the end of the Battle Phase.

_Note: "Dark Tuner Chaosrogue" and "Jet-Black Zumwald" were first used by a brainwashed Ushio in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's episode "Good Cop, Bad Cop". (In the dub, the Dark Synchro was called "Dark Diviner".)_

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**Next:**

**Jinx: Criminals know that there's a time and a place to start trouble. Early in the morning is hardly the right time, and the middle of the Tops is certainly not the place. But a cry for help from right in front of our house has brought me running from my morning jog.**

**Shichiro: Be careful, Jinx… This is a snake, and "snake" is "sneak" spelled sideways.**

"**Dramatic Rescue" is coming soon.**

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Tyrex, Mesozoic Menace**

Of all of Judai Yuki's many allies, one that you might not expect to have left a lasting legacy was his old roommate and friend Tyranno Kenzan. However, Kenzan did leave an impact of sorts, but not in a very good way.

Tyrex and his older brother Hyrex are both Aware humans. Hyrex was a geneticist with an interest in paleontology, and Tyrex was his eager apprentice. One of Hyrex's favorite books was Michael Crichton's _Jurassic Park._ He was certain that the experiment done in the book, using ancient DNA to clone dinosaurs, could actually be done, and worked hard on researching that possibility. Tyrex didn't know that his brother was financing his experiments by working for Red Shroud, who had an interest in the project.

Hyrex was astonished when he read Judai's autobiography, and found out how his friend Kenzan acquired dinosaur DNA in his body by accident, becoming stronger as a result, and even becoming immune to the wicked influence of the Light of Ruin. He wondered, if someone could become strong if it was done by accident, how much stronger could one become if it was done on purpose? He offered to make his brother stronger than he could ever dream. Tyrex accepted.

Hyrex was successfully able to recreate the accident, splicing Tyrex's genetic code with that of a dinosaur. Tyrex did indeed become stronger than ever as a result. Unfortunately, soon after, the Shadowchasers followed Red Shroud's latest scheme to their door, and Hyrex was arrested for various espionage-related crimes.

Having become far more aggressive (the dinosaur DNA in him had clearly belonged to a carnivore) Tyrex burned with fury. Desiring revenge against the Shadowchasers, and no slouch at genetics himself, he continued his brother's research, even when the Chaser Hunters came to recruit him. He is certain that one day, he will raise dinosaurs from the dead, and they will be the perfect weapon against his new foes. He is deluded, of course, and more than a little mad, but this purpose is what drives him.

**Story Ideas:** Tyrex is obsessive, plain and simple. He wants to bring life to things that perished eons ago, do something that likely only science fiction can accomplish. (All real cloning experiments to date require living animals to provide the ovum. Without a living dinosaur, a real clone cannot be made.) But he is certain that he will succeed. Despite (or perhaps _because of_) the fact that the dinosaur DNA was implanted in him on purpose, Tyrex is far more unstable than even Kenzan was, and even Kenzan wasn't always able to control the rage inside him.

In addition to the Shadowchasers, Tyrex counts dark elves as his enemies. He hates spiders with a passion, and because the dark elves love them so much, he has conflicted with them many times. Tyrex would never work with the Shadowchasers to fight the dark elves, but the dark elves might be willing to cut a deal with them to defeat Tyrex. It depends on the situation.

Tyrex does have allies with many reptilian Shadowkind, including the ophidia. They tend to think of him as expendable, however. (Most ophidia subscribe to the theory that dinosaurs were warm blooded, and had more in common with birds than snakes.)

**Deck Suggestions:** Tyrex does not use a Dinosaur Deck; he feels that doing so would be too obvious. Instead, he uses a Japanese Zombie Deck, similar to the one used by Misawa in the manga. This strategy is based on his desire to restore the dead to life.

_Tyrex was a creation of fanfic author Blazing T-Rex._


	11. Dramatic Rescue

_I thought I'd post this a day early, because I had to explain some things. I'm a very nice guy, and it takes a LOT to make me angry. But something recently did. A writer was publishing a Shadowchasers fic without my permission. I didn't report him, but I made him delete the fic, and he will not write any Shadowchasers fics again._

_I have mentioned the Guidelines several times, so let me explain it once more. If you want to write a Shadowchasers fic, you must ask me to send you the guidelines via e-mail, you must read them thoroughly, you must agree to them all, and I must approve of your story. Otherwise, using my setting is plagiarism. _

_You may argue that fanfiction cannot be written without committing plagiarism, but this is very different. I must insist on these conditions before a Shadowchasers fic is written._

_On a separate note, you may have noticed that some of my older fics are gone. I did some housecleaning, and got rid of the ones I am not proud of. I was young and not very knowledgeable of the game or the anime when I wrote those fics, and it was time I got rid of them._

_Anyway... on with the fic._

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**DUEL ELEVEN**

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**Dramatic Rescue**

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With one thing and another, the night passed, and the sun slowly rose over Neo Domino. It looked like it was going to be a good day.

To Msskim, who had been watching the townhouse all night, he doubted that his day was going to be very good. He was still depressed.

He was watching the place from a safe distance, dressed in a long trenchcoat and fedora to ensure that even an Aware human wouldn't recognize him as an ophidia. If the Tops' security force came by, he'd pull a quick vanishing act. He was big for an ophidia, but he was still good at stealth, as all members of his race were.

And if he truly needed to dispatch someone, he had a tool to do so that wouldn't leave any evidence or witness. An old fashioned sake bottle was tied to his belt, but it had no sake in it. It was a magical device that he was supposed to use if he got into trouble.

Still, he couldn't shake the depression that had been with him since yesterday, when the female ophidia he had a crush on rejected him.

If ophidia society had any redeeming features, one of them was that they had no "glass ceiling" in their culture. They worshipped a female deity, after all, so there was thus no discrimination between genders, and there were no traditional male or female roles. Genders among the ophidia had always been equal. So when a female said "no", that was pretty much the final word, and the male would be foolish to press the matter further.

A female had said "no" to him, and he was feeling as down about it as human would…

He needed something to cheer himself up, because watching this place was not getting his mind off of it. It was rather boring, actually.

He looked around. He wondered if he could get away with grabbing some passerby without anyone noticing it. It wouldn't be easy to do… After all, street crime was very hard to conceal in a neighborhood this upscale.

Then he heard someone cheerfully humming to herself, and saw a lovely female fey creature with delicate features walk down the street towards the townhouse. It was Mistle, of course…

…and Msskim could not believe his luck.

Ophidia thought of humans as enemies, and as prey. It was part of their tradition. But if a human were given a choice between regular steak and filet mignon, which would he prefer?

In way, that was how ophidia compared fey to humans. They considered the flesh of fey to be far more tender and sweet, a delicacy when they could get it, which was almost never, as fey lands were always protected by powerful magic that kept more brutal races out.

For Msskim, this was too much of a temptation to resist.

He quickly threw off the overcoat and fedora, and blocked Mistle's path. The nymph stepped back in terror at the sight of the hulking ophidia.

"Tell you what…" said Msskim.

He lifted his Duel Disk.

"I can give you a sporting chance… Or you can try to run…"

Mistle gulped…

Her hand shook as she lifted her own Duel Disk, and it activated.

Msskim chuckled.

"You really should have tried to run…" he said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ten minutes later, Jinx was exiting the townhouse, dressed in her jogging leotard and headband, with a water bottle clipped to her belt. Naturally, this was because she was about to take her morning constitutional. She didn't expect trouble – after all, this was the Tops, the most upscale part of town. It would be pretty hard for any trouble to get in.

She was proven wrong as she opened the door, and heard a scream.

"Mistle?" she said.

She looked out the door.

Then she grabbed her Duel Disk, and rushed out the door towards where Mistle was struggling against Msskim.

Jinx was halfway down the street as the duel ended, with Mistle's Queen of Thorns being consumed in a blast of burning flame. Mistle screamed again, took two steps backwards, and fell over.

"Heh…" chuckled Msskim.

He took the sake bottle off his belt.

"That was incredibly easy…"

He undid the stopper, and Mistle turned into a cloud of vapor, and was drawn inside the bottle. Msskim fastened the stopper back on.

"Now to…" he started.

"HEY, YOU!" shouted Jinx.

Msskim turned and saw Jinx. He frowned.

"Want to try that on someone your own size?" she said with a snarl.

Msskim frowned again. He realized now he had been sloppy. He had let one of those Shadowchasers see him. After Taramanda had warned him about this…

He couldn't leave any witnesses now… But… He figured this could work out to his advantage. He had the nymph… But if he could capture Jinx, he'd have an offering for the Empress as well. And that might make up for going against orders.

He grinned at Jinx.

"That certainly wouldn't be _you_, Shadowchaser!" he laughed.

"Uhm…" said Jinx, looking at the muscular ophidia, who was clearly bigger than her size.

"So I'm not, but I think you'd better let Mistle go, or I'll…"

"Not my style…" said Msskim, as his Disk reshuffled his deck. "But I am willing to make a little wager…"

He placed the bottle back on his belt.

"There's room for two in there…"

Jinx fidgeted a bit, but she was far braver than Mistle was. She activated her Disk and stood to face the huge snake.

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Msskim: 8,000)**

"Draw…" said Jinx, making a draw.

"I'll summon X-Saber Airbellum…"

She played a card, and the bestial, clawed X-Saber appeared with a snarl. (1,600 ATK)

"…and I'll leave it at that…"

"Your Beast is pretty fierce," said Msskim, making a draw.

"But this guy is even fiercer. I summon Archfiend Soldier!"

In a cloud of black smoke and soot, a horned demon with purple skin, armor, a green cloak, and a longsword, appeared in front of Msskim. (1,900 ATK)

"Attack!" ordered Msskim.

Archfiend Soldier growled, and gripped its sword in both hands. It made a straight cut at Airbellum, and the X-Saber shattered.

Msskim fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared in a flash of light.

"Your move…" he said. "Just try to get past him…"

**(J: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 8,000)**

"I can sure try," said Jinx, as she made a draw.

"I summon X-Saber Galahad!"

With another burst of energy, Galahad appeared in front of her. (1,800 ATK)

"Get that Archfiend!" she shouted. "Soul spear!"

Galahad charged at the Fiend, and his Attack Score rose to 2,100. He jabbed the demon through the chest, and it dropped its sword before shattering.

"An eye for an eye, snake," she said, fitting a card into her Disk. "I'll set a card facedown, and end my turn."

**(J: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,800)**

"Then I draw!" exclaimed Msskim, making a draw.

"First thing I'm gonna do," he said, "is play the Trade-In Spell Card. I just have to ditch a Level 8 Monster…"

He discarded one of his cards.

"…and I get to make two draws…"

He drew two times. He looked at the two cards.

"And I reveal my facedown… The Birthright Trap Card!"

His facedown card lifted, and glowed with energy.

"This lets me bring a Monster back from my Graveyard, so long as it's a Normal Monster. So I'm bringing Archfiend Soldier back."

Archfiend Soldier appeared again. (1,900 ATK)

"Get that X-Saber!" he shouted. "Sword of perdition!"

Archfiend Soldier flew at Galahad. Galahad's Attack Score fell to 1,300.

"Surprise," said Jinx, as her facedown card lifted up. "I have a Trap too. It's called One Seriousness, and it Equips to Galahad like an Equip Spell, giving him 800 more Attack Points."

Galahad's spear was replaced by a large, nasty sword, and his Attack Score rose to 2,100. He made a slash, and Archfiend Soldier was thrown backwards. It was blown to bits.

"Ergh…" said Msskim. "That wasn't supposed to happen…"

"And when a Monster destroys a Monster while Equipped with One Seriousness," continued Jinx, "I get to draw one card."

She made a draw, as Galahad's Attack Score rose to 2,600. She looked at it, and then looked at the sake bottle.

_Hang on, Mistle,_ she thought.

Msskim took a card from his hand, and set it on his Disk. A reversed Monster appeared.

"Mmm!" he said.

**(J: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,600)**

Jinx drew another card.

"I summon Enraged Battle Ox!" she shouted.

With a roar, the axe-wielding minotaur appeared. (1,700/1,000)

"Uh…" said Msskim, "that's the guy who gives all Beasts and Beast-Warriors a trampling effect, right?"

"You got it!" exclaimed Jinx. "Go! Get his Monster! Axe crash!"

Enraged Battle Ox leapt at the facedown Monster. A small owl appeared on the card, and was smashed to pieces.

"Ergh!" groaned Msskim. "I activate… An Owl of Luck's Flip-Effect…"

A card slipped out of his deck.

"I get to take a Field Spell from my deck, and place it on top…"

He slipped the card on the top of his deck.

"It won't save you from this," said Jinx. "Galahad, attack directly!"

Galahad leapt at the ophidia, and struck him hard with the sword, knocking him down.

**(J: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 3,800)**

_Lovely..._ thought Msskim. _An unescorted princess walks by alone, I take her out__… You'd expect a Prince Charming to show up on a white horse, but no, I end up fending off blows from Joan of Arc… This is just not my day…_

_But I'll have the last laugh…_

He stood up.

"It's my move!" he exclaimed, making a draw.

The Field Slot on his Disk opened, and he slid the card into it.

"I play… Pandemonium!"

The sky darkened, and lightning flashed. The street turned into a red, ribbed surface, and a boiling pool of lava formed between the two duelists. Sinister-looking stone arches rose around the two of them, with glaring, demonic faces carved into them.

"Intimidating, isn't it?" asked Msskim, as he played another card. "Well, it's just going to get worse from here. I summon Warrior of Zera."

In a burst of energy, a Warrior appeared in front of him. He was muscular, and wore a green breastplate, gloves, and horned helmet, along with blue trousers. He held a sword with a hilt shaped like a demon's head. (1,600 ATK)

"Warrior of Zera is unique among your kind," he continued, "in that two separate destinies are written for him. One, a future of light and goodness… The other, darkness and unspeakable evil…"

"Given the backdrop," said Jinx, "I can tell which one he's heading towards…"

"That's right," said Msskim. "I sacrifice him…"

Warrior of Zera erupted into a bonfire of black flames. A low growl echoed over the field, followed by a plume of black, fiery smoke. Jinx stepped back as a hulking creature started to take shape.

Out of the smoke, a hideous demon appeared. It looked like a diabolically corrupted version of the Warrior that Msskim had just sacrificed. Its head still resembled Warrior of Zera's helmet, but was now bony plating with real horns. The green gloves were now wicked, green claws that were a foot long. It still had blue trousers, now over goat-like, muscular legs and a huge tail. Its torso was scaly and muscular, and it had a pair of demonic wings.

Jinx shivered in fright as Mazera DeVille roared in pure bloodlust… (2,800 ATK)

"Don't let his good looks fool you," chuckled Msskim.

The demon flicked its claw forward, and threw three bolts of fire at Jinx. They hit three of the five cards in her hand, burning them to ashes.

"HEY!" shouted Jinx.

"When Mazera is summoned," continued Msskim, "it destroys three cards in your hand. Be grateful that it can only do it once.

"Now, let's continue… Mazera DeVille, destroy X-Saber Galahad with hellfire blast!"

The Fiend formed a ball of burning fire in its claws, and hurled it at the X-Saber. Galahad screamed as he was burned alive.

Then his armor and sword fell to the ground, scotched and smoking.

**(J: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 3,800)**

"I'm finished," said Msskim, with a grin.

_I'm starting to see why Mistle panicked,_ thought Jinx. _This snake is packing some pretty heavy artillery…_

_Mazera DeVille isn't exactly the most common card..._

She looked at the two cards she had left, and then made a draw.

"I set a Monster in Defense Mode," she said, as a reversed Monster appeared.

"Then I move Enraged Battle Ox to Defense Mode."

The Beast-Warrior knelt and held its axe in its lap. (1,000 DEF)

"It's your move…" she said.

Msskim drew a card.

"I summon Archfiend General!" he exclaimed.

The Fiend that appeared looked very much like a Fiend, gargoyle-like and muscular, with skin that looked like exterior muscles, covered with a bony framework. It had iron gauntlets and boots, a black cape, and large wings. It held a black, iron sword. (2,100 ATK)

"Smash that Ox!" he shouted.

Archfiend General growled, and made a swipe with its blade, blowing Enraged Battle Ox to shards.

"DeVille, destroy her last Monster!"

Mazera DeVille fired its burst of hellfire, and a large mantis wearing a scarlet cape appeared on the card. It shrieked before it was burned to a cinder.

"Thank you…" said Jinx, with a grin. "Since you destroyed XX-Saber Emmersblade, I can Special Summon a low-Level X-Saber from my deck… Like X-Saber Passiul!"

In a flash, the X-Saber in blue armor with a large sword appeared in front of her. (100 ATK)

"That's a Tuner!" exclaimed Msskim.

Then he calmed down.

_Don't loose your nerve…_ he thought. _The only Synchro she has that can beat DeVille is Gatmuz, and she needs nine Levels worth of Monsters to summon him. The odds of her being able to summon exactly seven Levels on her turn is pretty unlikely…_

"I end my turn…"

Jinx paused.

She made a draw.

"I summon… XX-Saber Garsem!" she shouted.

In another burst of energy, a new Beast appeared. He wore chain mail armor, had a scarlet cape, and had the head of an antelope-like mammal, complete with antlers. He held two swords, which looked like they were made out of the antlers of a similar animal. (1,400 ATK)

"Oh, please," chuckled Msskim. "I'd be a sorry excuse for a snake if I were afraid of an herbivore."

"Elephants are herbivores too," replied Jinx. "Bet you'd be scared if an angry one were charging at you."

"Touché," said Msskim, "but an antelope is a far cry from one."

"He's not an antelope," said Jinx, sounding annoyed. "He's a gazelle. And he gains 200 Attack Points for each X-Saber on the field."

(1,800 ATK)

"Big deal," said Msskim. "It's still not strong enough to beat DeVille."

"He may be too weak to beat your Fiend," replied Jinx, "but I can Tune him with Passiul to summon someone who can…"

Passiul and Garsem faded into six glowing stars. They flew into the sky, and Jinx started to chant…

"_The Code of the Samurai reborn in the body of a powerful warrior! Spirits of the land endowing strength to his mighty blade! Clustering stars bring tradition to the modern era…"_

A Warrior started to materialize…

"Synchro Summon… XX-Saber Hyunlei!"

A swordsman leapt onto the field, who appeared to be a Samurai who had updated his armor for a more modern look. It consisted of a blue suit with streamlined armor plating, and a visor over his eyes, along with a scarlet cape like the other XX-Sabers. He carried a katana blade that glowed with blue energy. (2,300 ATK)

"Still not strong enough!" laughed Msskim.

"Hyunlei has a special effect," replied Jinx. "When he's Synchro Summoned, I get to destroy up to three Spell or Trap Cards.

"So… Hyunlei, tear Pandemonium down!"

Hyunlei slashed his sword forward, and the sinister arches were blown to dust, and the blood-red sky was blown away. The Field vanished, returning them to the street.

Archfiend General howled. Then it fell to its knees, and shattered.

"Thought so," said Jinx. "That guy can't survive without the Field Spell."

"But Mazera can," replied Msskim. "And he's still stronger than your swordsman…"

"Not for long," said Jinx, fitting a Spell Card into her Disk. "I activate Shrink. This will cut that ugly thing down to size."

Mazera growled, as it was surrounded by an aura of red energy. (1,400 ATK)

"Hyunlei!" shouted Jinx. "Strike down Mazera DeVille with leaping dragon strike!"

Hyunlei took a running start, and leapt into the air, making a slash at the demon on the way down, and landing behind it. As he landed, Mazera DeVille collapsed, and then exploded in a fiery blast.

"Ergh…" muttered Msskim.

Hyunlei did a backflip, and landed back on Jinx's side.

"It's your move, snake," said Jinx. "And it seems I've crushed your best Monster."

**(J: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 2,900)**

"We'll see about that," said Msskim, making a draw.

"Heh, heh…"

He played a Spell Card.

"I play Advanced Ritual Art," he said. "I'll send eight Levels worth of Normal Monsters from my deck to the Graveyard…"

He took an Opticlops and a second Archfiend Soldier from his deck, and discarded them.

"…and in return, I get to Ritual Summon this creature…"

Another cloud of black smoke started to appear in front of him.

"Arise, Zera the Mant!"

The Monster that appeared was a demon that was just as hideous as Mazera DeVille. It was a hulking creature covered with a spiky, grey exoskeleton, with huge claws on its hands and feet. Its head was a cross between a skull and a demonic alligator, and its only article of clothing was a purple cape. (2,800 ATK)

"Zera the Mant??" gasped Jinx. "Wait… Wait a minute… That card… Only three copies of it were ever made… It's supposed to be the Blue-Eyes White Dragon of Ritual Monsters…"

"That's right," chuckled Msskim, "but I have one of them… Care to know how I got it? I got nowhere to go…"

"I'm all ears…" said Jinx.

She was starting to realize that her opponent was not a rank-and-file ophidia soldier. First Mazera DeVille, now this…

"You may have heard of Yugi Mouto's conflict with Marik Ishtar during Battle City," started Msskim. "Well, Marik's first strike against him used a brainwashed Bandit Keith as a weapon.

"Marik made Keith steal the Millennium Puzzle, and as a test, forced Yugi to duel for it, hoping to make Yugi's other self resurface.

"Marik wasn't going to make it easy for Yugi, and had given Keith a lot of powerful cards, including this one. Being the leader of the Rare Hunters, it was a simple matter.

"Now, both Yugi and Marik thought that no-one was witnessing the duel. They were wrong. An ophidia who had been using that abandoned warehouse as a temporary lair watched with curiosity from a nearby sewer grate.

"Eventually, the Evil Spirit of the Millennium Ring interfered, and broke Marik's control over Keith. Keith went nuts from the voices in his head, and started a fire in the place.

"Now, the ophidia watching thought it would be a shame if those priceless cards were incinerated, so while Yugi's two allies were busy saving him, he quickly snuck in, grabbed the cards, and quickly snuck out.

"He gave them to his clan leader, who eventually gave them to…"

Msskim caught himself there. He couldn't mention Taramanda's name…

"Uh, to another clan leader," he continued. "Eventually, I got this one."

He threw his last card on his Disk.

"But enough with old stories… I'm getting impatient. I haven't Normal Summoned yet, so I'm bringing out Gil Garth."

In another aura of shadowy energy, a new Fiend appeared. It looked more like an infernal machine than a true Fiend, a metal, armored humanoid, hunched over, covered with barbs and spikes, and holding a large scimitar. (1,800 ATK)

"Zera, destroy Hyunlei!" he shouted. "Demon dragon claw!"

Zera the Mant roared, and slashed at the XX-Saber with its wicked claw. Hyunlei fell backwards and was blasted into pieces.

Jinx braced herself as Gil Garth swooped down on her and its sword slammed into her with the force of a sledgehammer. She held her stomach.

"Ow…" she muttered.

**(J: 4,800) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 2,900)**

"My, move…" she muttered.

She drew a card.

She looked at the Trap Card. Then she looked at the card she already had.

This was going to take a lot of luck, but it might work.

She set both on her Disk, and a facedown card, and a facedown Monster appeared.

She nodded.

Msskim made a draw.

He quickly opened his Field Slot and played it. There was an explosion of energy, and Pandemonium rose again.

"And how is that going to help you?" asked Jinx. "Neither of your two Monsters benefit from this Field Spell."

"Maybe they do, maybe they don't," replied Msskim. "Pandemonium is the nerve center of Hell, after all, and there are ways it can benefit Fiends like you don't even realize.

"But for now..."

"Gil Garth, attack her Monster!"

Gil Garth made a slash with hit scimitar, and X-Saber Palomlo briefly appeared on the card before being cut down.

"Zera, attack her directly!"

Zera roared again, and this time Jinx actually screamed as the huge demon's claws cut into her. She fell down on her rump.

"Heh, heh," chuckled Msskim. "I gotta thank you, Shadowchaser… Up until now, I was feeling pretty depressed… But this was just what I needed to get my blood flowing!"

**(J: 2,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 2,900)**

"Keep smiling like that…" said Jinx, getting up.

She sighed.

_I'd better draw something good this turn,_ she thought, _or I'm gonna be in big trouble… Not to mention Mistle…_

She made a draw.

It was Pot of Avarice.

_Well, that's halfway there…_

She quickly played it, and retrieved X-Saber Passiul, XX-Saber Garsem, X-Saber Anabelera, X-Saber Urz, and Enraged Battle Ox from her discard pile. She added them to her deck, and the Disk reshuffled it.

She made two draws.

Then her facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Call of the Haunted!" she shouted.

In a flash of light, XX-Saber Hyunlei appeared again. (2,300 ATK)

"A fat lot of good he'll do you," said Msskim.

"Oh, really?" asked Jinx. "Well, maybe he'll do better when I give him an Equip Spell…"

She played a card.

"The Sword of Sparkles!"

Hyunlei's katana vanished, and he raised his hand. A new sword appeared in it, a broadsword with a wider blade, with the X-Saber insignia decorating the hilt. True to its name, it shimmered and sparkled in the morning light.

"So?" asked Msskim. "It didn't seem to increase his Attack Score by even one point."

"It doesn't need to," said Jinx. "Hyunlei, destroy Gil Garth!"

Hyunlei leapt at Gil Garth, and made a slash with the Sword of Sparkles, cleaving the Fiend down the middle. The infernal machine sparked and exploded.

"And when an X-Saber destroys a Monster with the Sword of Sparkles," continued Jinx, "he gets to destroy another card."

"Wait a minute…" said Msskim.

Hyunlei pointed the sword towards Zera the Mant, and a blast of energy shot towards the Fiend. It roared, and was blown to shards.

**(J: 2,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 2,400)**

"So, what else have you got?" asked Jinx. "I can't wait to see what comes next."

"This isn't fun any more…" growled Msskim.

He drew a card.

"Look familiar?" he said, as he played it. "I have a Pot of Avarice too."

Mazera DeVille, Warrior of Zera, Archfiend Soldier, Zera the Mant, and Gil Garth fell out of his discard slot. He reshuffled his deck, and made two draws.

"I set a facedown," he said, "and then summon another Opticlops."

A facedown card appeared in a flash of light, and then an aura of darkness erupted from the spot in front of him. With a growl, a brutish, muscular ogre with one eye and a horn on its forehead appeared from out of the aura. (1,800 ATK)

"And I end my turn…"

He kept a straight face, but he grinned inwardly. The setup he had now had actually been his winning move when he forced Mistle to duel him.

_If she attacks with that guy,_ he thought, _all I'll have to do is activate my Hate Buster Trap Card. Her Monster will be destroyed…_

_Well, mine will be too, of course… But she'll take damage equal to her Monster's Attack Score…_

_And since Hyunlei has 2,300 Attack Points, this duel will be mine._

Jinx looked at him suspiciously. She made a draw, and looked at it.

"Sorry, snake," she said. "I'm not gonna fall for _that_…"

She set one of her two cards into her Disk.

"I'll set a facedown, and end my turn."

A facedown card flashed into existence behind Hyunlei.

Msskim frowned.

"Fine," she said. "I guess you're a great deal smarter than that nymph was…"

He made a draw.

"Here's where we get to the benefit this Field Spell can give any Fiend," he said. "At least low-Level ones. Do you remember back when I played Trade-In?"

"Uh..." said Jinx.

"The Level 8 Monster I discarded was someone called Imprisoned Queen Archfiend," continued Msskim.

As he said this, the phantom of a hideous-looking, vaguely female Archfiend appeared behind him. It looked similar to Infernalqueen Archfiend, but bigger and fiercer, and her wrists and ankles were bound by shackles.

"She was the Terrorking's original consort, before Infernalqueen came along. But she wasn't satisfied being a consort... She wanted to rule Pandemonium herself. So she tried to assassinate him.

"She failed. As punishment, she was locked tight in the deepest dungeon below Pandemonium, never to be released, while the infernal court siphoned her power for their own diabolical purposes.

"This is reflected by her effect. If she's in my Graveyard and Pandemonium is on the field, all Level 4 or lower Fiends, Archfiend or otherwise, gain a 1,000 Attack Point bonus during my Standby Phase, and keep it until my End Phase."

Opticlops let out an infernal roar... (2,800 ATK)

It charged at Hyunlei, and made a running tackle, horn-first. The XX-Saber was blown to shards.

"I activate the effect of X-Saber Palomlo!" shouted Jinx.

"Palomlo?" said Msskim. "It's in your Graveyard…"

"Exactly," replied Jinx. "When an X-Saber on the field is destroyed by battle, I can pay 500 Life Points to Special Summon him from the Graveyard."

The small lizard man appeared, crouching and shielding himself with his spear. (300 DEF)

"Bah!" said Msskim, setting his last card in his Disk. "I'll end with this."

A new facedown card appeared. Opticlops fell back to an Attack Score of 1,800.

**(J: 1,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 2,400)**

Jinx looked at her deck.

_Here goes nothing…_ she said.

She drew a card.

Then one of Msskim's facedown cards lifted up.

"I'm not letting you pass this turn too," he said. "I activate Battle Mania."

Palomlo stood up, moving to Attack Mode. (200 ATK)

"It not only moves your Monsters to Attack Mode, it forces them to battle this turn."

Jinx looked at him.

"Fine by me," she said. "I play Saber Slash!"

She threw the card she had just drawn into her Disk.

"This Spell Card lets me destroy one face-up card for each X-Saber I have. My Monsters may have to battle…"

Opticlops shattered into shards.

"…but it seems you have no Monsters for them to battle with."

Msskim stepped back in shock.

"Wha… guh…" he said. "Well, fine! Like, I'm so scared of a Monster with 200 Attack Points!"

Then Jinx's facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Gatmuz's Urgent Orders!" she shouted. "With one X-Saber on the field, I get to Special Summon _two_ from my Graveyard!"

In two flashes of light, Galahad (1,800 ATK) and Hyunlei (2,300 ATK) appeared again.

"Oh no…" moaned Msskim.

The three X-Sabers leapt up, and charged at Msskim, slamming their weapons into him and knocking him over.

"Ooh…" he moaned.

**(J: 900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 0)**

"You lose, snake," said Jinx. "Now release Mistle before I get mad!"

Msskim nervously got up. He looked at the sake bottle.

Then he looked at Jinx. He couldn't use the bottle on her unless he found some other way to subdue her. He considered his options…

No, it was too risky to try to fight a Shadowchaser mano-a-mano. He may have been bigger than she was, but he knew what they were capable of.

"Here!" he shouted. "Catch!"

Then he threw the bottle towards Jinx, like he was throwing a forward pass. Jinx ran and made a diving catch for it. She succeeded, but fell on her stomach in the process.

She got up quickly, but by the time she did, her foe was gone. He had fled.

She sighed.

"Something weird is going on," she said, as she started to open the stopper. "And we gotta find out what it is…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

An hour later, the four Shadowchasers were in the living room, Gears holding and trying to comfort Mistle, who was crying softly.

"Easy, Mistle, easy…" he said. "He's gone, he can't hurt you…"

Jinx was on the computer, looking over the mug shots of ophidia criminals that they had on file.

"It's no good, people," she said. "He's not here… Whoever that guy was, he has no criminal record.

"No record of any Shadowchasers dueling anyone who had Zera the Mant either. Clearly no Shadowchaser ever dealt with this guy…"

"Or maybe a Shadowchaser _tried_ to deal with him," added Gears, "and…"

Jinx looked at him.

"Good point…" she said. "But that guy must have been a big shot in some ophidia clan to have gotten that card…"

"I agree," said Shichiro, who was looking at the kanji symbols on the sake bottle.

"This Bottle of Life Trapping is clearly of ophidia design, so he didn't steal it… But an ophidia sorcerer wouldn't give a grunt something so powerful. Heck, there aren't many ophidia sorcerers around who can make things like this."

"You're all thinking what I'm thinking, right?" asked Gears. "Someone uses a three-thousand-year-old golem to bust a dangerous ophidia criminal out of prison, and then this morning an ophidia is watching us. Seems there's a connection somewhere…

"Somewhere, a snake nest is stirring…"

"Yeah," said Ember. "Well, I was up a little late last night looking into something on my own…"

She put on her jacket.

"I have an idea about where we might find some info on the Dark Synchros."

Everyone looked at her.

"Ember," said Shichiro. "This isn't going to be like your last 'idea' is it?"

Ember looked a little embarrassed.

"Shichiro, for the tenth time," she said, "I'm sorry about the concert... I guess those guys were a little... loud..."

"Only their clothes were louder than they were," said Shichiro.

"Fine…" said Ember. "I won't use tickets I get from a radio station any more. But bear with me, here… The Dark Synchros are Monsters with negative Levels… Creatures of negative energy…

"Who here knows about antimatter?"

"I read up on some literature on it once," replied Gears. "But Ember, I admit that those creatures where more than Disk-created holograms, but they couldn't have been made of actual antimatter. No-one can create enough antiparticles to make something that big. And antimatter cannot exist in a terrestrial environment. Such a creature would be annihilated as soon at it contacted matter, along with an equal amount of matter.

"Besides, antimatter is not negative energy. Energy and matter are two different things."

"True," said Ember. "But fifty years ago, a Shadowkind scientist wrote a paper on the relation between the two. And his source was a supposed expert on both subjects… As well as being an expert on demons and the nature of Evil. Apparently, he compared negative energy with evil energy.

"Mistle… You're a fey… Have you ever heard of anyone named Lord Copernus?"

Mistle suddenly stopped crying.

"Why do you ask?" she said.

"He was the source this guy cited," replied Ember. "You see, this scientist was satyr, and…"

"You trust a satyr on this?" asked Shichiro. "Usually, all they do is sing, dance, drink cheap wine, and make absolute fools of themselves."

"I'm serious, people!" said Ember. "This guy wrote an academic paper on the relation between antimatter and negative energy, and he cited someone named Lord Copernus."

Mistle sighed.

"Normally, I wouldn't trust a satyr," she said. "And if you were me, you'd know why…"

"Yes, Mistle, we know…" said Gears.

Satyrs were notorious for chasing after nymphs when they became drunk, which happened rather often. Gears didn't doubt that Mistle had been forced to flee from a few of them in her time.

"But…" continued Mistle, "I have heard of Lord Copernus… I've never met him, but he's supposed to be a fey lord of some sort. I think he's something called a leshay."

"A leshay?" asked Shichiro.

"I don't even know what that is," replied Mistle. "I always assumed it was some sort of incredibly powerful fey spirit.

"If you want to know where to find him, I haven't the slightest idea. My advice is to find that satyr. If he wrote the paper fifty years ago, he should still be alive. Satyrs are nature spirits, just like nymphs. They live a very long time."

"I could do that," said Ember. "I know where he lives… The last mention of his name put him in Satellite."

"This guy wrote an academic paper and he lives in Satellite?" asked Shichiro.

"Who knows?" asked Ember. "He may have been educated, but he may have gotten drunk as much as any other satyr, and been driven there by more respectable fey."

"Uh, Ember, wait…" said Gears.

He turned to Mistle.

"I'll be okay, lover," she said.

Gears motioned for Ember to follow him. He led her out to the garage.

"I just finished it," he said, turning the light on.

In the middle of the garage was a beautiful, new D-Wheel, gleaming, streamlined, and painted fire-engine red.

"Whoa…" said Ember.

"Told you you'd be able to try it out today," said Gears. "I put the last coat of paint on it last night; red paint for a D-Wheel isn't easy to come by, but I think it fit.

"It's all yours…"

Ember felt a sense of awe as she walked towards it. She picked up a helmet.

None of them knew that Msskim was not the only spy who had been watching the townhouse. Another interested party, who didn't care about Mistle, had been watching them _and_ Msskim, and because he had not been caught by Jinx, had not yet left.

It was none other than the strange man dressed in black, with black sunglasses. He had heard the whole conversation, using tricks that bypassed the house's protective magic.

He started to speak into a device that resembled a headset cell phone.

"Master," he said. "One of them is making a move. Does the name Lord Copernus mean anything?"

He waited, and then a telepathic response came.

"_Yes is does, and I'm afraid that's bad news,"_ came the reply. _"Having the Shadowchasers form an alliance with that meddler is the last thing we need. _

"_Do something to discourage them, but don't show yourself to them yet."_

"Okay," said the man, "I'm on it…"

As Ember pulled out of the garage on her ride, he turned, and vanished into a dark portal.

Ember inputted some commands on her D-Wheel, activating the optional extra that only Shadowchasers had.

Satellite was on an island that was separated from Neo Domino, and the Daedalus Bridge was not yet open for civilian traffic. But until it was, the Shadowchasers had other ways to get to Satellite.

"_Trans-dimensional system activated,"_ said the computer voice. _"Opening portal."_

There was a flash of light, and a shimmering portal, large enough to drive through, appeared in front of her.

"Next stop," said Ember, "the other side…"

She started up her engine, and drove through the portal.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Ember: I'm no slouch in a regular duel… But in a Turbo Duel, I remain a rookie. I can only hope that in this dangerous race, the wind will fan the fires. **

**My Flamvells are moving faster than they ever have! We'll see who rules the road!**

"**Rush Recklessly" is next. Turbo Duel, Acceleration!**

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Xideous, Fiendish Author**

In northern Norway, hidden just as well as Shadowchaser Headquarters, is a super-maximum security detention facility that is called The Cage by Shadowchasers. The Shadowchasers assigned to The Cage are among the best. They are immune to threats, insults, and bribes, and cannot be swayed by honeyed tongues which have fooled scores of mortals over the centuries. You see, The Cage is a place where extradimensional prisoners are detained; demons and other fiends that are too dangerous to be held at the detention center at Headquarters.

One prisoner that they do not understand, however, is one in one of the most secure cells. Named Xideous, he is a hulking, gargoyle-like fiend with shaggy, loose skin. He has the power to assume less hideous forms, but rarely bothers, as he knows he'd never fool anyone, and doesn't desire to. He is a gehreleth, one of the natives of the Lower Plane of Carceri (called Tartarus by Mundanes). Specifically, he is a shator gehreleth, one of the rulers of the species. Xideous is unlike the other prisoners at The Cage; he is polite and courteous to the staff, and spends all of his time reading the tracts and tomes that his human lawyer brings in, and writing with an old-fashioned pen.

Xideous (not his real name; fiends must keep their real names secret from mortals, lest they be used against them) was first summoned to Earth five years ago by a demonologist named Thaddeus Coll (who will be covered next chapter). Coll only summoned Xideous in order to ask some questions. Coll was surprised when Xideous didn't want to go home after he was done. (Gehreleths rarely willingly leave Carceri, as it is the source of their power.) Xideous wanted to make a deal with his summoner, and when Coll found out what it was, it was too good to turn down, especially since it wasn't going to cost Coll anything vital.

After making deals with some other contacts, Xideous spread the word among the British Shadow underworld that he was going to assassinate the King of England. As he expected, the Shadowchasers intervened. The shator put up a good fight, but he was apprehended.

What the Shadowchasers didn't suspect at the time is, Xideous held no malice against the King. He _wanted_ to be arrested. For his true plan to work, he needed someplace safe to work. And he figured that The Cage was the safest place he could be. Sure, he couldn't leave, but now he had all the time he needed to accomplish his master plan.

What is his master plan? He wishes to write a copy of the fabled _Book of Keeping_, so that it may be published and mass-produced.

The _Book of Keeping_ is an ancient tome that details the processes of summoning and controlling yugoloths, another race of fiends. No spellbook is more complete at detailing the summoning of yugoloths than this one. It is said to even contain the true names of some of the leaders of the yugoloths race. Gehreleths are the mortal enemies of yugoloths, and are summoned by mortals more often than they are. By publishing this book on a large scale, Xideous hopes to cripple his racial enemies. (And this is why he knew that a prison was the safest place for him; if any yugoloths knew what he was doing, he'd be the target of every yugoloths assassin in the Lower Planes.)

Xideous has yet to hold one of the five (it is assumed) copies of the true _Book of Keeping_. But his contacts supply his lawyer (who is actually the demonologist who he made a deal with) with all the information on yugoloths that they can, and he works with what he has. He is certain that they'll find an actual copy eventually. He thinks that Jalal is a fool for letting his work continue, and that his whole organization is clueless.

In truth, Jalal is fully aware of Xideous's intentions, and will sooner supply a prisoner with dynamite than let a copy of the _Book of Keeping_ get by the screeners at The Cage. So far, Xideous has only obtained books of yugoloths history and culture, which is permitted, but if his lawyer tries to bring a spellbook or magical scroll in, he will be in for a rude awakening. Jalal doubts that Xideous will ever make much progress, but he has his eye on the gehreleth in case he does.

**Story Ideas:** Xideous is in prison, so any story involving him will have very little contact with him personally. But he has several contacts through his lawyer searching for information on the _Book of Keeping_, and that can lead to many dangerous situations, especially since one of those contacts happens to be Red Shroud, who has an interest in the project.

No-one knows who authored the true _Book of Keeping_, and the five known copies tend to switch owners at inopportune times. Some doubt that the book exists, but Jalal himself can verify that it does. He saw a copy with his own eyes soon after he founded the Shadowchasers. He even got a chance to skim through a few of the pages before he was forced to flee for his life from its then owner. As you might expect, these tomes are considered priceless on many worlds and realities, and whoever owns one will not take chances with it.

Clearly, any story involving Xideous is going to also involve the yugoloths in one way or another. They are going to take a dim view of someone trying to strike at them this way, and the history of the Lower Planes has shown that in battles between yugoloths and gehreleths, it tends to end badly for the gehreleths. This is one of the reasons why celestial beings let the Blood Wars continue; so long as evil beings are fighting each other, the impact they have on good ones is lessened.

One thing that should never be forgotten is that what Xideous is trying to do is in _no_ way a noble cause. No-one would blame anyone for striking against an evil race like the yugoloths, but a readily-available _Book of Keeping_ will give every dark wizard in the world the means to summon the most powerful ones. Xideous's plan would hurt an evil race if it succeeded, but would hurt many innocent races far more, as evil conjurers used the tome to summon armies of the fiends. No good can ever come from this book.

**Deck Suggestions:** When he first fought the Shadowchasers, Xideous's deck was a Normal Beatdown Deck, but with a twist. All of his Monsters were Dark. He used Vorse Raider, Archfiend Soldier, Mad Dog of Darkness, Mechanicalchaser, Tri-Horned Dragon, and Cosmo Queen. With this lineup, he was able to use both Normal Monster support (such as Justi-Break, Dust Barrier, Birthright, Ancient Rules, and Faustian Bargain) along with Dark-Attribute support (such as Allure of Darkness and Escape from the Dark Dimension).

While in prison, he hardly has the need to duel anymore. If he ever did, it is not known whether he would use the same deck or a different one. After all, when he faced the Shadowchasers the first time, he didn't want to win.


	12. Rush Recklessly

_Attention: Due to popular demand, I have decided to repost my three YGO Junior fanfics. The first one is up already; the other two will take some time, as I reformat them. _

_Now that that's out of the way..._

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**DUEL TWELVE**

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**Rush Recklessly**

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The slums of Satellite had been undergoing extensive renovations since the fall of the Dark Signers. Godwin's deal with Yusei still stood, despite what had happened, and in addition to the Daedalus Bridge, which would make Neo Domino accessible to the lower class that lived in Satellite, construction crews were now in the process of turning the slums and burnt-out ruins into housing complexes that were far more appealing.

Still, Satellite was a big place, and it would likely take a long time for the whole place to regain the glory it once had. Thieves and riff-raff still hid out in the run down buildings and fallen tenements, and Satellite was still a place for people who wouldn't be welcome elsewhere…

And that included many Shadows as well as humans.

The strange man in dark clothing and sunglasses was talking to a group of tough-looking elves dressed in leather with tattoos, standing beside motorcycles. In particular, he was talking to the leader.

"Listen, Iago," said the man, "if that's your real name… You think you can handle it?"

"No problem," said the elf. "If this chick is really a Turbo Duel rookie, it'll be a cakewalk. I've been able to outduel Security… I've taken down a Goyo Guardian or two in my time…"

"Just don't kill her, okay?" said the man. "Break a limb or two, wreck her D-Wheel, but make sure she survives."

Iago chuckled.

"And may I ask why you want me to simply beat the tar out of her?" he asked. "Did she break up with you?"

The man handed him an envelope.

"What's this?" asked Iago.

"Half your payment," said the man. "You get the rest when you finish the job."

Iago's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw how much money it was.

"However…" said the man, "I expect the job to be done with no questions asked…"

Iago put the money in his jacket.

"Okay…" he said, nervously. "I don't got no problem with that…"

"Watch the double-negatives," said the man. "And don't screw up."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember slowly drove her Wheel down the main thoroughfare.

She had been looking for a while, but finding this satyr had proven harder than she had thought. Satyrs were usually found in places where there was an abundance of wine, women, and song, and there weren't many places in Satellite where you could get those.

Not many _reputable_ places anyway.

She had a few more leads to follow, and once she was done, she was going to write this whole thing off as a wasted trip.

As she thought of this, she heard a noisy motor behind her. She looked in her rear view mirror, and saw a silvery D-Wheel speeding up behind her.

Before she could react, Iago sped up beside her, and gave her a swift kick. Ember's ride wobbled as she struggled to keep upright.

"What's the big idea?" she shouted. "You looking for a fight?"

"Actually, I am," laughed the elf. "Duel me…

"And before you say no, take a look behind us…"

Ember glanced behind. She saw more leather clad elves on motorcycles following at a safe distance.

She had been ambushed. He wanted a duel, and his gang wasn't going to let her get away without doing so.

She was nervous. She had Turbo Dueled before, but only in practice runs against Shichiro, Jinx, and Gears, and once during the test for her license. This would be the first time anything would truly be at stake.

She took a deep breath.

"Fine!" she shouted. "You're on!"

She hit a command on her dashboard.

"_Duel mode engaged,"_ said the computer.

The Speed World Field Spell flashed into existence on the dashboard, and the streets of Satellite were transformed into the shimmering, silvery void.

The two duelists sped off, with Iago's gang following behind.

**(Ember: 8,000, 0 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (Iago: 8,000, 0 SPC)**

"I'll make the first move," chuckled Iago, as he whipped a card off the top of his deck.

He added the card to the five stored on his gauntlet, and then chose another one.

"I'm sending out Diskblade Rider!"

A portal opened beside him, and there was a roar of another engine. It was a green-skinned Fiend riding a silvery motorcycle, wearing shoulder guards and a horned helmet, holding a weapon that looked like a ring-shaped, serrated blade. It started driving next to Iago's own vehicle. (1,700 ATK)

"To keep you guessing, I'll set these," he said.

Two facedown cards appeared in front of his bike, and then faded from sight.

"And I end my turn."

"Then it's my move!" shouted Ember.

She drew a card.

"I summon Evocator Chevalier!"

A portal opened over her own bike, and the fiery Warrior with his flaming scimitar leapt out. (1,900 ATK)

She looked at the field on her controls, and saw the two facedown cards.

_I'm gonna regret this,_ she thought. _But..._

"Attack Diskblade Rider!" she shouted.

Evocator Chevalier did a 180, and flew at the mounted Fiend.

"Thought these were bluffs, didja?" asked Iago, as one of his two facedown cards spun around. "Guess again! I activate Draining Shield!"

Chevalier's sword slammed into an invisible shield, and energy flowed into Iago. His engine roared as he shifted gears.

Ember took another card from her gauntlet, and set it on her dashboard. A facedown card appeared in front of her bike, and then faded from view.

"I end my turn," she said. "Let's see what else you've got."

**(E: 8,000, 1 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 9,900, 1 SPC)**

Honestly, she was worried. The memory of Frozen Fitzgerald was still fresh in her mind.

"I've got plenty," said Iago, as he drew a card. "Like Hellway Patrol, for instance."

He played the card, and another demonic biker drove out of the portal. This one was dressed in a black leather jacket and a horned helmet, and its motorcycle had a scowling demon's face on the front. (1,600 ATK)

"Next, I activate Diskblade Rider's effect," he continued. "By removing a Normal Trap in my Graveyard from play…"

Draining Shield appeared behind him, and vanished into grains of light.

"…he gets a small boost."

Diskblade Rider shifted gears, and its Attack Score rose to 2,200.

"All right!" he laughed. "Mow her Warrior down!"

Diskblade Rider rode ahead, skidded in a turn, and then drove straight towards Evocator Chevalier, holding its weapon aloft.

"Surprise!" shouted Ember, as her facedown card spun around. "I wasn't bluffing either! Go, Kunai with Chain!"

Chevalier leapt up, as a long grappling hook appeared in his free hand, and his Attack Score rose to 2,400. He hooked Diskblade Rider with it, and yanked the Fiend off its motorcycle…

One slash with a sword later, and the riding Fiend shattered, his ride wiping out in an explosion.

"Celebrate while you can…" growled Iago. "I have another Trap…"

His other facedown card spun around.

"Michizure! This lets my Monster drag yours down with it!"

Evocator Chevalier shattered into shards.

"And now that you have nothing left, you're wide open to an attack from Hellway Patrol!"

The fiendish biker drove up behind Ember and a blast of flames shot from the mouth of the demon's face on the front of its bike. Ember started to sweat as she was hit by it.

_Focus…_ she thought. _Gotta focus…_

**(E: 6,400, 1 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 9,700, 2 SPC)**

"My move!" she shouted.

She made a draw.

She took two cards in her hand, and threw them on her dashboard. A reversed card and a reversed Monster appeared.

"That all?" laughed Iago.

"That's all," said Ember. "Just move…"

Iago snickered as he made a draw.

"Hellway Patrol, fry her Monster!"

The biker blasted its flame again, and a small monkey with fiery hair on its head, wrists, and ankles appeared before it was burned up.

"Now's about when I should explain Hellway Patrol's effect," he continued. "When it crushes a Monster, you lose 100 Life Points for every Level that Monster had."

"Fortunately, Flamvell Paun is only Level 1," replied Ember. "And when it's toasted, I get to take a Monster with exactly 200 Defense Points from my deck."

A card slipped out of her deck, and she took it.

Iago threw a card on his dashboard, and a facedown card appeared.

"Fine…" he said. "It's your move…"

**(E: 6,300, 3 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 9,700, 4 SPC)**

Ember made a draw.

She perked up a little when she saw what it was.

_Hey..._ she thought. _Haven't gotten a chance to use this guy yet…_

She added it to her hand.

_I'll wait a round or two… Now's not the time…_

"I summon Flamvell Firedog!" she shouted.

A portal of fire opened, and a large hound leapt out. It looked like a greyhound made of cooling magma, with two spires on its shoulders. It started running next to Ember's bike. (1,900 ATK)

"Lovely…" growled Iago. "Another member of the Nineteen-Hundred Club…"

"And a powerful one at that…" replied Ember. "Firedog, show that biker some real hellfire!"

Firedog howled, and blasted flames from its jaws, engulfing Hellway Patrol. The diabolic biker screamed, and wiped out, crashing in an explosion of flames.

"I'm not done!" shouted Ember. "When Firedog destroys a Monster in battle, I get to Special Summon a Fire Monster from my deck with 200 Defense Points or less.

"So I'm bringing out his friend, Flamvell Gurnika!"

In another blast of flame, the winged Dragon-man appeared, flying over the two D-Wheels. (1,700 ATK)

"Attack him directly!" shouted Ember. "Flame blast!"

Gurnika shot a blast of flame at the elf punker, and he cringed and shielded himself.

"Ergh…" he grunted.

**(E: 6,300, 4 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 7,700, 4 SPC)**

"Okay..." said Iago. "Now I'm angry…"

He drew a card.

"So I'm gonna turn up the heat right now…"

His facedown card spun around.

"First, my Call of the Haunted brings back Hellway Patrol."

The portal opened again, and the demonic biker drove out in front of him.

"Next, I summon Sangan."

In another burst of energy, the three-eyed Fiend appeared next to Hellway Patrol. (1,000 ATK)

"Then, with my Speed Counters at five, I can play this…"

A Speed Spell appeared in front of him.

"Speed Spell – Ritual of the Dark Highway. This card works just like Contract with the Abyss, with one added condition… The Monsters I sacrifice have to be Dark."

Hellway Patrol and Sangan vanished.

_So what is he summoning?_ thought Ember. _Can't be Demise… He'd need eight Levels to summon him…_

"First, Sangan's effect activates…" said Iago.

A card slipped out of his deck, and he took it.

"And now…"

Lightning flashed, and there was the sound of an even noisier engine.

Another motorcycle drove onto the field, this one resembling a chopper design, with a large skull in the front (clearly not a human one), and a front wheel that was covered with spikes. The rider wore armor, as well as a helmet that looked like a hockey mask with two horns. (1,900 ATK)

_Dokurorider?_ thought Ember. _This biker theme is getting out of hand…_

"I'm not done," said Iago. "I activate another effect of Hellway Patrol. When it's in my Graveyard, I can remove it from play in order to Special Summon a Fiend-Type Monster with up to 2,000 points.

"So I'll bring out the guy I searched for with Sangan's effect… Hell Sergeant."

Another biker appeared, this one looking much like the others, only armed with a spiked mace. (1,000 ATK)

"With this guy on the field, all of my Dark Monsters gain 200 Attack Points for each Dark Monster I have."

Dokurorider shot up to an Attack Score of 2,300, while Hell Sergeant rose to 1,400.

"All right!" he shouted. "Dokurorider, put that mutt to sleep!"

The Zombie biker sped towards Flamvell Firedog, and the Beast was thrown backwards before exploding into sparks.

"If you think you can impress me with a bunch of motorcycle bullies," said Ember, "you are sadly mistaken."

Iago looked at her.

"We'll see about that," he said. "I'll set this…"

He threw a card on his dashboard, and a facedown card appeared with a flash.

**(E: 5,900, 5 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 7,700, 5 SPC)**

"My draw!" shouted Ember, making a draw.

"I summon Neoflamvell Hedgehog!"

In a small burst of flame, a smaller Monster appeared in mid-air in front of her bike. As its name suggested, it was a hedgehog, but unlike the more famous Bolt Hedgehog, this one's back was full of needle-sharp spines, and it glowed with a flaming aura. (800 ATK)

"Is that the best you can do?" asked Iago.

"He may not have the best Attack Score," said Ember, "but he has his uses.

"And so does Gurnika. Toast his Hell Sergeant!"

Gurnika let loose a blast of flame, and the smaller biker exploded.

"Ergh…" grunted Iago, as Dokurorider fell back down to an Attack Score of 1,900.

"And Gurnika has an effect that's similar to your Hellway Patrol," continued Ember, "except that you lose 200 Life Points times your Monster's Level."

Iago growled.

"It's your move," said Ember.

**(E: 5,900, 5 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 6,600, 5 SPC)**

Iago made one draw. He looked at it.

"I'll set a Monster," he said.

A reversed Monster appeared, and then faded from sight.

"Then I'll attack with Dokurorider!"

The Zombie punk sped ahead of both of them, and made a sharp u-turn. It sped at Gurnika, grabbed his leg, and hurled it into the side of the building next to Ember, where he exploded.

_Good grief, that was nasty…_ thought Ember.

"Heh, heh," chuckled Iago, as he set his last card on his console.

A facedown card appeared, and then faded from sight.

"Your move…"

**(E: 5,700, 6 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 6,600, 6 SPC)**

Ember drew a card.

_Now's the time…_ she thought.

"Time to bring out someone stronger," she said. "I'm summoning a Monster so powerful, he can't be Special Summoned, and the only way to Normal Summon him is to sacrifice a Flamvell Monster.

"So, Hedgehog, step aside, and make room…"

Neoflamvell Hedgehog turned into a glowing orb of energy.

"…for Flamvell Commando!"

There was an explosion of flaming energy, and a far more intimidating Pyro appeared beside her bike. It was a humanoid with fiendish features, fiery red hair, a reptilian tail, and claws on his hands and feet, wearing blue jeans, metal leg guards, and no shirt. Most noticeable was the huge flamethrower he carried in both hands. (2,200 ATK)

"WHOA!" shouted Iago.

"I'll give you whoa," said Ember, as her facedown card spun around. "But first, I'll use my Call of the Haunted to bring back Firedog."

Firedog leapt onto the field, and ran beside Commando. (1,900 ATK)

"Commando… Fricassee that two-wheeled bag of bones!"

Flamvell Commando roared, and his flamethrower let out a powerful blast. Dokurorider screamed as it caught on fire, and exploded into a conflagration of bones and scrap metal.

"Firedog, destroy his other Monster!"

Firedog let out a blast of flame. A Monster that looked like a large bat holding a pair of batons with a siren on its head appeared on the card, right before it was burned to a crisp.

"You just destroyed Hell Security," said Iago. "And when it wipes out, I get to bring out a Level 1 Fiend from my deck.

"So why not a second Hell Security?"

Another of the bat-like Fiends appeared, its siren flashing. (600 DEF)

"Did you forget about Firedog's effect?" asked Ember. "This time, I'm summoning Neoflamvell Shaman."

As she played the card, what sounded like African tribal drums started playing. A flaming portal opened, and a fiery witch doctor with a shaman's mask covering his entire face, holding a flaming baton appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"Attack the second Hell Security!" she shouted. "Tiki torch!"

Neoflamvell Shaman blew flames through the mouthpiece of his mask, and the Fiend was burned to a crisp.

"Sorry," said Iago. "But I had three of them in my deck."

A third Hell Security appeared. (600 DEF)

"Neoflamvell Shaman has an interesting effect as well," said Ember. "Because I have at least three Flamvell Monsters in my Graveyard, he removes one card in your Graveyard from play whenever he destroys a Monster."

Neoflamvell Shaman started dancing and chanting a dark spell. Dokurorider's card appeared behind Iago and burst into gibbets of light.

"Crud…" growled Iago.

"I'm not done with you," continued Ember. "Now I activate Commando's effect. By removing from play a Monster with exactly 200 Defense Points in my Graveyard, he can dish out damage equal to that Monster's Attack Score.

"So I'll get rid of, Gurnika, and…"

Flamvell Commando fired his flamethrower again, this time hitting Iago directly. He screamed.

**(E: 5,700, 7 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 4,600, 6 SPC)**

"Iago, what's the deal?" said a female voice behind them.

Ember turned, and saw that it was from one of the members of his gang.

"You're letting this rookie make a fool of you!" she said. "You're gonna lose if…"

"I'm not gonna lose!" shouted Iago. "Not with the money that's at stake…"

_Money?!_ thought Ember.

"Money?" she said out loud. "Someone paid you guys to do this?"

"Uh…" said Iago. "Maybe you should just… Forget I said that…"

Ember looked at him hard.

"It's your move…" she said.

"Not before I activate THIS!" he shouted, as his Trap Card spun around. "It's called Shock Draw. This lets me draw one card for every 1,000 points of damage I took this round.

"Since I lost 2,000 Life Points, I get to draw two times…"

He made two draws.

"NOW I'll take my turn."

He made a third draw.

"And it's time to bring out my best. I summon Chaosrider Gustaph."

He played a card, and the motorcycle Warrior that Hebi-Na had used sped onto the field. (1,400 ATK)

"That's your best?" asked Ember.

"No," replied Iago. "I didn't mention that Hell Security is also a Tuner."

The two Monsters faded into five glowing stars. They soared into the sky.

Then a dark portal formed behind Iago, and a set of glowing, red eyes appeared in it. Then a _second_ set of glowing red eyes appeared next to the first.

"Time to bring out a guy… Or should I say _guys_… Who's really Hell on wheels! I Synchro Summon _Hell Twin Cop_!"

Ember cringed as a sickening roar, like that of a motorcycle as loud as a mach truck, echoed over the street. Then she saw the actual motorcycle, which was twice the size of any D-Wheel she had ever seen, mostly because the rider was ten feet tall. The rider (or riders, it was hard to use either singular or plural here) was an incredibly ugly demon with two heads. It was bare-chested, wore leather pants, shoulder armor with chains, had large wings on its back, and wore two helmets that looked like the kind worn by the German infantry in World War I. (2,200 ATK)

_Well, that's certainly… original…_ thought Ember.

"All right, you two," he said. "Destroy Firedog! Maximum overdrive!"

Hell Twin Cop revved their engine, and sped ahead of the two D-Wheeler's. As it passed by, it swiped at the Beast with a claw, and Firedog shattered into pixilated shards.

"Now I activate their effect," continued Iago. "When they destroy a Monster, they gain 800 Attack Points, _and_ a second attack!"

Hell Twin Cop made a turn, and glowed with a sinister aura of energy. (3,000 ATK)

_Oh, come on…_ thought Ember.

The two-headed Fiend blasted black flames from both of its mouths, and Flamvell Commando grunted as it hit him. He shattered into shards.

**(E: 4,600, 8 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 4,600, 7 SPC)**

"Seems that ties the score," said Iago. "I'll set two cards, and end my turn…"

Two facedown cards appeared in a flash, and then faded from view.

"…which means my Monster's Attack Score returns to 2,200. And that freaky tiki of yours is next."

"We'll see about that," said Ember. "Draw!"

She quickly drew a card.

"I play Speed Spell – Vision Wind," she exclaimed, as a Speed Spell appeared in front of her bike. "This lets me Special Summon a Level 2 or lower Monster from my Graveyard…"

Flamvell Paun appeared in midair in front of her bike. (200 ATK)

"Next, I summon Neoflamvell Origin."

The small campfire with the cute face appeared next to her other two Monsters. (500 ATK)

"Now, I Tune them all together!"

Paun, Shaman, and Origin all faded into six glowing stars, and they flew up into the sky of Satellite. Ember started to chant:

"_Powerful huntsman with a bow of flames and a burning determination! Blaze the trail and bring in your quarry. Clustering stars form a light that leads you to your prey!_

"_Synchro Summon… Flamvell Justicar!"_

In another burst of flame, a powerful figure flew down from the sky. It was a muscular man, dressed in a leather jerkin, with fiery red hair and a beard, a long bow in his hand, and a quiver of arrows on his back. He looked much like an evolved version of Flamvell Archer, such as how Archer might look after becoming more experienced. (2,300 ATK)

"Oh, dear," chuckled Iago. "It's stronger than my Monster… Whatever will I do?"

"You're going to use one of your Trap Cards to make Hell Twin Cop stronger, right?" asked Ember. "Well, you'd better hope it makes them a LOT stronger. Justicar has a special effect.

"You see, when he's Synchro Summoned, I get to name one Type of Monster… Like Fiends. And when he makes an attack against Monsters of that Type, he gains a boost of 1,000 points."

_Uh oh…_ thought Iago.

"Justicar…" ordered Ember. "Take down double-ugly!"

Flamvell Justicar flew in front of the demon biker, and fit an arrow into his bow. He aimed it, and it burned with flames…

"Okay, plan-B," said Iago, as one of his facedown cards spun around. "I activate Astral Shift!"

Justicar fired his bow. It missed Hell Twin Cop, and slammed into Iago's bike, hitting him directly.

"ERGH!" grunted the punker.

His bike wobbled.

"That hurt…" he muttered. "But I not only protected my best Monster, I get to draw one card…"

He made a draw.

_Perfect!_ he thought, looking at it. _I drew Mirror Force! I can't lose now!_

Ember set a card on her Disk, and a facedown card appeared. It quickly faded.

"It's your move," she said.

**(E: 4,600, 9 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 2,300, 6 SPC)**

Ember saw a signal on her bike as her opponent drew. She made a slight smirk, and shifted into the next gear.

Iago hit a command, and his other facedown card spun around.

"I activate Reinforcements!" he shouted. "This lets me give 500 Attack Points to any Monster on the field! And I'll use it put some more fire into Hell Twin Cop's engine!"

The Fiend biker glowed with an aura of flames. (2,700 ATK)

"Crush Flamvell Justicar!" he shouted.

"You lose, pal," said Ember.

"Say what?" said Iago.

Ember's facedown card spun around.

"I'm not bad at setting lethal Traps myself," she said. "I activate Spiritual Fire Art – Kurenai."

A small figure flew out of the Trap Card. It was a young girl, dressed in a white dress with a black halter, and a brown jacket with green lining. She had red hair and held a staff with a glowing red gem on the end.

"Who's THAT?" shouted Iago.

"Hiita the Fire Charmer!" replied Ember. "And as master of all things Fire, she can harness the mighty power of Kurenai.

"By sacrificing a Fire Monster, I can deal damage equal to its Attack Score."

Hiita started to chant, and Justicar flexed his muscles as he burned like a blazing bonfire.

"Oh no…" said Iago.

"Get 'im," said Ember.

Flamvell Justicar flew at Iago like a missile. The elf punker hollered in pain as flames engulfed his bike.

**(E: 4,600, 10 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 0, 0 SPC)**

Iago's bike stopped short. Steam poured from its engine.

The other members of his gang pulled up to him.

"Don't just stand there!" he shouted. "Get her!"

The bikers started up again, and chased Ember down the street, but were surprised to see that she had pulled to a stop, and was looking at them.

Then they slammed on the breaks. Three other D-Wheelers were behind her.

They grinned nervously as Shichiro, Jinx, and Gears looked at them and frowned.

"Every elf for himself!" shouted one of them.

The bikers turned and fled in three directions.

"Should we go after them?" asked Ember.

"They'd barely be worth the paperwork," replied Shichiro. "Good thing we got worried when you didn't answer your cell."

"That guy didn't have a Dark Synchro," replied Ember, "but he was a mercenary or something. Someone was paying him to duel me."

"Something is definitely up," said Jinx.

"Well, the plan to find that satyr was a bust," said Ember.

"Well, that's another thing," replied Gears. "We have some information on this Lord Copernus guy…

"Or rather, Jalal thinks he does… He wants to talk to us…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jalal had a worried look on his face when they met in the living room. Boris and Gabriel were watching from the mantelpiece.

"Lord Copernus supposedly lives in that forest outside of town," he said.

"Aw, crap," said Jinx.

They all knew what he meant. The forest outside of Neo Domino had gained a notorious reputation recently; folks had been reported missing after going there, and those who had come back from it had given bizarre reports of ghosts, spirits, and other weird happenings.

"From what I know," continued Jalal, "he's a member of a very powerful group of fey lords called the Court of Stars."

"Is that supposed to mean something?" said Shichiro.

"Well, they don't technically rule other fey," replied Jalal, "but to say that they're related to other fey is kind of like saying that the most powerful dragons are related to pet iguanas."

"They're that powerful?" asked Gears.

"Quite," said Jalal. "Lord Copernus is a leshay, and they're powerful even when compared to other members of the Court of Stars.

"From what we know, leshay are Shadowkind that are incredibly rare even on the world where Shadows originated. According to them, they are the sole survivors of a once-great race that predated the current universe, and they refer darkly to some catastrophe that not only wiped their civilization out, but changed the fabric of time so that their era never existed, even in the remotest past. Trying to undo the catastrophe would apparently result in an even greater one, so the survivors for the most part merely attempt to amuse themselves and stave off boredom as they search for reasons to exist. From what I've heard, Copernus has chosen studying the nature of Evil as his reason for existing."

"Does this Court of Stars fall under our jurisdiction?" asked Shichiro.

"Technically, all Shadows do," replied Jalal. "But if they wanted to defy the Treaty, there'd be very little we could do. They can communicate with nature, and nature responds. If we made them angry, they could cover a whole country with thick clouds, depriving it of the sun and rain. Even worse, they could cause giant hail to fall or locust swarms to descend, destroying crops and causing famine.

"Trust me, we do not want to make Shadows this powerful angry."

"We'll be careful," said Shichiro. "But we simply must speak to this guy. Any clue at all regarding these Dark Synchros would be welcome."

Jalal sighed.

"The forest should be reasonably safe in the daytime," he said. "Look for things that are traditional symbols of fey magic, like fairy rings and odd stone arrangements.

"Do what you have to do, and then get out if all is well.

"If it isn't… Get out if you can.

"If you _can't_, we'll send someone in eight hours. Our all-purpose contingency plan should work if any of you get into a duel."

"Let's hope it does…" said Gears.

The four Shadowchasers reached for their helmets.

"If it doesn't," said Boris, "can I have your CD player?"

"A regular comedian…" said Gears, as they walked out to the garage.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**HELL SECURITY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 100  
**DEF:** 600

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you may Special Summon a Level 1 Fiend Type Monster from your deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**HELL TWIN COP (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 2,200  
**DEF:** 1,900

**Card Description:** _Fiend-Type Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters_

When this card destroys a Monster as a result of battle and sends it to the Graveyard, this card gains 800 Attack Points until the end of the Battle Phase of the turn, and can attack once again in a row.

_Note: "Hell Security" and "Hell Twin Cop" will be released as promo cards for "World Championship 2010: Reverse of Arcadia"._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**HELLWAY PATROL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,600  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** When this card destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle, inflict damage to your opponent equal to that Monster's Level x100. You can remove this card in your Graveyard from play to Special Summon a Fiend-Type Monster from your hand with 2,000 ATK or less.

_Note: "Hellway Patrol" will be released as a promo card for the "World Championship 2010: Reverse of Arcadia Game Guide"._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – VISION WIND (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **Speed Warrior surrounded by the energy of Speed World.

**Card Description:** You may only use this card when you have 2 or more Speed Counters. Special Summon a Level 2 or lower Monster from your Graveyard. Destroy it during the End Phase of the turn.

_Note: "Speed Spell – Vision Wind" was first used by Yusei in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Ready, Set, Duel!". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ASTRAL SHIFT (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Maiden of the Aqua casting a spell, standing in front of an explosion.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when your opponent targets one of your Monsters for an attack. The attack becomes a direct attack on your Life Points. After damage calculation, draw one card.

_Note: "Astral Shift" was first used by Judai in a fourth season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SHOCK DRAW (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A duelist being struck by lightning as he holds up two cards.

**Card Description:** Activate only during an End Phase. For each increment of 1,000 points of damage you took during this turn, draw one card.

_Note: "Shock Draw" was first used by Yusei in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" manga. Creative credit goes to the writers._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FLAMVELL JUSTICAR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Fire  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,300  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** _FIRE Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters_

When this card is Synchro Summoned, declare one Monster Type. When this card attacks a Monster of the declared Type, this card gains 1,000 Attack Points during the Damage Step only.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**HELL SERGEANT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 300

**Card Description:** For every face-up DARK Monster on your side of the field, increase the ATK of all face-up DARK Monsters on your side of the field by 200.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – RITUAL OF THE DARK HIGHWAY (Spell Card)**

**Ritual Spell**

**Image:** A D-Wheeler speeding down the road under a stormy sky as a demon emerges from a portal ahead.

**Card Description:** You may only use this card when you have 5 or more Speed Counters. This card is used to Ritual Summon any DARK Ritual Monster. You must offer as Tribute Monsters from your side of the field or your hand Monsters whose Levels are at least equal to the Level of the Ritual Monster, and the Monsters offered as Tribute must be DARK.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Gears: We've entered the Feywild, where the rule of the Court of Stars is law. Lord Copernus won't even grant us an audience unless I prove my worth in a battle against this lesser noble. His powerful fey magic makes this duel as dangerous and as painful as any Shadow Duel.**

**Can my modern Machines face up to this ancient enchantment? Guess I'll find out.**

"**Green Phantom King" is next.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Thaddeus Coll, Defense Attorney of Shadow**

There are some who say that to be a high-profile defense attorney, you have to sell your soul. Who with a soul could defend unrepentant murderers and terrorists and try to gain acquittal? Thaddeus Coll realizes that his position is looked down upon at times, but he has never sold his soul…

…but he realizes that eventually, that may come to pass.

Coll was a good lawyer, there's no denying that. A native of Great Britain, he graduated second in his class from the University of Oxford. The fact that he was also Aware made him a valuable commodity for the Shadowchasers. He was continually called upon to act as a defense attorney for several cases that went to trial. As such, his success rate was average. He never considered himself evil or unethical, at least not any more so than the typical lawyer.

The thing is, Coll had a strange hobby – demonology. There is a common stereotype about those who practice this science, the study of demons. Common belief paints them as sinister wizards who summon foul beasts from the nether regions to make unholy pacts.

Coll did indeed summon fiends on occasion, but only for information. He knew that demons were immortal beings that had lived for centuries, and knew far more than most mortals. But he never listened to their offers, and never let the wards of protection falter.

It all changed five years ago when he summoned a gehreleth named Xideous. Xideous surprised Coll by saying he had plans, and wanted to enter a partnership, something that, as far as Coll knew, no fiend had ever done with a mortal. (Fiends tend to think of themselves as vastly superior to mortals. They might make deals and offer pacts, but _never_ form partnerships.) When Coll learned that Xideous wanted to mass-produce the _Book of Keeping_ and that Coll would be able to reap the profits from it, with no strings attached, it was far too great a temptation to refuse.

Coll aided Xideous with his plans, and later acted as his attorney when his case was brought to trial. As Coll expected, Xideous is now only allowed to receive visits from his attorney, and whenever Coll receives papers, pamphlets, or books from one of the sources that Xideous made deals with, he delivers them to his cell.

Coll has recently begun to get nervous about the identities of these sources. He doesn't know yet that they include the planar merchant Estavan, and also the espionage master Red Shroud, both of whom have a great deal of interest in the project. Both of them could make incredible amounts of money selling information on the summoning of yugoloths to interested parties.

Coll is careful never to let anyone know that he is involved with this project. Ironically, Xideous is in a safer place than he is in case the yugoloths find out about it. For now, Coll will continue to work for his employer, thinking he can quit at any time.

Little does he know, that is not likely. He may not have sold his soul in any formal contract, but agreeing to this plan may well have put him in too deep to climb out.

**Story Ideas:** Stories involving Coll all involve Xideous and some way, and might also involve the contacts that the gehreleth has supplying him with information. Anyone who tries to stop the project might well find himself in conflict with Estavan's demonic business partners or Red Shroud's network of spies.

Coll is certainly selfish and perhaps a bit greedy, but he has not turned completely to evil yet. There is a chance he can recover from the dark forces influencing him (which they are, subtly) and turn his life around. If he can be convinced that aiding Xideous is wrong, he could become a potential ally against several demonic threats.

**Deck Suggestions:** Coll has yet to duel with any high stakes, but he once owned a deck that had a potentially deadly strategy. The first step was to collect three Trap Cards: Crush Card Virus, Deck Devastation Virus, and Eradicator Epidemic Virus. The next step was to send two copies of Summoned Skull to the Graveyard, then summon Puppet Master (possibly using Soul Exchange, since you wouldn't be able to attack the same round anyway) and use its effect to Special Summon both Summoned Skulls. If you pulled this off and triggered all three Traps at once, you could prevent your opponent from using any Monsters or Traps for three turns.

Of course, this strategy was much easier to explain than it was to actually pull off. It was incredibly hard to do. It became impossible after Crush Card Virus was outlawed.

Coll's new deck got rid of the Virus cards, and now uses a new strategy with Puppet Master (ironic, as he is now little more than a puppet himself). His strategy involves Level 8 Synchros and Dark Tinker. He tries to send Dark Tinker and at least one powerful Fiend (such as Belial, Marquis of Darkness or Invader of Darkness) to his Graveyard, summon Puppet Master, and use its effect to Special Summon Dark Tinker and the high-Level Fiend. He can then Tune Puppet Master and Dark Tinker into either Colossal Fighter or Dark End Dragon, giving him two powerful Monsters in one turn. Alternatively, he can Special Summon Sinister Sprocket instead of Dark Tinker and summon Exploder Dragonwing or Archfiend Chaos King. (He's looking into getting a copy of Thought-Ruler Archfiend.)

Whether this deck will cut it if he needs to duel for an important reason, only time will tell.


	13. Green Phantom King

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL THIRTEEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Green Phantom King**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

The sun shone down through the branches of the old undergrowth as the four humans walked below, but even with the sunlight, the thick trees seemed foreboding. Their branches were gnarled and bent, and the shadows they cast seemed to move in ways that they shouldn't have. The eerie atmosphere gave them the feeling that they did not belong here, and that they were trespassing on someone else's property.

"'Reasonably safe in the daytime' my butt," said Jinx. "I'd bet anything that a kitsune spirit is lurking in the shadows watching us."

"Can you imagine how creepy this place would be at night?" asked Ember.

They walked into a clearing and stopped short.

Mounted on the trees were dozens of small sculptures. Each one was a wooden or stone carving of a face surrounded by leaves, with a leafy beard. Some of them also had ivy or fruit, and some of them had real ivy crawling out of the eyes or mouth.

"We're close…" said Shichiro.

"What are they?" asked Ember.

"Green Men," replied Shichiro. "These sculptures were common in many cultures, originally in pagan religions, and later in Judeo-Christian faiths.

"People have associated them with many figures in mythology. Gods like Odin, Osiris, Pan… Characters like Robin Goodfellow, the Green Knight, and sometimes even Father Christmas.

"But Shadows have told a different story. They say that the Green Man was or is a unique entity, a powerful spirit of nature who symbolizes growth and rebirth. A guardian of the forest, possibly a member of this Court of Stars that Jalal mentioned."

"So why are these sculptures in this part of the world?" asked Jinx.

Gears was looking at a device he had brought.

"Jinx…" he said. "Remember, these beings are older than dirt. The imaginary lines that men put on maps to create the concepts called cultures and nations are probably meaningless to them. Most of them have lived since before any civilizations were founded, and they tend to look at the world as a whole.

"But anyway… These carvings are just that, carvings. I'm not detecting any magical energy from them… But stay alert… They must be here for a reason."

As they continued to walk forward, Ember was startled as a ball of flame appeared next to her.

"Hiya, Ember!" laughed Gabriel.

"I thought I left you back at the townhouse!" she scolded. "You scared me half to death."

"I think we were better off with Sorsha…" sighed Shichiro. "Gabriel, since you'd likely get lost if we told you to go home, just keep quiet for now."

"Just keep your eyes out, people," said Gears. "Remember what Jalal said to look for. Fairy rings, odd stone arrangements… Even very large trees might be signs of fey activities. The small things will give them away."

They walked into another clearing and stopped short again.

"Then again, you can't overlook the big things either…"

A lovely shrine, made of white marble and covered with ivy and holly, with a stained glass window over a beautifully-carved wooden door on the front, was in the center of the clearing. The sun seemed to shine directly on it, giving it a soft glow.

As they walked towards it, the glow seemed to intensify. A silvery glow surrounded them.

Then they noticed it. Dozens of tiny little sprites with gossamer wings were dancing around their heads!

Unfortunately, their attention quickly turned to a much more intimidating figure that had appeared in front of them, apparently from the shrine, although they didn't see him come out of it.

He was a tall, muscular man, dressed in a toga that appeared to be made of a deerskin, with no shoes. His skin was light green, and his hair was a darker green. His hair included a full, thick beard, and all of his hair had leaves in it. Leaves covered other parts of his body too. He also wore a headdress that was topped by two large antlers, like those of a deer or stag.

He had a sword on his hip, and carried a large, wooden cudgel.

The strange Shadowkind simply looked at them for a minute or two. His eyes narrowed.

"Who in the world…" said Jinx.

"I dunno…" said Ember. "But I'll bet he never has to look for a hat rack."

The strange Shadow sighed.

"And mortal beings wonder why we're so aloof…" he said, sounding somewhat annoyed.

"You're him, aren't you?" asked Gears. "You're the Green Man?"

"That is the name that mortals call me, yes," replied the creature. "And you seek Lord Copernus, if I'm not mistaken."

"Uh, yeah…" said Gears.

"He does not desire to see you," said the Green Man.

"Uh, look…" said Gears. "We don't want to argue…"

"Then don't," interrupted the Green Man.

"Not to be disrespectful," said Gears, "but we've gone through a lot of trouble, and it's very important. We'd really prefer it if he told us that himself once we've at least had a chance to explain."

"Lord Copernus has better things to do than chitchat with ones such as you," said the Green Man.

"Ones such as us?" asked Gears.

"Would you humans give four slugs audience if they wanted to speak to you?" asked the Green Man. "I think not… So begone."

"Slugs?" exclaimed Ember. "Why, you…"

Shichiro lifted his hand.

"Ember?" he said. "Much as we might not like it, it's a pretty accurate comparison."

"Enough talk," said the Green Man. "Leave this place or…"

He paused.

He looked behind him. The stained glass window was sparkling with small motes of light.

"Mmm?" he said.

He paused, as if listening.

"Oh? Really? Fine. I understand."

He turned back to Gears.

"Lord Copernus might be willing to grant you four an audience after all…" he said.

"I'm sensing a condition here," said Gears.

The Green Man nodded.

"I'll give you a chance to win your way past me," replied the Green Man. "It won't be easy, but it's a chance at least."

"I guess it's the best offer we can get," said Gears. "I'll take you on."

"Do you desire a battle of swords or Duel Monsters?" asked the Green Man.

Gears grinned nervously.

"Seeing as a guy like you has probably had a _very_ long time to practice swordplay," he said, "I'll choose the second option."

"I should warn you," said the Green Man, "you've entered the border of the Feywild, and thus a battle of Duel Monsters will use the rules of the Court of Stars."

The four humans looked at each other.

"What is that?" asked Jinx. "A Shadow Duel?"

"Not truly," replied the Green Man. "Shadow Duels draw their power from evil, dark magic. In the Feywild, our creatures will be given life by the minor fey spirits who inhabit it."

"In other words," said Gears, "the spirits who inhabit this realm will take the form of Duel Monsters."

"Precisely," said the Green Man.

Gears placed his deck in his Duel Disk.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Outside Taramanda's throne room, Csimith was talking to Hssimim.

"Look pal," said Csimith, "you have to stop this stupid feud with Hebi-Na. I'll bet neither of you can even remember what started it."

Hssimim glared at him.

"You really don't believe that the Empress isn't starting to realize that your opinion of her is biased?" asked Csimith.

"Hey," replied Hssimim, "you yourself said that the Empress couldn't see past the end of her nose, and that in two years, the person running things would be the monitor who'd be controlling her."

"Great Abyss, Hssimim!" exclaimed Csimith, trying hard to keep his voice down. "You should know better than to listen to me after I've had half a bottle of viperwine! Keep believing such things and _you're_ the one who's going to need a monitor!"

A "monitor" was an ophidia's version of a psychologist, which was present in every ophidia clan and community. Insanity among ophidia was more common than it was in humans, and monitors were trained to control the ones who had gone mad, and make sure they didn't harm other ophidia. In ancient times, monitors used diabolical techniques to alter the perceptions of insane ophidia, so that their rage was redirected towards the ophidia's enemies, turning what might have been a burden for the community to an advantage. In modern times, however, monitors tried harder to study true psychology, as the needs had changed.

Still, ophidia dreaded the times they had to speak to monitors (most clan leaders required bimonthly appointments), as they dreaded being labeled "Lost", their term for insane members. Lost ophidia had very little standing in the community, and very few rights.

And to ever suggest that the Empress might fall into that state, at least publicly, was never wise.

"Csimith!" called Taramanda's voice.

"Pardon me," growled Csimith.

He walked into the throne room, where Taramanda was engaged in an odd activity. A game card was hovering between her hands, glowing with a green light, while her eyes glowed with the same light.

The glowing stopped, and she looked at the Level 10 Monster on the card (which clearly wasn't Vennominaga). She nodded, and placed it on a table next to her couch.

"Csimith," she said, "get me the Three Storms."

Csimith groaned.

"Those three kooks again?" he asked. "You remember what happened last time, right?"

"They got the job done," replied Taramanda. "Yes, it was somewhat melodramatic and overdone, but still done."

Csimith sighed.

"As you wish," he said.

He turned to leave.

"That's the problem with me…" he muttered, as he walked out, "I've never been able to argue with success…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Pardon me for stating the obvious," said Gears, as he looked at the Green Man, "but you don't have a Disk."

"I have no need for one," replied the Green Man.

He waved his cudgel, and sparkling, shimmering dust flew from it. Five large cards appeared in the air in front of him, somehow conjured from an unseen deck.

Gears, of course, had to resort to more traditional methods. He activated his Disk.

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - (Green Man: 8,000)**

"I draw," said the Green Man.

He waved his cudgel again, and a sixth card appeared.

"And I summon…"

A card spun around.

"…Killer Needle!"

With a loud buzz, a very large bee with a nasty-looking stinger appeared. (1,200 ATK)

Jinx tried very hard not to laugh.

"And to think we were afraid of this guy!" she exclaimed. "Talk about a lame Monster!"

The Green Man did not respond. He simply waved his staff again, and another of his cards vanished, only to reappear set behind Killer Needle.

"I conclude my turn," he said.

"Whatever you say," said Gears, making a draw.

"I summon Drillago!"

He played the card, and a strange robot materialized. It looked vaguely humanoid, and covered with large drills and screws. (1,600 ATK)

"Swat that wasp!" he shouted. "Dark drill!"

Drillago flew at Killer Needle with its drills spinning. It rammed into the Insect, and an explosion of pixels covered the Green Man's side of the field.

The Green Man smirked a little.

**(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - (GM: 7,600)**

"Uh…" said Gears, looking at him. "Yeah… I'm gonna play this, and then end my turn…"

He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared in a flash.

The Green Man gestured, and a new card appeared.

"Thank you for sending Killer Needle to the Graveyard, Gears," he said. "Because now that it's there, I can play this…"

One of his cards spun around, and it glowed with a brilliant light…

Everyone stepped back. The surroundings had changed. They had been transported to the inside of a huge beehive, the walls dripping with rich honey. Killer Needles were everywhere.

"A Field Spell!" exclaimed Ember.

"The Hive of Royal Honey," replied the Green Man. "An incredibly powerful card, but one that can only exist so long as a Killer Needle is in my Graveyard. Also, I'm not allowed to summon any Monsters except Insects.

"There's one other condition, but we'll cross that bridge if we come to it.

"The benefit is, in this place, a player is allowed to draw one card whenever he Special Summons an Insect."

"That is powerful!" gasped Shichiro.

"I take it back…" said Jinx. "Playing Killer Needle was a brilliant move!"

"Now, let's continue," said the Green Man, as another of his cards spun around, revealing a Spell Card. "I activate One for One. I discard one Monster…"

One of his cards vanished.

"…in order to Special Summon a Level 1 Monster from my deck. So I'll summon Petit Moth in Defense Mode."

A small, green caterpillar appeared in front of him. (200 DEF)

"Eh?" said Gears.

"Due to my Hive, I get to draw a card," said the Green Man, as another card appeared.

"And I'll follow up by playing the powerful Cocoon of Evolution!"

Petit Moth quickly started to spin strands of silk. In a few seconds, it had grown into a giant cocoon. (2,000 DEF)

"Uh…" said Gears. "You do know, pal, it will take six full turns for that thing to hatch into Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth, right?"

The Green Man looked at him.

"So what?" he replied.

"Gears, the problem with you mortals is, you're always in a rush. With your modern conveniences and gadgets you want everything right away. You think that the faster something can be done, the better.

"Folks like me, however, who measure our lives in millennia, think that anything worth doing is worth taking your time to do. I rarely consider anything worth doing if it doesn't take a long time.

"And even creatures like you who live such short lives can learn from this. You'd be surprised at how many old men have looked back on their lives only to realize that they rushed through it without taking the time to enjoy all it had to offer.

"But anyway… It's still my turn…"

His facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Call of the Haunted to bring back the Monster I just discarded… Pinch Hopper."

A large, green grasshopper appeared next to the cocoon. (1,000 ATK)

He waved his staff, and drew another card.

"Now, another Spell Card," he said, as he played another card. "I play Multiplication of Ants. I now get to sacrifice one Insect…"

Pinch Hopper vanished into grains of light.

"…to bring forth two Army Ant Tokens."

Two small, green ants appeared where Pinch Hopper had been. (1,200 DEF x2)

"I draw another card due to my Field Spell," he said, as another card appeared, "and due to Pinch Hopper's effect, I can now Special Summon Flying Kamakiri #1 from my hand."

A large mantis appeared and knelt down, shielding itself in Defense Mode. (900 DEF)

The Green Man made another draw.

_He could deck himself out if this keeps up,_ thought Gears.

"Finally," continued the Green Man, "I play one card reversed…"

One of his cards vanished, and reappeared facedown behind his Insects.

"…and my turn is over…"

"About time," said Gears, making a draw.

"I sacrifice Drillago…" he exclaimed.

Drillago dissolved into motes of light.

"…to summon Ally of Justice Clausolas!"

In an aura of shadowy energy, a large, robotic condor appeared on his side of the field. It let out a loud screech. (2,300 ATK)

"All right!" cheered Gabriel.

"Crush that Cocoon!" shouted Gears. "Ally blast!"

Clausolas fired a blast of lightning bolts at the huge pupa…

"I activate… Staunch Defender!" shouted the Green Man, as his facedown card shot up. "This Trap redirects your attacks to the Monster of my choosing. And I choose my Kamakiri."

The bolts hit the mantis, blowing it to shards.

"Crud…" said Gears.

"And due to Flying Kamakiri's effect," continued the Green Man, "I can now Special Summon a Wind-Attribute Monster with a low Attack Score. Like Ultimate Insect LV1."

A large, ugly, purple grub appeared where the mantis had been. (0 ATK)

"It's powerless…" said Gabriel.

"It'll get stronger…" said Ember, with a worried look.

"Don't forget," said the Green Man, "thanks to my Hive, I get to draw one card…"

A new card appeared.

Gears growled.

"I can't do anything else…" he said.

The Green Man waved his staff, and drew another card.

"It's my Standby Phase, which means I can sacrifice Ultimate Insect's Level 1 form something better…"

The grub glowed with energy, and grew, changing shape. After a few seconds, it had changed into a larger, armored larva. (1,400 ATK)

"So it went up a Level?" asked Gabriel.

"_Two_ Levels," replied Ember.

The Green Man waved his staff, and drew another card.

"Ultimate Insect LV3 has a powerful effect," said the Green Man. "It weakens all opposing Monsters, causing them to lose 300 points from their Attack Scores."

A cloud of toxic pollen covered Gears's side of the field, and Clausolas fell to an Attack Score of 2,000.

"I'll set two more cards," said the Green Man, as two facedown cards appeared, "and then summon Desert Protector."

In an aura of energy, a new Insect appeared. It looked like a big, red, daddy longlegs, except that it only had six legs. (800 ATK)

"My turn is over."

"My move…" said Gears.

He made a draw.

Then his facedown card lifted.

"I activate DNA Transplant," he said. "Now, I can change all Monsters on the field into Light Monsters.

"Then I'll summon Ally of Justice Garadholg."

In another shadowy aura, Garadholg appeared, holding its glowing blades. (1,600 ATK) –) (1,300 ATK)

"Garadholg gains 200 Attack Points when attacking a Light Monster," he said, "which means it's just strong enough to smash your Ultimate Insect!

"Get it!"

Garadholg leapt at the huge grub…

"I activate _two_ Trap Cards!" replied the Green Man. "First, DNA Surgery!"

His first facedown card shot up.

"Unlike your Trap Card, this one changes the Types of all our Monsters, so I'll name Insects."

Both of Gears's Monsters glowed with an odd aura, and their metallic armor was changed to insectoid exoskeletons.

"Next," continued the Green Man, as his other facedown card lifted, "The Regulation of Tribe. Now I name one Type of Monster, and this card prevents that Type from attacking. I name Insects."

Garadholg was thrown back by a dome of force.

Gears' eyes narrowed.

"There's a flaw in your strategy…" he said. "You can't attack either. The smarter thing to do would have been to name Machines."

"And could I be absolutely certain you had no Monsters that weren't Machines?" asked the Green Man. "Like I said before, Gears, I'm in no hurry."

"I'm surprised that someone who relies so much on magic uses a card named after a scientific factoid," said Jinx.

The Green Man laughed.

"Do you think I know nothing about genetics?" he asked. "I read the first pamphlet that Friedrich Miescher wrote on the subject when he discovered DNA. I also read the theories of James Watson and Francis Crick. In fact, I've read whole libraries of medical knowledge and hundreds of other sciences.

"I have all the time in the world, after all… I have plenty of time to read…"

Gears looked at him.

"I end my turn," he sighed.

The Green Man made a draw.

"I sacrifice one Army Ant Token to keep The Regulation of Tribe," he said, as one of the Tokens vanished.

"Next, my Ultimate Insect evolves further…"

Ultimate Insect glowed and started to change shape again. After a few seconds, it resembled a large chrysalis perched on long, spindly legs. (2,300 ATK)

He quickly drew another card.

"In its Level 5 form, its pollen is even more potent, causing all opposing Monsters to lose 500 Attack Points."

Clausolas fell to 1,800 Attack Points, while Garadholg fell to 1,100.

"Then I move Desert Protector to Defense Mode."

Desert Protector crouched down. (1,000 DEF)

"And it gains 300 Defense Points for each Spell and Trap on the field."

(2,800 DEF)

"Good lord, it's a virtual brick wall…" said Jinx.

"Finally, I summon Cross-Sword Beetle," said the Green Man.

Another card spun around, a new Insect appeared. It was a large, ugly beetle with two sets of mandibles, each of which was huge. (1,800 ATK)

"I end my turn…" he said.

_Time's running out,_ thought Gears. _I'd better think of something fast…_

He drew a card.

_Man, you can never get Heavy Storm when you need it…_

"I set a Monster," he said, "and move Clausolas and Garadholg to Defense Mode."

A reversed Monster appeared. Then Clausolas shielded itself with its wings. (1,200 DEF) Garadholg extinguished its blades and shielded itself. (400 DEF)

"Next, I'll set this facedown."

He threw a card into his Disk, and a reversed card appeared. Desert Protector's Defense rose to 3,100.

"That should do it for now…"

"My draw…" said the Green Man, as a new card appeared.

"I sacrifice my other Token to keep The Regulation of Tribe…" he said.

The second Ant vanished.

"Now arise…"

Ultimate Insect LV5 started to glow and change shape again.

"Ultimate Insect LV7!"

A hideous drone filled the air, as Ultimate Insect appeared in its final form, a huge cross between a moth and a mutant wasp. (2,600 ATK)

The Green Man made another draw.

"In this form, my Monster's pollen is the most lethal, causing your Monsters to lose 700 points from both scores."

Clausolas fell to a Defense of 500, while Garadholg fell to zero.

One of his cards vanished, and appeared facedown on the field. Desert Protector's Defense Score went up even further, to 3,400.

"I think I'll end my turn there."

Gears took a deep breath. He drew a card.

He grinned.

"Get a good draw, Gears?" asked the Green Man.

"Oh, yeah," said Gears. "I move Clausolas to Attack Mode…"

Clausolas spread its wings and stood up. (1,600 ATK)

"Then, I sacrifice my two other Monsters…"

Garadholg and his facedown Monster vanished.

"To summon Ally of Justice Thunder Armor!"

In an explosion of energy, the huge armored battle-mech appeared. (2,700 ATK)

"That's pointless," said the Green Man. "It loses 700 Attack Points, and it can't attack anyway."

(2,000 ATK)

"It will be able to attack once I get rid of DNA Surgery," said Gears. "Which I'm gonna do by Special Summoning Trap Eater in Defense Mode!"

DNA Surgery vanished, and the grinning Fiend with a toothy mouth appeared on Gears's side of the field. (1,600 DEF) –) (900 DEF)

"Now, my Trap Card," said Gears, as his facedown card lifted up. "Rising Energy! I toss one card…"

He quickly discarded a card.

"…and Thunder Armor gains 1,500 Attack Points!"

(3,500 ATK)

"This just might work!" exclaimed Shichiro.

"Attack!" shouted Gears. "Get that Ultimate Insect!"

Thunder Armor slammed its blade into the huge bug, and the Green Man cringed as a shockwave tore through the Hive…

**(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - (GM: 6,700)**

But when the smoke cleared, Ultimate Insect was still there.

"Huh?" said Gears.

"It wasn't a bad try…" said the Green Man, "but apparently, you didn't know about Desert Protector's other effect…

"Whenever an Insect would be destroyed, I can destroy it to protect the target."

It was true, Desert Protector was gone.

"Okay, that plan was a bust…" said Gabriel.

"I hate bugs…" said Ember. "I like them better when they're smaller…"

Gears looked at the last card in his hand.

"Oh, it's your move…" he said.

The Green Man made a draw.

"I now would have to sacrifice a Monster to keep The Regulation of Tribe," he said. "However, I feel that it has served its purpose, so I'm simply going to let it expire, and keep all my Monsters."

The Trap Card vanished.

"Now then, I play the Spell Card, Cost Down…"

A Spell Card appeared, and one card in his hand vanished.

"Thus, the Monster in my hand that I would normally need two sacrifices to summon can be summoned with one."

The Cross-Sword Beetle vanished into grains of light.

"What's he summoning?" asked Jinx. "Insect Queen? Metal Armored Bug?"

"I don't know of any other Insects that fit the bill," said Shichiro.

"I summon Poseidon Giant Beetle!" exclaimed the Green Man.

"Who?" said Gears.

The Monster that appeared was neither Insect Queen nor Metal Armored Bug, but it was just as big as either of the aforementioned Monsters. It didn't look like a true Insect; rather, it looked like a giant man dressed in armor that seemed to be made from the exoskeleton of an insect, with a helmet with the horns of a stag beetle. It had a large, white beard, glowing eyes, and carried a long trident. (2,500 ATK)

"I'm so dead…" muttered Gears.

"You ever see this thing before?" asked Jinx.

"No…" replied Shichiro. "But then, I'm not exactly an expert on Insect Monsters…"

"The time for stalling is past," said the Green Man. "Ultimate Insect, destroy Clausolas with venom blast!"

Ultimate Insect blasted a volley of glowing bolts of energy from its proboscis, and Clausolas exploded into scrap metal.

"ERGH!" gasped Gears.

_It's not a Shadow Duel…_ he thought. _But it hurts just as much…_

"Now my Poseidon Giant Beetle smites your other Machine," continued the Green Man. "Attack! Trident spiral!"

The huge creature pointed its weapon, and fired a blast of shimmering, blue energy. Thunder Armor exploded in a deafening blast. Gears winced in pain.

**(G: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - (GM: 6,700)**

The Green Man looked at him.

"Your move…" he said.

Gears made a draw.

He looked at the Monster and his other card.

_I'm running out of ideas fast…_ he thought.

"I play Pot of Avarice!" he shouted, playing one of the two cards.

He took Clausolas, Garadholg, Drillago, Thunder Armor, and Nanobreaker from his discard slot. He quickly added them to his deck, and the Disk gave it a shuffle.

He made two draws.

_Hope this works,_ he thought.

"I set a Monster," he said, "and a facedown card."

Two reversed cards appeared, one in his Spell Zone, and one in his Monster Zone.

"I end my turn," he said.

"I draw one card…" said the Green Man, making a draw.

"Poseidon Giant Beetle, destroy Trap Eater!"

The armored creature blasted its trident spiral, and the Tuner Fiend was incinerated.

"Ultimate Insect, the final Monster!"

Ultimate Insect fired its venom blast…

Ally Bomb appeared on the card, and exploded.

"Gotcha!" exclaimed Gears. "Since my DNA Transplant is still on the field, I can destroy two cards!

"So I'm going to destroy Ultimate Insect, and Petite Moth!"

"No you won't…" said the Green Man, as his facedown card flipped up.

"A Counter Trap!" exclaimed Jinx.

"Destruction Jammer??" said Ember, as she saw what it was. "Good grief, this guy thought of _everything_!"

One of the three cards in front of the Green Man vanished as he discarded it, and the Bomb fizzled.

"I'm ending my turn now, Gears," said the Green Man. "By all means, try something else…"

_I don't know what else I can try…_ thought Gears. _I've been trying all duel to mount an attack against these things, but he's found a way to counter everything I throw at him!_

He drew one card.

_All I have now is an Ally that's not even an offensive Monster, a Trap Card in my hand, and one of the field…_

He threw the Trap Card into his Disk and it appeared next to the other one.

_I haven't been able to draw anything that could get rid of a Spell all duel… Let's just hope he doesn't draw one now._

"I end my turn…"

The Green Man made a draw.

"Tell me…" he said, "how well can you count?"

"Huh?" said Jinx.

"He's right!" gasped Shichiro. "This is the sixth round since he Equipped that thing with Cocoon of Evolution!"

The Cocoon started to shake and bulge. Something was trying to claw its way out.

"He actually did it…"

The Cocoon tore open, and the Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth emerged. Gears stepped back in fear as the legendary strongest and most difficult-to-summon member of the Insect kingdom loomed over the field… (3,500 ATK)

"I can't watch…" said Gabriel, as he covered his eyes with his wings.

Gears took a step back as the three titanic Insects looked at him… Sweat beaded down his face…

"Attack him directly, my Moth!" shouted the Green Man. "Hell Hurricane!"

Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth started to beat its wings, and a furious storm started to cause the Hive to shake. Gears covered his face with his wrist as one of his facedown cards shot up.

"Go, Half or Nothing!" he shouted.

Lighting flashed, and Judge Man loomed over him, holding his two axes.

"Huh?" asked Green Man.

"Now you gotta make a choice," said Gears, catching his breath. "Either end your Battle Phase… Or continue, with the Attack Scores of your Monsters halved."

The Green Man chuckled. Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth fell to an Attack Score of 1,750, Ultimate Insect to 1,300, and Poseidon Giant Beetle to 1,250.

"I can see you're going to continue…" said Gears. "The reduction in scores won't last until next round, but at least there'll _be_ a next round!"

Then he staggered and struggled as the Moth's violent wind tore into him. Then Ultimate Insect's venom blast hit him in the chest, and a blast from Poseidon's trident knocked him to the ground.

**(G: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - (GM: 6,700)**

"You can look now…" said Ember to Gabriel.

Gears struggled to catch his breath, as one of the Green Man's two cards appeared facedown on the field.

_I'll bet it's another Destruction Jammer,_ thought Gears, looking up.

"I end my turn…" said the Green Man.

Gears looked at the one card he had.

"Here goes…" he said.

He whipped the card off the top of his deck.

"Heh, heh…" he chuckled. "Let me tell you something that all duelists should know, pal…"

His other facedown card lifted up, revealing Call of the Haunted.

"The duel isn't over until the last card is played!"

In a burst of energy, Ally of Justice Thousand Arms appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"If you're wondering where that came from," he continued, "I discarded it when I played Rising Energy."

"It's pointless," said the Green Man. "Its Attack Points aren't high enough to defeat even my weakest Monster, and my Ultimate Insect will weaken it even further."

(1,000 ATK)

"But I have this," said Gears, playing another card. "Ally of Justice Unlimiter!"

A small, robotic drone, looking like a mechanical mosquito, appeared next to Thousand Arms. (600 ATK) –) (0 ATK)

"Eh?" said the Green Man.

"Now, to use its effect, I sacrifice it…" said Gears.

Unlimiter vanished.

"…and Thousand Arms' Attack Score doubles."

"So?" said the Green Man. "That will give it 2,000 Attack Points instead of 1,000, which is still not enough."

"Not quite," said Gears. "You see, Unlimiter takes the _base_ Attack Score of the target into consideration.

"Thus, we first take Thousand Arms' base score, 1,700, and then double it. The result is 3,400. Then, your Ultimate Insect's effect is applied, giving it a net total of… Well, take a look…"

(2,700 ATK)

The Green Man's eyes narrowed.

"There's one flaw in your plan…" he said. "While it may defeat my Ultimate Insect, that effect only lasts a round, which means Thousand Arms will be easy prey to my Moth next round…"

"But I have one more card to play…" said Gears.

He quickly played the card he had drawn this turn.

"The mighty Limiter Removal! This doubles the Attack Score my Machine-Type Monster again!

"And this card takes the _current_ Attack Score into consideration!"

Thousand Arms glowed with incredible energy… (5,400 ATK)

"Did I mention that Thousand Arms has a neat effect of its own?" asked Gears. "It can attack all opposing Light-Attribute Monsters in the same Battle Phase."

The Green Man stopped short.

"Your DNA Transplant never left the field!" he exclaimed.

"That's right…" said Gears. "So it's time to stomp some bugs!

"Thousand Arms… GO!"

The Ally leapt at Ultimate Insect, and made a mighty slash with two of its blades. The huge Insect screeched, and then exploded into pixels.

Then the Machine made a deep cut across Poseidon Giant Beetle's chest. The colossus groaned, and dropped its trident. It shattered into shards.

"Now for the last one!" ordered Gears.

Thousand Arms made a running start, and leapt high in the air. The Killer Needles of the Hive of Royal Honey flew for cover. Thousand Arms landed directly on top of Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth, stabbing its largest sword downward.

The giant Insect shivered… Then shook… Thousand Arms leapt to the clear…

Then the giant Moth collapsed, and an explosion seemed to rip the huge Hive apart. The Green Man screamed…

**(G: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - (GM: 0)**

What remained of the Hive vanished, along with Gears's Monster. They were back at the entrance to the shrine, and the Green Man was nowhere in sight.

"Huh?" said Gabriel. "Where did he go?"

Then the door to the shrine, slowly opened, revealing a glowing light inside.

"I think Lord Copernus is willing to see us now," said Jinx.

Gears deactivated his Disk.

He looked at the door for a few seconds. Then he looked at his colleges.

"That guy managed to bring out something so hard to summon, most folks don't bother trying," he said.

"My cousin says that in Duel Academy," said Ember, "managing to summon it during an exam where you're tested on Special Summoning is worth a thousand extra credit points."

"And he was a lesser noble," said Gears. "Can you imagine how tough his superior might be?"

Shichiro looked into the entrance.

"Hopefully, we won't have to duel him…" he replied.

He took a deep breath as he started to walk in.

"Hopefully…"

The others followed him.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**POSEIDON GIANT BEETLE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Insect/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF:** 2,300

**Card Description:** If this card attacks a face-up opposing Attack Position Monster and does not destroy it, it can attack that Monster again. This effect can be used only twice in one Battle Phase.

_Note: "Poseidon Giant Beetle" was released for the OCG in Premium Pack 12._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**HIVE OF ROYAL HONEY (Spell Card)**

**Field Spell**

**Image:** Insect Princess sitting on a throne inside a honeycombed hive, surrounded by Killer Needles.

**Card Description:** This card is destroyed if there is not at least one "Killer Needle" in the controller's Graveyard. The controller of this card may not Summon or set any Monsters except Insect-Type Monsters. If this card leaves the field, its controller sends all cards he controls and in his hand to the Graveyard. A player may draw one card each time he or she Special Summons an Insect-Type Monster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Shichiro: I always thought that positive energy was life energy, while negative energy was its opposite, death and decay. So how then, can the Dark Synchros, clearly living creatures, be beings of negative energy? It seems to be a contradiction.**

**Lord Copernus is one of the most ancient beings in existence, and he knows secrets that would make Jalal himself tremble in fear. He's willing to give us a lesson in positive and negative energy, but to explain himself, he intends to use a duel as a visual aid. If the Green Man was any indication, these creatures are not pushovers…**

"**Brutal Potion" is coming soon…**

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Ryo Tsukamoto: Dragon in Human Clothing**

Tiamat is the five-headed queen of the evil chromatic dragons. She has one head for each customary color of chromatic dragon (black, blue, green, red, white), and each head has the powers of a member of the respective race of dragonkind. Her body is a blending of various chromatic dragon forms with an appropriately multicolored hide. Her body also has traits in common with a wyvern, including a long tail tipped with a poisonous stinger. Tiamat has also been known to manifest as a dark-haired human sorceress. In addition, she was one of the first deities to have aspects, or lesser avatars. These aspects may appear as powerful versions of her chromatic children or as versions of her own five-headed form. Her name is hardly spoken, mostly out of fear of invoking her wrath.

Considering she dwells within the first layer of Hell, this isn't much of a surprise.

Tiamat is a greedy, vain, and arrogant goddess who embodies all the strengths of evil dragonkind, and few of their weaknesses. Tiamat is most concerned with spreading evil, defeating good, and propagating chromatic dragons. She never forgives a slight. Although she is not averse to razing the occasional village, her true schemes are subtle and hard to detect. She has been compared to a puppeteer manipulating her creations from within shadows. The Queen of Evil Dragons demands reverence, homage, supplication, and tribute from her subjects. She is sometimes called "Her Dark Majesty" or simply "Dark Queen." It is even believed that someone at I2 designed the F.G.D. card after experiencing a horrible nightmare where Tiamat appeared to him. Possibly, Tiamat was so vain, she wanted her image immortalized on what would come to be one of the most powerful Monsters in the game.

She is locked in a seemingly eternal battle with her twin brother Bahamut, the ruler of the benign metallic dragons. She feels it is her destiny to kill him and become goddess for all dragonkind, whether they like it or not. Another known enemy is Marduk, an ancient god worshipped by the Babylonians, and the battles between the two are legendary. Knowing that there is strength in numbers, she scours the dimensions for followers, using both bribery and force to add to her ranks. Those born under her influence are known simply as the Spawn.

In order for her legions to be more effective, she created her Spawn by all manner of experiments and rituals upon their eggs. The creatures born as a result come in all shapes and sizes and forms, are of varying intelligence levels, perform all manner of roles (such as assassins, bodyguards, elite shock trooping, etc.), and are basically the most varied members of Dragonkind. All of them, however, are descended from true Dragons serving Tiamat, and are fiercely loyal to both her and their parents.

Tiamat aims to conquer as many realms as she can, but unfortunately she is bound by the same laws as every other deity; if she personally appears in any mortal realm, Bahamut (and Marduk, most likely) would intervene and do the same, meaning allies on both sides will rise up to fulfill their contracts. Like the fated Triple Alliance and Triple Entente pre-World War I, this would lead to a full-scale war that would eventually leave them with nothing to fight for. Gods cannot personally appear in the mortal world, and even evil gods know that this rule must be obeyed. However, the laws say nothing about an armed force that conquers on behalf of a deity. With this in mind, Tiamat has sent thousands of her followers (each granted the ability to take on human form) to Earth "undercover," per se. Their goal: fill in important roles within Human society, and when their master feels the time is right, use their current and newfound powers to wreak havoc. (Of course, Tiamat is not the only dark god who has done this.)

Ryo is one of the more privileged of this legion, as he was born a Bluespawn Godslayer. His gene is known for their megalith intelligence, extreme strength, and undying loyalty, and were created for the purpose of eliminating Tiamat's most powerful foes and adversaries. His parents are top executives at a military firm, and he was originally raised to take on a similar role. He has served in the Japanese Armed Forces as one of its soldiers, and considering that his species of dragonkind is one of the best fighters in existence, he naturally feels he was born for combat. However, while he swears allegiance to Tiamat, he is still a little apprehensive about what he and the rest of the Spawn are waiting to fulfill. His parents assured him it was simply a lack of understanding of the ultimate goal, but deep down he feels otherwise. Ryo has recently received a message from Tiamat herself; she has kept tabs on her sleeper agents, and found that he has plenty of potential just waiting to be unlocked. As a result, she decided to choose him to become one of her assassins. Not wanting to disappoint his Queen or his family, he humbly accepted…

**Story Ideas: **Now that his purpose in life has been revealed to him, Ryo trains day and night for his new role, using both modern and classical weapons; a special blade and an arm-length shield made from a Dragon's skull were bestowed on him by his master, perhaps as a sign of what he would eventually become. When a target is identified and relayed to him, he will enter the underworld of society and wait for the right moment to strike.

When he is not needed, he goes about life as usual – at least as usual as a Dragonkind can have when disguised as a human. Duel Monsters is one of his favorite pastimes, and enters as many tournaments as he can; both local and national. He knows he must enjoy it while he still can, since it is highly possible that Tiamat will choose to raise the stakes in her war, calling upon her Spawn to rise up. If that happens, things such as hobbies may not last much longer…

Ryo might have reason to oppose the Shadowchasers for a unique reason. Jalal is the son of a gold dragon, a species of dragon that Bahamut counts as his followers. No-one knows just how loyal the elder Stormbringer was to the King of Metallic Dragons, but Tiamat likely considers all metallic dragons (and half-dragon offspring) as enemies. Ryo is likely smart enough to know that even he can't oppose Jalal alone, so he may be found with other powerful enemies of the organization if it ever comes to this.

**Deck Suggestions: **Ryo has tried many a deck since picking up the game, but for some reason he keeps going back to Dragons, specifically those of the Dark variety. He owns one copy each of Future Fusion and F.G.D., but these are merely a ruse for sending Dragons to the Graveyard to fuel the effect of his ace card: Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon. This deck has been known to many as "Hopeless Dragon," but Ryo wanted to make his own rendition. In the times when he is unable to bring out either of his ultimate monsters, he would need ways to bring out his fusion-fodder to use as attackers when necessary. He is known to use cards that make tribute-able tokens (including Phantom Skyblaster and Fires of Doomsday), or even cards that turn those tokens into Dragons (D. Tribe and DNA Surgery, for example). With all of these methods of achieving victory, his opponents may usually end up finding _their_ situations "hopeless." His deck is powerful, but he has yet been able to use it to its full potential. It will take a duel with an opponent of incredible caliber to make that happen…

_Ryo was a creation of fanfiction author mario72486._


	14. Brutal Potion

_The second of my original Yu-Gi-Oh Junior fics has been reposted. The third one may take awhile._

_For now, my next chapter is up. How many times did I have to recheck the math when I outlined the duel for this chapter? Don't ask._

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL FOURTEEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Brutal Potion**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Csimith entered the throne room. Taramanda was going over some cards while Hssimim and Hebi-Na were standing by (doing their best to ignore one another).

"As you requested, I have brought them," said Csimith with a sigh.

"Send them in," said Taramanda.

"You heard her," called Csimith to the ophidia guarding the door. "Have them bring Larry, Moe, and Curly in."

Three other ophidia led in three ophidia in who were blindfolded. The blindfolded ophidia were dressed in fancy kimonos; one blue, one purple, and one orange. All three of them were slender, man-shaped, and covered with olive-green scales, which in turn were covered with a pattern that suggested the South American anaconda.

These were the Three Storms, three ophidia brothers who had been together all of their lives. Ophidia hatched from eggs, and a female often laid a clutch of up to twenty at a time. Newly-hatched ophidia looked like regular snakes, were almost mindless, and quite helpless. While all of them hatched, usually no more than two to five in one litter survived to mature into full-grown ophidia.

These three had come from one litter; all of their other siblings had not gotten past the "larval stage". They had grown up together and had eventually formed a team of mercenaries, which they based on three divine beings whom they read about in a book of Chinese mythology.

Of course, they were nowhere near as powerful as such beings, but were, at times, just as eccentric.

"You keep referring to us by those names," said the one in blue. "Who were they, may I ask?"

"Uh..." said Csimith. "They were... three incredibly popular media figures in the West in the early 20th Century."

Taramanda gave him a cold stare.

"It's not like I'm lying," he whispered to her.

"Remove their blindfolds," ordered the Empress.

The three guards took the cloths off, and the three well-dressed ophidia made polite bows.

"Salutations, your highness," said the one in orange. "We are honored to behold your divine beauty once again. The Three Storms..."

"Rain..." said the one in blue.

"...Thunder..." said the one in purple.

"...and Lightning," continued the first, "are always at your beck and call. We are..."

"Yes, yes, I know," interrupted Taramanda. "I'm well aware of the flair for the dramatic you three have. There are many folks who question your sanity.

"Still... Despite your... peculiarities... You always manage to get the job done..."

"And we would be honored to continue to do so, my queen," replied Thunder.

"Your wish is our command," said Lightning.

"Okay, okay, just watch it there," said Taramanda. "There's a fine line between being polite and being obnoxious."

"And a fine line between wanting to please someone," whispered Csimith to Hebi-Na, "and having your lips locked to her ass."

"What was that??" shouted Taramanda, turning her head.

"He was just complimenting me on how much weight I've lost lately," said Hebi-Na. "Of course, being in prison helps..."

Taramanda turned back to the Three Storms. She took a small box from the table next to her.

"I do indeed have some tasks for each of you..." she said, "as well as a few tools to make doing so easier..."

She took a single card from the box, and gave it to Rain. The mercenary looked at it.

A look of terror appeared on his face.

"Calm down," said Taramanda. "I know of this card's infamous reputation, and I assure you, this version is loyal to our goddess. I created it using a minor spirit from the Venomous Tarns. Read the description, and you'll find that it will be a powerful addition to your deck."

Rain quickly read the card text. His mouth slowly formed into a grin.

"That it will..." he said.

"Do we get cards too?" asked Thunder.

"You get this," replied Taramanda.

She tossed him something, and he caught it. It was a set of keys.

"Your new custom-made D-Wheel with pan-dimensional features is ready," she said, "and it will be yours once you use it to duel the Shadowchasers' grease jockey."

"I swear it will be done, my queen," he replied.

"As for you, Lightning," she continued.

She handed him a set of cards.

"I found that Spellcaster you were inquiring about, as well as some cards to aid in a deck where she is used. Incredibly lethal if used correctly."

"Ah, yes..." said Lightning, looking at one of the Monsters. "Only your beauty can compare with hers, my queen."

"You'll get your full assignments from Csimith as you leave," said Taramanda. "I expect a storm of the most violent type to hit this town when the Shadowchasers get back from whatever errand they left on."

The Three Storms bowed.

As they left the room, Csimith sighed again.

"You put a lot of trust in those loons," he said.

"Well..." said Taramanda, "considering what they now have, they'll be pretty dangerous for Three Stooges."

Csimith sighed, and followed the Storms out of the room, followed by Hebi-Na.

"I never figured her for much of a tube-watcher," said Hebi-Na.

"Oh, be quiet," replied Csimith.

"And by the way," continued Hebi-Na, "you owe me one for what I said back there..."

"You always have to have the last word, don't you?" asked Csimith with a scowl.

"Why yes," replied Hebi-Na.

Csimith groaned.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The four humans and their phoenix companion were puzzled.

They had entered the shrine, only to find themselves in what appeared to be another outdoor forest.

"Okay, let me get this straight..." said Jinx. "Someone builds a shrine in the middle of a forest... And then puts _another_ forest inside it??"

"It may not be that simple..." said Shichiro. "I think that we likely entered the true Feywild. The realm that exists 'parallel' to the mortal world where the fey races draw their power from."

"Like the Spirit World?" asked Ember, getting nervous.

"Kind of like that..." said Shichiro. "Everyone be _very_ careful. Don't eat anything, and don't take anything that doesn't belong to you... Stories have been told about mortals coming to bad ends after eating the food of fairies or stealing fairy gold after visiting their homes...

"Take Rip Van Winkle. According to that old story they tell in the States, he fell asleep for twenty years after drinking liquor that some strange men he met Catskills gave him, and..."

Then they heard girlish giggling coming from the trees around them. They all looked around and saw shadowy shapes in the trees as the giggling continued.

"What's so funny?" asked Gears.

"They think your friend's concerns are funny," said a voice, "because the stories he speaks of are just that, stories.

"And by the way, in the story of Rip Van Winkle, the 'strange men' were not fey, they were the ghosts of Henry Hudson's crew."

"Maybe I should read it again..." said Shichiro, with a sigh.

"But never mind them," said the voice. "It doesn't take much to make them laugh... Just follow my voice..."

They started to walk forward, in the direction where the voice came from.

"That's it, this way," said the voice.

As they walked forward, the giggling continued. They saw glimpses of the creatures in the trees, small, petite pixies with gossamer wings.

Eventually, they came to what looked like another shrine, but this time, it was an open-air structure. It was made of stone, and blue crystals were set in the low walls. A stained glass window decorated an altar on the far end, depicting the sun, moon, and several stars.

Standing by a pedestal, on which an open book was spread out, was a Shadowkind who looked like an elf for all intents and purposes. He had the same pointed ears and delicate features. His brown hair was worn long and fell neatly down to the nape of his back. He wore a white robe with gold trim, tied up with a velvet belt, and a pair of sandals.

He didn't look up from the book immediately. As the four humans cautiously walked into the shrine, he sighed, closed the book, and looked at them. His eyes were chestnut brown, and just by looking into them, you could see ages upon ages of wisdom reflected in their pupils...

"Lord Copernus?" asked Shichiro.

The fey lord nodded.

"I apologize if the Green Man was rude," he said. "Many members of the Court of Stars have developed quite an ego over the millennia."

"This Court of Stars..." asked Gears. "Where exactly are all of them?"

"Other parts of the Feywild," replied Copernus. "This realm is just as large as your world, and exists parallel to yours, coinciding with the mortal world like its shadow. The only way to physically transverse the two worlds is by means of special portals like the one you just went through. They exist in your world in places where the wilderness is pure and unspoiled.

"The authority I have over them is only symbolic, due to my seniority, so they do as they please most of the time. The Court of Stars is not truly a government in the way the term is used by mortals.

"But anyway... You're here because you're having problems with Dark Synchros and possibly Earthbound Gods?"

"Why, yes," replied Shichiro. "Well, we haven't seen any Earthbound Gods yet... But if you know something..."

"Before I tell you anything," interrupted Copernus, "I must tell you, I cannot tell you much. Whoever sent you told you that my people were wiped out in a terrible calamity, I assume?"

"One that destroyed your civilization..." replied Ember.

"_Erased_ it," replied Copernus. "Obliterated it from existence so that it never was. Surviving leshay can remember it, but we cannot describe it, because there is nothing to describe. Just how any of us survived this is a story too complicated to explain in mere words.

"We have no-one to blame for this disaster but ourselves. It was due to a mistake of our own causing.

"For this reason, any help we give to mortals must be limited, so that the mistake we made is never made again. I could likely tell you how to end hunger, poverty, and conflict on your world forever... But sadly, I cannot.

"I'll simply tell you what I can..."

Shichiro looked at him.

"We understand..." he said.

Copernus took a deep breath.

"Do you know why elves are so long-lived, and why fey are practically immortal?" he asked.

"Uh, no, honestly I don't," replied Shichiro.

"I'll share with you the secret," said Copernus, "since you cannot use it anyway... Such races learned eons ago how to channel positive energy, the energy of life.

"Positive energy not only gives creatures life, it keeps them alive. It keeps them healthy and young."

He pointed upward, towards the sun.

"The sun that shines down on our world is a powerful source of positive energy. It fuels us, warms us, and nourishes us."

"Do Light Monsters channel positive energy?" asked Jinx.

"Do not confuse the Attributes of Duel Monsters with energy," replied Copernus. "Your friend's Monsters, the Allies of Justice, are Dark, but they gain their power from the Healing Darkness, a source of positive energy. On the other hand, their foe is the Light of Ruin, a source of Light which is powerful negative energy."

"So I suppose negative energy is the energy of death," said Shichiro.

"It's _supposed_ to be," replied Copernus. "But that's where logic starts to become blurry.

"Negative energy is supposed to be the energy of rot, destruction, and decay, which causes things to sicken and die. Undead creatures, who are not alive, are powered by this form of energy.

"But positive energy, as beneficent as it can be, can also be dangerous. While it can heal, it can also harm. Its life-giving energy can be as deadly a weapon as negative energy."

"Yeah," said Ember, "that's why you never look directly at the sun."

"Not quite," said Copernus. "You could be blinded, yes, but that would be from the sun's blinding light, not its positive energy. Light and heat are dangerous, but positive energy is not light nor heat. It is the energy of life."

"So then a power source that causes life can hurt you?" asked Shichiro, sounding doubtful. "Something that heals can also harm?"

"Yes," replied Copernus.

He rubbed his chin.

"Maybe there is a way to explain this in a way that you Shadowchasers would understand better... After all, the four of you are duelists..."

He lifted up his left arm, and then a small flock of the little pixies flew out of the forest, flying to his arm and clinging to it. Both his arm and the little sprites glowed, and after a few seconds, he was wearing a silvery Duel Disk with gold trim.

A deck appeared in it.

"You... you want to duel?" asked Shichiro.

Copernus nodded.

"Okay..." said Shichiro. "Uh... Those little guys won't be hurt, will they?"

"Not at all," replied Copernus. "They possess they ability to take the form of any weapon or armor when they combine their powers, and they have been providing this service for the Court of Stars for countless millennia."

"Do they work on commission?" asked Jinx, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't make jokes, Jinx," said Gears. "If this duel is anything like the one I had with the Green Man, it might be pretty hard on Shichiro."

His voice sank to a whisper.

"I mean, are we absolutely sure we can trust this guy?"

Copernus looked at Gears. He had heard that, but he didn't answer.

Then he turned to Shichiro. Both Disks activated, and the decks were shuffled.

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Copernus: 8,000)**

"I draw..." said Copernus, making his first draw.

He quickly took a card from his hand, and set it on his Disk. A reversed Monster appeared.

He nodded.

"I'm guessing you aren't one for small talk..." said Shichiro, making a draw.

"I summon... Field-Commander Rahz!"

In a sparkle of motes, Rahz appeared, holding his blade forward. (1,600 ATK)

"Now his effect activates," continued Shichiro, as a card slipped out of his Disk. "I get to take a Warrior from my deck, and place it on top."

He placed the card on top of his deck, and then took another card from his hand.

"Next, the Continuous Spell Card, Banner of Courage," he said, as he played it. "While this card is in play, for my Battle Phase only, my Monsters gain a 200 Attack Point bonus.

"So, let's see what you're hiding... Rahz, attack!"

Rahz rushed at the concealed Monster, and his Attack Score rose to 1,800. A small, black cat with a golden medallion around its neck appeared on the card. Rahz struck it with his blade, and it shattered.

"You flipped A Cat of Ill Omen," said Copernus, as a card appeared in his hand. "Its effect lets me take any Trap Card I desire, and place it on top of my deck."

He slipped it on the top of his deck.

_Lovely,_ thought Shichiro. _It's likely something deadly..._

He looked at his hand, which consisted of Chthonian Soldier, Emergency Provisions, Little-Winguard, and Destruction Jammer. The card he would draw on his next turn, due to Rahz's effect, was Command Knight.

He took Destruction Jammer and fit it into his Disk. It appeared facedown behind Rahz.

"End," he said.

"My move..." said Copernus, making a draw.

"I set two cards facedown," he said, as two concealed cards appeared. "And then play a Continuous Spell called Gravekeeper's Servant."

A Spell Card appeared next to the two facedown cards.

"This Spell Card requires you to send a card from your deck to the Graveyard before you can make an attack."

"So what is this?" asked Jinx. "Another Mill Deck?"

"I summon Cure Mermaid," continued Copernus.

In a blast of bubbles, a lovely mermaid in a pink dress with a red fish tail appeared. She blew a kiss at Shichiro. (1,500 ATK)

"That's... Not quite the Monster you'd see in a Mill Deck," replied Gears.

"And it's your move," said Copernus.

Shichiro paused for a minute.

_One of his two facedown cards is something powerful that he used that Cat to search for,_ he thought. _Mirror Force, maybe?_

_But... My Destruction Jammer is prepared for it..._

"I draw!" he exclaimed, drawing a card.

"And I summon Command Knight!"

In a burst of flame, Command Knight appeared, and nodded to Rahz. (1,200 ATK) Her Attack Score went up to 1,600, while his went up to 2,100.

"Your Gravekeeper's Servant may be a pain, but it can't keep me from attacking, so long as I have cards..."

"Oh?" replied Copernus.

One of his two facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Macro Cosmos!"

The whole world seemed to vanish in a flash of light, and a dizzy spell seemed to strike Shichiro...

In the next instant, he, his opponent, the Monsters, and his companions were standing among the stars in a cosmic scene.

"So long as my Trap Card remains," said Copernus, "any card that would normally go to the Graveyard is instead removed from play."

"No..." said Ember. "If Shichiro pays the cost to attack, he'll lose the cards for good!"

"It's more serious than that, Ember," said Gears. "You see, in order to attack, Shichiro must send a card specifically to the Graveyard. Macro Cosmos makes that impossible."

"Then..." said Ember. "Shichiro can't attack at all?"

"This combo is the ultimate attack lock," said Gears. "No cost, no conditions, and it doesn't impair the user at all."

_Lovely..._ thought Shichiro. _This guy is pretty smart..._

_What am I talking about? He's older than the Earth! Of course he's smart!_

"I have to end my turn..." he said.

"But before you do, I'll activate this," said Copernus, as his other facedown card lifted. "Solemn Wishes.

"Now, I'll draw..."

He drew a card.

"And I gain 500 Life Points from Solemn Wishes, and 800 from Cure Mermaid's effect.

"Next, I summon Spirit of the Breeze."

There was more girlish laughter, and a pretty female Fairy with dragonfly wings dressed in a gossamer gown appeared. (0 ATK)

"Zero Attack Points?" asked Ember.

"Yeah..." said Gears. "But so long as it's in Attack Mode, he gains 1,000 Life Points per round. He seems to be big on Life Point gain."

"I end my turn..." said Copernus.

**(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 9,300)**

Shichiro drew a card.

He played another card, and Chthonian Soldier appeared next to his other two Warriors. (1,200 ATK) –) (1,600 ATK)

"That's all I can do for now," he said.

"Then it's my move again," said Copernus.

He made a draw.

"Once again, I gain 500 Life Points from Solemn Wishes, and 800 from Cure Mermaid, plus 1,000 from Spirit of the Breeze.

"Next, I play the Spell Card, Ancient Leaf."

A Spell Card appeared on his side of the field, and glowed with golden light.

"Since my Life Points are now above 9,000, I can pay 2,000 of them to make two draws."

He drew two cards, and added them to his hand.

"This means I gain 500 more Life Points from Solemn Wishes.

"I then summon White Magician Pikeru."

He played another card, and the small child magician wearing a white gown with pigtails and a hat shaped like a Scapegoat appeared. (1,200 ATK)

"Every time I begin my turn, she will grant me 400 Life Points for each Monster I have on the field."

"You seem awfully intent on raising your Life Points," said Shichiro.

"I see you are beginning to see how powerful positive energy can be," replied Copernus.

"True," said Shichiro, "but the idea of the duel is to bring your opponent's Life Points to zero. You haven't done anything towards that end yet."

"I'll set one card facedown," said Copernus, as a reversed card appeared, "and end my turn."

**(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 10,100)**

_He didn't even answer the question..._ thought Shichiro.

He made a draw.

It was Heavy Storm.

_Heh..._ thought Shichiro. _How lucky can you get?_

He was about to play it.

Then he stopped short.

He slowly looked at Copernus's facedown card.

_Hold it..._ he thought. _Copernus is no fool… That facedown cards is likely something that will counter an attempt to disarm his lock… Something like… Solemn Judgment?_

He looked at Heavy Storm again.

_Macro Cosmos will remove this from play if he counters it... I won't get a second chance... I'd better wait..._

He added it to his hand, and chose another card. He played it, and Little-Winguard appeared next to his other Monsters. (1,400 ATK) –) (1,800 ATK)

"It's your move," he said.

Copernus quickly made a draw.

"Now, thanks to my Trap Card and three Monsters, I gain 3,500 Life Points," he said.

"I summon Fire Princess!"

He played the card he had just drawn, and another female Monster appeared in an aura of flames. It was a stern-faced woman in a blazing, red dress, holding a wooden staff. (1,300 ATK)

"This was his plan all along!" exclaimed Ember.

"Of course!" said Gears. "Fire Princess dishes out 500 points of damage each time he gains Life Points...

"And if Shichiro doesn't do something, on his next turn, Copernus will gain Life Points from four sources! This could be bad..."

"I end my turn..." said Copernus.

**(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 13,600)**

Shichiro made a draw. He frowned, and set a card on his Disk, setting a Monster in Defense Mode. As he did, Gabriel crept up behind him, and snuck a peek at his cards.

The phoenix gave a look of shock, and flew back to the others.

"Shichiro has Heavy Storm in his hand!" he whispered.

"So what is he waiting for?" asked Jinx. "An engraved invitation?"

"I'm sure that Shichiro has something in mind..." said Ember.

They watched as Copernus drew a card.

"I hope..."

"Now that I have four Monsters, I gain 3,900 Life Points," said the leshay. "And due to Fire Princess..."

The Pyro cast a flaming spell, and Shichiro screamed as he was engulfed by flames.

**(S: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 17,500)**

"Are you beginning to get the picture, Mr. Osaka?" asked Copernus. "Fire Princess's powers are fueled by positive energy. While it nourishes me, I don't think I need to tell you that it's hurting you."

"Makes sense..." groaned Shichiro. "In a strange way..."

"Man, this is hopeless!" said Ember.

"I've seen tougher situations…" said Jinx. "Well... I've heard of them, at least. I heard that when the King of Games confronted Dartz, Dartz had 20,000 Life Points at one point."

"I kinda doubt that that Dartz's cards were tournament-legal, Jinx," said Gears.

Shichiro looked at his deck.

_It's now or never..._ he thought.

He closed his eyes, and made a draw.

He opened them, and looked at the card.

He made a slight smirk.

"I play Heavy Storm!" he shouted, playing a card from his hand.

A fierce wind started to erupt through the void of Macro Cosmos, and Shichiro's supporters started cheering.

"Not so fast, Mr. Osaka," said Copernus, as his facedown card lifted up.

The winds quickly died.

"Dark Bribe, huh?" said Shichiro. "Huh, too bad... I had kind of hoped it was Solemn Judgment..."

He drew a card. He looked at it. It was Junk Synchron.

"You don't seem to care that I just countered such a powerful Spell," said Copernus.

"I know..." said Shichiro, with a grin. "It was because I used Heavy Storm to force you to use that Trap...

"Now try to counter _this_!"

He played the card he had just drawn.

"Giant Trunade!"

Another wind erupted over the field, and Macro Cosmos, Gravekeeper's Servant, and Solemn Wishes were blown off the field, along with Banner of Courage and Shichiro's facedown card. The cosmic scene vanished, returning them to the shrine.

"All right!" squawked Gabriel. "Way to go!"

"But Copernus will just replay those cards next round," added Ember. "He'll be able to start over."

"No he won't," replied Shichiro. "First, I replay Banner of Courage, and set three facedown cards."

Banner of Courage reappeared, and three reversed cards appeared in flashes of light.

"Then, I flip Morphing Jar into Attack Mode!"

His facedown card flipped up, revealing the one-eyed thing in a ceramic jar. Copernus gave a look of surprise.

He discarded the six cards in his hand, and Shichiro discarded Junk Synchron. Both of them made five draws.

"Not bad..." said Shichiro, looking over them. "I sacrifice Morphing Jar, Rahz, and Little-Winguard..."

The three Monsters vanished into grains of light.

"...to call forth Gilford the Lightning!"

With a rumble of thunder and a flash of lightning, the mighty Gilford appeared, his eyes glowing and his sword crackling with electricity. (2,800 ATK) –) (3,200 ATK)

"Show him true power!" shouted Shichiro.

Gilford raised his sword, and lightning struck Copernus's side of the field, blowing his four Monsters to gibbets. Copernus looked truly shocked for the first time.

"Time to strike back!" said Shichiro. "Gilford, you first."

Gilford charged, his Attack Score rising to 3,400, and struck at the fey lord with his blade. The leshay grunted in pain, and took two steps backwards.

"Command Knight, Chthonian Soldier, you next!"

The two Warriors leapt at Copernus, and their Attack Scores rose to 1,800 apiece. Two slashes of swords cut into him, and he fell over.

**(S: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 10,500)**

"Whoa!" shouted Ember. "Shichiro took him down a big notch!"

"But there's still a way to go..." said Jinx.

"It's your move, pal..." said Shichiro.

Copernus didn't reply at first. He simply held his chest, and didn't look up.

"Lord Copernus?" asked Shichiro.

"So long..." muttered the fey lord. "It's been so long..."

"So long since what?" asked Shichiro.

"So long since I faced a true challenge..." said Copernus, as he stared into space. "For centuries since I passed through from Shadow into the Feywild that surrounds this other world, I have taken my armor and sword to defend the fey lands from those who would want to pollute it... Fiends like the fomorians and hags...

"But they were pathetic opponents at best... Even the foulspawn didn't present the challenges that I faced so many eons ago...

"But now... With this new form of combat, I finally feel the thrill of combat that I had almost forgotten existed..."

"Well, yes..." said Shichiro. "That's one of the points of the Fair Fight Clause of the Great Treaty. You see..."

"No, no, don't explain it!" interrupted Copernus. "It doesn't matter... I haven't felt like this in ages!

"On with the duel!"

He drew a card.

"Since you have Monsters on your field, and I don't, I can Special Summon Level Warrior!"

There was a burst of golden stars, and a man in a red superhero suit appeared in front of him. He had a star on his cowl, and two stars on his chest. (300 ATK)

"Ah, that guy's a wimp," said Gabriel.

"Doesn't matter," said Gears. "Since Copernus Special Summoned Level Warrior that way, its Level becomes 4. He's clearly going to make a Synchro Summon."

"I summon Ebon Magician Curran!" shouted Copernus.

In a shadowy burst of darkness, Pikeru's dark sister appeared, a young girl her age wearing a black dress with a bunny-eared cowl, holding a leather switch. (1,200 ATK)

"Then I play the One for One Spell Card," he continued, as a Spell Card appeared. "I toss a Monster from my hand..."

He discarded a Healing Wave Generator.

"...and I get to Special Summon a Level 1 Monster from my deck. Like Sunny Pixie."

In a small twinkle of motes and a girlish laugh, a little female pixie with gossamer wings appeared in front of him. (300 ATK)

"Now..." said Copernus. "I'll Tune all three of my Monsters..."

The Warrior and two Spellcasters faded into seven glowing stars. He lifted up his arms and chanted:

"_Majestic wanderer of the Astral Plane, flying between all realities, the Music of the Spheres playing in your wake! Clustering stars light the way to the mortal realm..._

"_Synchro Summon... Ancient Sacred Wyvern!"_

In a glowing, golden light, a huge, serpentine being materialized over Copernus. It looked like an oriental dragon, with pure white scales, two tiny wings, and a head shaped like an inverted triangle with a long mane of golden hair. It let out a loud roar. (2,100 ATK)

"Gilford is stronger than that..." said Jinx.

"Not quite..." said Copernus. "When my Life Points are higher than my opponent's, Ancient Sacred Wyvern gains Attack Points equal to the difference.

"And furthermore, since Sunny Pixie was used as the Tuner, I gain 1,000 Life Points."

(7,600 ATK)

"Good lord..." said Ember.

"Of course," continued Copernus, "if I were losing, it would lose Attack Points equal to the difference. But that really doesn't matter.

"Ancient Sacred Wyvern..."

The giant Fairy opened its jaws, and an orb of pure energy formed in them.

"Obliterate Gilford the Lightning! Mega blast!"

The giant Synchro blasted a bolt of pure energy...

And then there was an explosion that knocked both Shichiro and Copernus backwards.

Copernus got up. Gilford was still there, but Chthonian Soldier was gone.

**(S: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 8,500)**

"What happened?" asked Copernus.

"Okay, I'll tell you..." said Shichiro, getting up.

"When you declared that attack, I activated one of my facedown cards, Attack Guidance Armor, which drew the attack away from Gilford and towards Chthonian Soldier.

"Then I chained another facedown card, Emergency Provisions, sending Attack Guidance Armor, Banner of Courage, and Destruction Jammer to the Graveyard. Thus, my Life Points were 9,000 when the attack hit. So your Monster's Attack Score was 4,600 at the point of impact.

"I took 3,000 points of damage, but due to Chthonian Soldier's effect, so did you. So... You can see the scores. And as for Wyvern..."

(4,700 ATK)

Copernus looked at him.

Then he burst out laughing.

"You are cleverer than most mortals..." he said. "It's your move... I'm curious to see what else you can do..."

Shichiro drew a card.

"I throw down two facedown cards," he said, as two cards appeared in two flashes of light. "Then I move both my Monsters to Defense Mode."

Command Knight knelt and covered herself with her shield. (1,900 DEF) Gilford knelt and held his sword down. (1,400 DEF)

"That's all for my move..."

Copernus made a draw.

"Obliterate Gilford the Lightning!" he shouted. "Mega blast!"

Once again, Ancient Sacred Wyvern fired its bolt of pure energy. Shichiro braced himself as Gilford exploded in a blast of pure light.

"He was lucky Gilford was in Defense Mode..." said Jinx.

"I end my turn..." said Copernus.

"Then it's my move!" shouted Shichiro.

He quickly drew a card from his deck.

_I'll save this guy for later..._ he thought, looking at it.

"I summon Hyper Synchron!" he shouted.

In another aura of Light, a bulky, humanoid robot materialized. It was short and squat, with blue armor with a yellow chest, with an engine on its back. (1,600 ATK)

Command Knight stood up.

"Now, let's bring them together..." said Shichiro.

A hatch on Hyper Synchron's chest opened, revealing a glowing core of energy. It and Command Knight flew into the sky, and slowly dissolved into eight glowing stars...

With a roar, Colossal Fighter landed with a crash. (2,800 ATK)

"Colossal Fighter gains 100 more Attack Points for each Warrior in both Graveyards," said Shichiro.

Eight phantasmal Monsters appeared behind Shichiro and Colossal Fighter: Field Commander Rahz, Little-Winguard, Chthonian Soldier, Gilford the Lightning, Command Knight, Junk Synchron, and Level Warrior. (3,500 ATK)

"What's Shichiro thinking?" asked Ember. "Colossal Fighter can't beat that thing even with its bonus."

"I'll show you," said Shichiro, as one of his facedown cards lifted up. "The Trap Card, Invincible Hero! For this round only, Colossal Fighter can't be destroyed by battle.

"And now it attacks Ancient Sacred Wyvern!"

"Huh?" said Copernus.

Colossal Fighter leapt at the giant Fairy, and threw a punch, only to be thrown backwards by the power of the stronger Monster. Shichiro grunted a little.

**(S: 4,800) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 8,500)**

"What was the point of that?" asked Copernus. "You only made my Monster stronger."

(5,800 ATK)

"I did it so I can activate this," said Shichiro, as his other facedown card lifted. "It's a Trap called Synchro Halo. Since my Synchro Monster didn't destroy your Monster the first time, it gets a second try... With its Attack Points doubled."

(7,000 ATK)

"Attack his Wyvern!" shouted Shichiro. "Mega knuckle!"

Colossal Fighter leapt at its foe again, and struck it twice as hard as before. Ancient Sacred Wyvern roared, and then shattered into pixels.

"Ergh..." grunted Copernus.

"I activate its other effect. When it's destroyed by battle, I can pay 1,000 Life Points to bring it back to the field."

Ancient Sacred Wyvern appeared again, and roared in rage. (3,600 ATK)

"It's your move..." said Shichiro.

**(S: 4,800) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 6,300)**

Copernus made a draw.

Then he set the card on his Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"Wyvern, incinerate Colossal Fighter!" he ordered.

Ancient Sacred Wyvern fired its mega blast at the huge Synchro. Colossal Fighter grunted, and shattered into pixels.

"Not bad," said Shichiro, "but Colossal Fighter has another effect. When it loses a fight, I get to Special Summon a Warrior from my Graveyard.

"And since Colossal Fighter itself is a Warrior..."

Colossal Fighter appeared once again. (3,500 ATK)

"But since you lost 100 Life Points," replied Copernus, "my Monster becomes that much stronger."

(3,700 ATK)

"Take your turn..."

**(S: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 6,300)**

"I draw!" shouted Shichiro.

He quickly drew a card.

"First, I summon Marauding Captain," he said.

He played the card, and the Captain appeared, standing tall with his two swords. (1,200 ATK)

"Then, I use his effect to Special Summon Nitro Synchron."

He played the card, and a new Tuner appeared. It looked like a cute robot shaped like a propane tank with arms, legs, and a face. (300 ATK)

"Next, I sacrifice Marauding Captain..."

The Captain vanished into grains of light.

"...to Special Summon Turret Warrior."

The Monster that appeared looked much more like a Machine than a true Warrior. It stood about eight feet tall, resembled a bulky humanoid with thick arms and legs made of cinderblock, and true to its name, had gun turrets on its shoulders. (1,200 ATK)

"Turret Warrior gains Attack Points equal to that of the Monster I sacrificed to Special Summon it..."

(2,400 ATK)

"...but the point it moot, because I'm Tuning it with my Nitro Synchron."

The needle on Nitro Synchron's gauge moved into the red. It flew into the air with Turret Warrior close behind, and both of them faded into seven glowing stars. Shichiro threw up his arms and started to chant:

"_An engine fueled by high-octane and a spirit of blazing energy, waiting to be unleashed! Clustering stars form a fiery dynamo of power!_

"_Synchro Summon... Nitro Warrior!"_

Leaving a trail of flames in its wake, a new Synchro Warrior flew down to the field. It looked more like a Fiend, with green skin and horns, and a rocket engine on its back. (2,800 ATK)

"With two more Warriors in my Graveyard, Colossal Fighter becomes even stronger," said Shichiro.

(3,700 ATK)

"It's Attack Score is equal to Ancient Sacred Wyvern!" shouted Ember.

"And thanks to Nitro Synchron," continued Shichiro, "I get to draw one card..."

He made a draw.

He smirked.

"I'll Equip this to Nitro Warrior!" he exclaimed. "Big Bang Shot!"

(3,200 ATK)

"All right! Colossal Fighter, attack Ancient Sacred Wyvern again!"

Colossal Fighter rushed at the Fairy; Ancient Sacred Wyvern roared, and flew to meet it...

The two Synchros collided, and their owners cringed as they were both blown to bits.

"It was a draw!" squawked Gabriel.

"But don't forget," said Shichiro, "Colossal Fighter can come right back..."

Colossal Fighter reappeared again. (3,700 ATK)

"So can my Monster," said Copernus, narrowing his eyes, "so long as I have enough Life Points..."

Ancient Sacred Wyvern appeared again, curled up in Defense Mode. (2,000 DEF)

**(S: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 5,300)**

"Well then..." said Shichiro. "Colossal Fighter will just have to attack it again... And since it left the field and was summoned back to it, that's exactly what it's gonna do!"

Colossal Fighter leapt at Ancient Sacred Wyvern and clobbered it again, blowing it to pieces.

"I use its effect again!" shouted Copernus. "I pay 1,000 Life Points to bring it back in Defense Mode!"

Ancient Sacred Wyvern rose again. (2,000 DEF)

**(S: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 4,300)**

"I was hoping you'd do that..." said Shichiro. "Cause now, Nitro Warrior can strut his stuff.

"Now, Nitro Warrior attacks your facedown Monster. And since I played Big Bang Shot, it gains 1,000 Attack Points for this one attack. And because of Big Bang Shot, it deals damage even when attacking a defending Monster."

Nitro Warrior rushed at the facedown card, and its Attack Score increased to 4,200. Spirit of the Breeze appeared on the card, and screamed as she was punched by the much larger Monster.

"ERGH!" grunted Copernus.

**(S: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 1,900)**

"Now I activate Nitro Warrior's effect," continued Shichiro. "I can switch Ancient Sacred Wyvern to Attack Mode, and attack a second time."

Ancient Sacred Wyvern moved into an attacking position.

"Shichiro is in the lead by more than 2,100 points!" exclaimed Ember. "That means Wyvern..."

(0 ATK)

"Attack!" shouted Shichiro. "Dynamite knuckle!"

Nitro Warrior flew at Ancient Sacred Wyvern, and punched it hard, blowing it to pieces and knocking Copernus over.

**(S: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 0)**

Lord Copernus slowly got up.

His Disk glowed, and then turned once again into the flock of small pixies. The little fey flew into the trees, still giggling.

"Getting back to what we were talking about," he said, as if nothing had happened, "I think I've illustrated my point. Creatures such as Fire Princess and Ancient Sacred Wyvern can turn positive energy into a destructive force, and turn what normally heals into something dangerous.

"And the opposite can be true as well, when dealing with negative energy."

"Negative energy?" asked Shichiro, as he still tried to catch his breath.

"Do you recall the necromancer Edmund Mason?" asked Copernus.

"How could we ever forget?" asked Gears.

"He was a worm that walks," continued Copernus. "The ritual that made him one was a spell of necromancy, a spell of negative energy. Negative energy was what sustained his unnatural life. Yet, he was very much alive, not undead.

"Many would say that a living creature sustained by negative energy is a contradiction of terms. It doesn't make sense, but somehow it happened.

"The spirits of Dark Synchro Monsters are another example. They, like all Duel Spirits, except Zombies and Machines, are living creatures, not dead or undead.

"But the driving force that gives them life is negative energy. That is why their Levels are negative numbers. They are not dead, but are like an unnatural and perverted type of life.

"You saw how they are summoned... By subtracting the Levels of Monsters instead of adding. Instead of two Monsters combining their powers like a real Synchro, they drain the power from each other, creating a vile parasite that can do little but destroy.

"And the Earthbound Gods are worse... They are parasites of the worst sort, gluttons who would threaten to feed on the whole world if left unchecked..."

"So how do we fight them?" asked Shichiro.

Copernus paused for a minute. He looked at the sky.

"By using the opposing force, of course," he replied. "You must try your hardest to combat this dark parody of life with the real thing.

"There are some beings that I know of who are just as skilled at channeling positive energy as the Earthbound Gods were at channeling the negative. An experiment even more powerful as Zero Reverse, but with positive, benign energy, gave them the power to do so..."

Everyone stared at him.

"I thought that would get your attention...These individuals can help you."

"Who are they?" asked Jinx.

"How do we find them?" asked Ember.

"You won't," replied Copernus. "If they desire to help you, _they_ will find _you_."

"Please..." said Shichiro. "There must be something more you can tell us..."

"I'm afraid there is nothing more..." said Copernus. "Do not try to find this shrine again. I've already risked too much by speaking to you so long.

"But thank you for the duel, at least... It brought back memories of happier times..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The four humans opened their eyes, to find that they were outside the forest in the mortal world, back where they had parked their D-Wheels. The sun was almost ready to set.

Ember sighed.

"So now what?" she asked. "Where do we start?"

Then they all heard a low growl.

"What was that?" asked Jinx.

"My stomach," replied Gears.

They all realized that they all _were_ rather hungry.

"Maybe we can discuss what we should do over cheeseburgers at Pandora's Box," said Shichiro. "I don't think we can accomplish much standing here."

It sounded like the best plan for now, so they drove towards the city limits, thinking they were done for the day...

They didn't know that the weather was about to turn ugly...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ATTACK GUIDANCE ARMOR (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A man wearing a breastplate with a demonic face on the front.

**Card Description:** Activate only when your opponent declares an attack. Redirect the attack to a Monster other than the attack target or attacking Monster.

_Note: "Attack Guidance Armor" was used by Kaiba several times in the original anime, originally in "Back to Battle City (Part 2)" __Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**INVINCIBLE HERO (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A laughing, muscular superhero on a city street at night (the city is possibly "Skyscraper"), surrounded by unconscious, masked thugs, with shadowy thugs lurking behind him.

**Card Description**: Select one Warrior-Type Monster you control. The selected Monster cannot be destroyed by battle until the End Phase of this turn.

_Note: "Invincible Hero" was first used by Judai in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "A Lying Legend". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. (The effect as written is not 100% confirmed, but is an interpretation based on its use.)_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SYNCHRO HALO (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Gaia Force, Knight of the Earth, charging and smashing through chains.

**Card Description:** Activate only during your Battle Phase when a Synchro Monster you control attacks a Monster and does not destroy it. The Synchro Monster you control has its ATK doubled until the end of the Battle Phase, and may attack a second time this Battle Phase.

_Note: "Synchro Halo" was first used by Yusei the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Clash of the Dragons (Part 2)". __Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Jinx: The ophidia seem to be a bigger threat than we previously believed. I thought this snake was just a well-dressed buffoon with a strategy that wasn't too unusual. But now he's summoned a true nightmare... Not a Dark Synchro, but an infamous demon that everyone thought had been vanquished long ago.**

**What is going on? "Stygian Dirge" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**The Dream Travelers**

They say that dreams can be the entrance to another world, or perhaps the ability for someone to see another world. But in the world of Shadowkind, there exist a group of mysterious and outright weird spiritual Shadows who use those entrances to their advantage. Simply known as the Dream Travelers (as the race's name is unknown to non-members), these bodiless Shadowkind possess the ability to enter into one person's dreams (or nightmares).

By entering one person's dream, a Dream Traveler gains the ability to unlock the psyche of whoever's dream they enter and ultimately gain control the person's body. While in possession of a person's body, the original psyche and personality is repressed inside while the Dream Traveler takes control. Not only does the Dream Traveler's personality take over, but due to the nature of the Dream Traveler, their possessed body will take some physical changes. (Slight hair color change, improved physique, and a different taste in style have been recorded.)

Despite what rumors say about the Dream Travelers, they prefer to keep their possessed bodies in fine condition. The reason for this is simple – if the host dies, so does the Dream Traveler. And the Dream Travelers do not possess out of a sense of malice; they do so out of necessity. If one of them is without a host for twenty-four hours, it fades away, ceasing to exist. The amount of time a Dream Traveler can remain in control of a person is dependant on three simple factors:

1: The willpower of the possessed person. Unless it's incredibly strong, it's usually a surefire guess to say that the Dream Traveler will be in possession of the person for at least two to three days.  
2: The personality of the individual Dream Traveler, if the personality is calming they might be willing to listen to reason and release a host willingly. But if the personality is more extravagant, they might not be as open-minded about the subject.  
3: The conditions of the body. If the person's body is sick or injured, a Dream Traveler won't often take possession in the first place, and will usually abandon one that is danger of dying. (There is one exception that will be explained next where that rule doesn't apply.)

Now, no one really knows if Dream Travelers ever had physical forms, and apparently they themselves don't really remember. They may have had them before coming to Earth, or maybe they lost them during the process of transferring to earth. It's also a mystery as to what the true goals are of this elusive race of Shadowkind.

But there is one thing for certain; they do have morals and can make decisions on their own. One name does stick out among the Shadowchasers when talking about Dream Travelers – Roxis.

Nine years ago, a Dream Traveler who went by the name of Roxis was able to enter the body of a patient who was had been in a coma for seven years prior to the incident. At first it was just to make sure that he wouldn't fade away as so many of his comrades had, but when he realized that the body he had possessed was unable to regain consciousness, Roxis believed he had found himself a permanent body…

Unfortunately, what he did with that body had caught the attention of the Shadowchasers. Using the body, Roxis was able to break into several labs owned by other Shadowkind to steal several rare and valuable chemicals. What he was going to do with them was a mystery. Of course, the Shadowchasers went into action when the thefts began…

However, having seen many Shadowchasers in action through possessed eyes before, Roxis had enough experience defeating and escaping them. He thought that as long as he had this body, he wouldn't get caught…

But caught he was… Ironically, it was by a Shadowchaser who was also possessed by a Dream Traveler, this one who called himself Tarous. No-one knows just what happened between Roxis and Tarous. The encounter ended with the possessed Shadowchaser recovering from Tarous's influence, with the comatose man whom Roxis had possessed nearby, Roxis having clearly left. The Shadowchaser was able to retrieve the stolen property, and thanks to Roxis, the comatose patient was actually able to awaken from the coma and recover. But whatever Roxis had planned to do with the chemicals, and why Tarous had tried to stop him, remain mysteries to this day.

It is unknown if Roxis is still around or if he has faded away, but Tarous (or at least a Dream Traveler claiming to be him) showed up in Las Vegas very recently. His tactics this time differed greatly from last time, and from those of Dream Travelers in general. For one, his host was not human, but another Shadowkind, a lycanthrope. For another, he attempted to take permanent possession of his host, despite the fact that his host was in perfect health. However, he was defeated by another Shadowchaser and not been seen since.

This has done nothing to solve the mystery surrounding these beings, however. Shadowchasers have devoted time and energy in being able to detect Dream Travelers' presence in humans. Much remains to be learned, apparently, and much of this mystery remains to be unraveled.

**  
Story Ideas:** The Dream Travelers are quite an interesting bunch of Shadowkind and their numbers seem to increase and decrease in the world at random times. And still, a lot about this Shadowkind is unknown.

The Dream Travelers could be allies to the Shadowchasers, acting as a mediator or even as a partner for a Shadowchaser who's willing to let a Dream Traveler possess him/her from time to time.

Or, the Dream Travelers could be on the wrong side of the law, trying to recreate whatever Roxis was trying to cook up. It might have been a potion known only to Dream Travelers that would make the possession permanent, or even regain their original bodies that were somehow lost. Or they could just be used as extravagant henchmen who can turn allies into enemies.

**  
Deck Ideas:** Dream Travelers cannot conjure cards out of thin air, so they will use whatever cards they can get their possessed hands on, most likely the deck belonging to whoever they are possessing at the time. However, they often try to put a spin on the deck to make it unusual: For example, if the person they possess uses Warriors, the Dream Traveler would modify it to have the most unlikely kinds of Warriors… Such as Wind-Attribute Warriors.

For some reason, Dream Travelers like to stay away from Archetype decks like Archfiends, Blackwings, and the like.

_The Dream Travelers were a creation of fanfic author Lux-Nero. Tauros appeared in his fanfic, "Shadowchasers: Risen Nemesis"._


	15. Stygian Dirge

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL FIFTEEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Stygian Dirge**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

In the center of Neo Domino lay the financial district, the part of the city where the greatest symbols of its power stood. The buildings situated here included the Exchange, the Reserve, the Mint, and naturally, Sector Security Headquarters. Even as the seven o'clock hour came and the shadows lengthened, it was a busy place below the towering skyscrapers.

The four Shadowchasers stepped out of the Pandora's Box located amid all these large institutions, still not sure what to do after a meal of double cheeseburgers and fries.

"So what's our next move?" asked Ember.

Shichiro shook his head.

"I honestly don't know," he said. "Copernus said that these beings would find us if they wanted to help us..."

"An experiment even more powerful than Zero Reverse?" said Gears. "You'd think if there was another event in the history of the modern age that created an even _worse_ disaster, we would know about it..."

"Maybe it wasn't a disaster," replied Ember. "If it channeled positive energy, maybe whoever did this 'other experiment' was able to contain it..."

"We'll just have to take Copernus's word on it," said Shichiro.

"So what do we do in the meantime?" asked Jinx. "Somewhere out there, some psycho has the Dark Synchros, and is planning to do God knows what with them. Are we just going to wait to be attacked again?

"I mean, who knows just how many Dark Synchros are there? There could be legions of these demons waiting to be unleashed..."

"Well..." said Gears. "At least we know that an Extra Deck has a limit of fifteen cards..."

Behind Jinx's back was a manhole cover, and she didn't see it crack open, and didn't see two reptilian eyes peer out.

"And given that these Dark Synchros are a little harder to summon than regular Synchros," continued Gears, "I doubt that a duelist would carry a lot of them in one deck..."

The eyes peering out of the manhole belonged to Rain. He quickly noticed that Jinx had her back to him, and would likely be the easiest target.

He threw off the lid, and leapt quickly. Jinx didn't see him, but her friends certainly did.

"JINX!" screamed Gears. "Behind you!"

Jinx tried to turn around, only for two strong arms to wrap around her. She screamed as the ophidia quickly turned around and leapt back through the manhole, taking her with him.

"Jinx!" shouted Shichiro, as he, Gears, and Ember rushed up to the opening.

"Jinx, you down there?" shouted Ember.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Below the manhole was not a sewer, but rather one of the many maintenance tunnels that serviced the important buildings in this district. It was clean and brightly lit, much more so than any sewer.

The Three Storms were ophidia whose snake heritage was that of the anaconda, a notoriously strong constrictor snake. Such ophidia prided themselves on their ability to grapple foes and keep them locked in the grapple.

However, Rain didn't know that Jinx was pretty good at breaking a grapple.

Right now, Rain was hopping up and down, as a result of his foot being stomped on, while Jinx was leveling her sword at him.

"Ow, ow, ow!" he shouted.

"Make one step closer to me," she warned, "and I know a place that makes snakeskin boots..."

"Heh, heh..." chuckled Rain, nervously. "I see you are not a woman to be taken lightly. I am Rain..."

"I'm not impressed..." replied Jinx. "What do you want?"

"You humans may think of my kind as uncivilized beasts," said Rain, "but some of us can be quite civilized when we desire it..."

He pushed back the long sleeve of his kimono, where a Duel Disk was concealed.

"If we are meant to be enemies, why not fight each other in a more proper fashion? After all, there was once a time when duels were the way gentlemen handled disagreements. And if I'm not mistaken, you Shadowchasers still believe that to be true..."

"Really?" asked Jinx. "You're the first ophidia I've ever seen who's claimed to be a gentleman..."

She slowly sheathed her sword.

She didn't trust this snake, but if he wanted a duel, she would oblige. She was pretty sure she could beat this clown.

Both Disks activated.

**(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Rain: 8,000)**

"Duel!" they both shouted.

"I'll give the lady the honor of the first move," said Rain.

Jinx looked at him suspiciously as she made her first draw. She had never met a chivalrous ophidia before either.

She looked at her cards.

_Best see what I'm up against first..._ she thought.

She set a card on her Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"That will do for now," she said.

"I see..." said Rain, making a draw.

"I will also defend with a Monster," he said, as a facedown Monster appeared, "and I will end my turn."

"I have my eye on you, bud," said Jinx, as she made another draw.

She opened the Field slot on her Disk.

"I play the Field Spell, Gaia Power."

She played the card, and the maintenance tunnel around them quickly changed, transforming into a thick indoor forest.

"Here," she continued, "all Earth-Attribute Monsters gain 500 Attack Points, in exchange for 400 Defense Points.

"Next, I'll flip X-Saber Axel into Attack Mode..."

Her facedown Monster flipped up, and the rugged, sword-wielding X-Saber in patchwork armor appeared. (400 ATK) –) (900 ATK)

"Then I summon XX-Saber Garsem!"

She played another card, and the humanoid gazelle with two swords shaped like antlers appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"He may not look like much, but in addition to the Field bonus, he gains 200 Attack Points for each X-Saber on my side of the field."

(2,300 ATK)

"Now attack! Dash of honor!"

Garsem made a rush towards the facedown Monster at full speed, becoming a blur. A large, savage-looking hound appeared briefly on the card before it was blown to pieces.

Jinx looked surprised.

"That was Mad Dog of Darkness..." she said. "Why the heck did you put that guy in Defense Mode? Don't you know it's better in Attack Mode?"

"I have my reasons," replied Rain.

"Oh, have it your way..." said Jinx.

Axel leapt at Rain, and made a swipe at him with his sword.

"Urk!" said the ophidia.

"It's your move," said Jinx.

**(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 7,100)**

"I draw..." said Rain.

He made a draw.

"I set one facedown card," he said, as a reversed card appeared, "and then summon Gene-Warped Warwolf."

With a roar, the savage lycanthrope with tattoos on its fur and four arms appeared in front of him. (2,000 ATK)

"And, because it is also an Earth Monster, it gains the same benefit from your Field Spell."

(2,500 ATK)

"Ho boy..." said Jinx.

"Gene-Warped Warwolf, attack her ungulate!"

The Warwolf made four slashes with its claws, and Garsem groaned before shattering into pixels.

**(J: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 7,100)**

Jinx glared at him.

"Gazelles aren't ungulates, for your information," she said. "You're thinking about antelopes.

"And by the way, you activated Axel's effect. When an X-Saber is destroyed by battle, he lets me draw one card."

She made a draw.

"Very well..." said Rain. "I end my turn..."

Jinx made another draw.

"I summon X-Saber Galahad!" she shouted.

In a flourish of energy, the toad-like Warrior in full armor holding a pike appeared. (1,800 ATK) –) (2,300 ATK)

"And because he gains 300 Attack Points when he attacks, he can easily defeat your Warwolf!"

"Not once I activate this..." said Rain, as his facedown card lifted up.

"I play Gravity Bind. Now, you can't attack with a Monster that's Level 4 or greater."

Jinx gave a look of shock.

"News flash, pal..." she said. "Neither can you."

Rain simply looked at her.

"Uh, yeah..." said Jinx, as she set a card in her Disk. "I'm gonna play this, then move Axel to Defense Mode..."

A facedown card appeared in a flash of light. Then Axel knelt and held his sword down. (0 DEF)

"...and then end my turn..."

"My draw..." said Rain, as he drew a card.

Thunder seemed to rumble in the distance as he looked at the card he had drawn. Jinx began to feel uneasy.

Rain made a slight smirk. He added the card to his hand, and then chose another.

"I summon Vorse Raider," he said.

In another flash of energy, the savage Beast-Warrior holding a nasty axe appeared. (1,900 ATK)

_He's obviously playing some sort of Normal Beatdown Deck,_ thought Jinx. _But so long as Gravity Bind is in play, his Monsters are as out of commission as mine are. What's his game?_

"I end my turn," said Rain.

Jinx made a draw.

"I have no idea what you're up to, pal," she said. "So I'm just going to set a Monster and a facedown card..."

Two set cards appeared, one in her Monster Zone, and one in her Spell Zone.

"...and my turn is over."

"Then it's my turn again..." said Rain, making a draw.

"I summon Gemini Elf."

In an aura of magical energy, two elf sisters, one blonde in a blue dress, the other brunette in a purple dress, appeared with their arms around each others' waists. (1,900 ATK) –) (2,400 ATK)

"Getting kind of crowded in here, wouldn't you say?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah..." said Jinx.

She made a draw.

_That's the ticket..._ she thought.

"I summon X-Saber Airbellum!" she shouted.

With a howl, the bestial X-Saber appeared, flashing his blades. (1,600 ATK) –) (2,100 ATK)

"Now, I activate, Call of the Haunted!" she exclaimed, as one of her facedown cards lifted up.

XX-Saber Garsem reappeared. (2,700 ATK)

"And guess what, snake?" continued Jinx. "Since Airbellum is Level 3, Gravity Bind isn't gonna stop him.

"And he'll be able to attack, as soon as he gets this..."

Her other facedown card lifted.

"Kunai with Chain!"

The nasty chained boomerang appeared in Airbellum's hand. He swung it dramatically. (2,600 ATK)

"Well..." said Rain, "if you think it will be that easy, then by all means, attack."

Jinx stopped short.

_What does he mean?_ she thought. _Airbellum is stronger than any of his Monsters, all his Monsters are plain vanilla Normal Monsters, and he has no facedown cards. How could he possibly stop this attack?_

Her eyes narrowed.

_He's bluffing..._

"Attack Gene-Warped Warwolf!" she shouted.

Airbellum leapt into the air, and hooked the lycanthrope with the Kunai. With a slash of a claw, the Warwolf was blown to pieces.

**(J: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 7,000)**

Rain chuckled, and thunder rolled again.

"Thank you..." he said. "By destroying one of my Normal Monsters, you've enabled me to summon _this_!"

He threw a card on his Disk, and Jinx felt a wave of incredible evil cover the field...

A sinister-looking pentagram appeared in mid-air, and a demonic-looking creature slowly emerged from it, a thing that Jinx believed had been banished forever a long time ago. It looked like a fiendish Dogū idol, glowing with eldritch energy and a foreboding aura of shadow.

"That's Orichalcos Shunoros!" shouted Jinx. "How? What..."

She quickly looked to her sides.

"Don't panic, milady..." chuckled Rain. "There is no cursed Seal around us... None on my forehead either, as you can see... This is a new version of Orichalcos Shunoros, one only loyal to the goddess of the ophidia.

"It's not as powerful as the one that served the Leviathan, thank goodness, but it is quite powerful nonetheless, if used the right way.

"Let me explain its capabilities... It's Attack Score is 1,000 for each Monster you have on the field."

(5,000 ATK)

Jinx stopped short. That was why he stalled... He was waiting for her to assemble a sizeable force...

"Also..." continued Jinx, "so long as it's on the field, all of my Level 4 Normal Monsters cannot be destroyed by card effects.

"So... It's still your move..."

Jinx slowly turned a card on her Disk, and Galahad knelt in Defense Mode. (400 DEF)

"Your move..." she said, nervously.

Rain made a draw.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon," he said, as a Spell Card appeared. "I think I'll destroy my own Gravity Bind."

A cyclone tore across the field, and the Trap Card was blown to pieces.

"Orichalcos Shunoros, attack X-Saber Airbellum with photon ring!"

The creature blasted a wave of ring-shaped energy beams at Airbellum. The explosion threw Jinx backwards and on her behind.

"Ooh..." she said.

**(J: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 7,000)**

Shunoros fell to an Attack Score of 4,000, while Garsem fell to 2,500.

"I... I get to draw one card due to Axel..." she said.

She made a draw.

"I summon Archfiend Soldier," said Rain.

The infernal shock troop appeared, holding its wicked blade. (1,900 ATK)

"And I end my turn..."

_I get the idea..._ thought Jinx. _He's going to attack with Shunoros one Monster at a time until it isn't able to any longer, and then launch a mass-attack with his other beatsticks._

She drew a card.

_Hopefully I can think of something by then..._

"I set a facedown," she said, "and then move Garsem into Defense Mode."

A facedown card appeared with a flash of light, and then Garsem knelt and crossed its swords. (0 DEF)

"Make your move..."

"I draw!" exclaimed Rain, drawing a card.

"Shunoros, obliterate X-Saber Axel!"

Shunoros blasted its photon ring, and Jinx braced herself as Axel exploded. Shunoros fell to an Attack Score of 3,000.

Rain looked at the Monster he had just drawn, Cyber-Tech Alligator.

_One more round and Shunoros will be weak enough for her to defeat it,_ he thought. _But then I can sacrifice it for this guy... And then attack with all my Monsters at once..._

"It's your move..." he said.

Jinx looked at her deck.

_Okay... _she thought. _What would Yugi do?_

She thought for a minute.

_If I remember correctly, he managed to nullify the Seal, which made this thing vulnerable, which let him destroy it with Mirror Force..._

_Although that triggered a hidden effect of the thing, allowing Dartz to summon..._

She gulped.

_...The Divine Serpent!_

She took some deep breaths.

_Get ahold of yourself, Kaede! Whoever is pulling this guy's strings may have been able to duplicate Shunoros, but there is no way anyone could have duplicated The Divine Serpent. You've got to keep telling yourself that this thing in front of you is nothing more than an imposter, and you can take it down just like you've taken down any other difficult Monster..._

_Thing is, I don't have a Mirror Force... I'm gonna have to think of something else..._

She quickly made a draw.

"I'm flipping Morphing Jar into Attack Mode," she said, as her facedown Monster flipped up.

Morphing Jar appeared with a cackle. Rain stepped back in shock. (700 ATK) –) (1,200 ATK)

"Now we have to throw away all the cards in our hands and draw five replacements," continued Jinx.

She discarded her hand, which consisted of five cards, and made five draws. Rain discarded three cards, and also drew five.

"Next," she continued, "I'm activating Gatmuz's Urgent Orders."

Her facedown card lifted up.

"With at least one X-Saber on the field, I get to Special Summon two from my Graveyard."

First Airbellum appeared. (1,600 ATK) –) (2,100 ATK) Then Axel appeared next to him. (400 ATK) –) (900 ATK)

"Fine," said Rain. "My Monster just gets stronger..."

(5,000 ATK)

"Not for long," said Jinx. "Because, now I'm Tuning Airbellum, Garsem, and Morphing Jar together..."

The three Monsters faded into nine glowing stars, and flew into the canopy of the dense forest.

"_Barbarian king in a lawless land, mighty general of a great army! Name synonymous with strength, an avatar of primal power! Clustering stars form a path to lead your troops to victory! Fight on… XX-Saber Gatmuz!"_

With a battlecry, Gatmuz landed in front of her with a crash. (3,100 ATK) –) (3,600 ATK)

"Since I just reduced the number of Monsters on my side of the field from five to three," continued Jinx, "Shunoros gets weaker."

(3,000 ATK)

"And it's about to get even weaker. I'm using Gatmuz's effect. By sacrificing an X-Saber, I can send one card in your hand to the Graveyard."

Axel vanished, and Gatmuz pointed. The Summoned Skull in Rain's hand shattered.

"Not that one!" he shouted.

"And since I sacrificed Axel," said Jinx, "Shunoros loses another 1,000 Attack Points."

(2,000 ATK)

"Galahad, move to Attack Mode!"

Galahad stood up. (2,300 ATK)

"All right! Gatmuz... Crush that abomination! Battle rage!"

Gatmuz roared, and slashed at the evil idol with his mighty blade. The demon that once served Leviathan but now served Seghulerak shuddered for a moment, and then cracks appeared all over its armor...

Then it shattered like a piece of broken pottery.

"Ergh..." muttered Rain.

"Galahad, destroy Gemini Elf!" shouted Jinx.

Galahad rushed at the twin elves, his Attack Score rose to 2,600, and they screamed as he slashed at them with his pike. Then burst into shards.

Jinx took a deep breath. She fit a card into her Disk, and a reversed card appeared behind Gatmuz.

"It's your move..." she said.

**(J: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 5,800)**

Rain chuckled as he drew a card.

"I see you are full of surprises..." he said, as he played a Spell Card. "But then again, so am I!

"I play the Spell Card, Faustian Bargain. This Spell has two steps to it. Step one, I send a Monster that was Special Summoned to the Graveyard..."

Before Jinx could question this, Gatmuz vanished into grains of light.

"No fair!" she shouted.

"Step two," continued Rain, "I Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from my hand... So I'll Special Summon Renge, Gatekeeper of Dark World."

The Monster that appeared was clearly a Fiend, and it looked like a wall that had been given a fiendish face, arms, and legs. (2,100 DEF)

"I'm not done," continued Rain. "Next, I play this..."

He held up another Spell Card.

"A Ritual Spell?" asked Jinx.

Rain played it, and a human figure suspended in mid-air surrounded by a scientific apparatus and an aura of energy appeared next to him.

"Yes..." he said. "By playing Synthesis Spell, I sacrifice two of my Monsters..."

Archfiend Soldier and Renge, Gatekeeper of Dark World vanished into grains of light.

The aura surrounding the figure turned blood red, and he started to change, growing fur, claws, and fangs. Then, with a loud howl, he burst out of the apparatus as a savage Lycanthrope, and sprang onto the field. (2,400 ATK) –) (2,900 ATK)

"Okay..." sighed Jinx. "The Field Spell was a bad idea..."

"Attack X-Saber Galahad!" ordered Rain. "Savage shadow slash!"

Lycanthrope howled, and leapt at the Warrior, and Galahad's Attack Score fell down to 1,800. With one swipe of a claw, Galahad shattered.

"In addition, there's Lycanthrope's effect," said Rain, with a grin. "For each Normal Monster currently in my Graveyard..."

The phantasmal forms of Gene-Warped Warwolf, Gemini Elf, Archfiend Soldier, Mad Dog of Darkness, Summoned Skull, Cyber-Tech Alligator, Renge, and Neo Aqua Madoor appeared, and then faded away.

"...you lose an additional 200 Life Points. In case you aren't good at multiplication..."

Jinx almost screamed as she felt a pain like a claw slashing across her gut.

She held her stomach and gasped for breath.

"I'm plenty good at it..." she gasped, holding her gut. "And before you think of attacking me with that other guy...

"I pay 500 Life Points to use X-Saber Palomlo's effect, and Special Summon him to defend me!"

X-Saber Palomlo appeared, kneeling and shielding himself with his spear. (0 DEF)

"Ah, well..." said Rain.

Vorse Raider pounced upon the small Reptile and made a cut with its axe, smashing it to pieces.

"...there's always next turn... It's your move..."

**(J: 2,200) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 5,800)**

Jinx made a draw, and looked at the four cards in her hand.

_As if the Shunoros wasn't bad enough..._ she thought. _I gotta do something before I'm dog food..._

She looked at the chamber on her Disk where her extra Deck was kept.

_I haven't used this guy in a while... He's not exactly my most powerful Synchro, especially since I got Hyunlei..._

_But I knew that holding onto him wasn't a mistake..._

She lifted her arm, and one of her facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Limit Reverse, to bring Palomlo back from the Graveyard," she said.

In a flourish, Palomlo appeared, forming a fighting stance. (200 ATK) –) (700 ATK)

"Then, I play the Spell Card, The Warrior Returning Alive."

She played the Spell Card, and took Galahad from her discard slot.

She played the card, and Galahad appeared again. (1,800 ATK) –) (2,300 ATK)

"Okay guys... Let's DO it!"

The two X-Sabers leapt towards the canopy, and faded into five glowing stars. Jinx threw up her arms again.

"_Legend of the Old West, he rides from out of the wildness with determination on his face, courage and fortitude riding alongside him! Clustering stars form a path to victory in this wild land..._

"_Synchro Summon... X-Saber Wayne!"_

There was a sound like the galloping of hooves, and Rain could see a shadowy rider approach from the haze behind Jinx. In an instant, the galloping stopped, and a Warrior leapt onto the field. He was a rugged man dressed like a cowboy, with a buckskin, cowboy hat, and tattered cape, the X-Saber insignia on his shoulders.

He drew a weapon from a holster on his belt, which looked like a cross between a six-shooter and a Bowie knife. (2,100 ATK) –) (2,600 ATK)

"Amusing," said Rain, "but my Monster is stronger..."

"I'll get to him in a minute," said Jinx. "First, Wayne has a nifty effect. When he's Synchro Summoned, I get to Special Summon a Warrior from my hand. So I'll summon XX-Saber Fulhelmknight!"

Another Warrior leapt onto the field, this one a young girl, dressed in leather armor and a scarlet cape, with long, blonde hair. She held two long daggers. Despite her name, she was not wearing a helm. (1,300 ATK) –) (1,800 ATK)

"Now, you said that Wayne couldn't defeat Lycanthrope..." she continued. "And you know what? You're right! But he can help Fulhelmknight do it, once I play this..."

She threw a Spell Card into her Disk.

"It's called Synchro Gift. By playing this, I can reduce Wayne's Attack Score to zero for this round, and increase Fulhelmknight's Attack Score by his base Attack Score."

Wayne fell to zero Attack Points, and Fulhelmknight glowed with an aura of flames... (3,900 ATK)

"And that's strong enough. Fulhelmknight, eradicate Lycanthrope with shimmering shards!"

Fulhelmknight leapt at Lycanthrope, and threw a volley of glowing knives. The Beast-Warrior roared, and shattered into an explosion of pixels.

"Curses..." growled Rain. "You're starting to annoy me..."

"Then let me try harder," replied Jinx, fitting a card in her Disk.

A new facedown card appeared.

"It's your move..."

Wayne returned to an Attack Score of 2,600, while Fulhelmknight fell back to 1,800.

**(J: 2,200) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 4,800)**

Rain quickly drew the top card off his deck.

"I've had enough of this Field Spell of yours," he said. "I play Heavy Storm!"

He played the card, and the fierce wind tore through the field. The trees started to blow away.

"I chain-activate my facedown card!" shouted Jinx, as her Trap Card shot up. "Threatening Roar!"

A roar echoed over the field, as the card shattered.

Both X-Sabers lost 500 Attack Points as the last of the Gaia Power Field faded away.

"Well, I may not be able to attack," said Rain, "but I will move Vorse Raider to Defense Mode..."

Vorse Raider knelt, and held its axe in its lap. (1,200 DEF)

"...and then play Silent Doom. I'll bring back Neo Aqua Madoor from my Graveyard in Defense Mode."

There was a blast of cold air, and a frigid-looking wizard surrounded by an aura of intense cold appeared. He knelt, and shielded himself with his arms. (3,000 DEF)

"And I end my turn..."

"Draw..." said Jinx, drawing a card.

"Fulhelmknight, destroy Vorse Raider!"

Fulhelmknight leapt upon the Beast-Warrior, and made two slashes with her daggers. The barbarian shattered.

"And when Fulhelmknight destroys a Monster that's in Defense Mode," continued Jinx, "I get to bring back an X-Saber from my Graveyard.

"So once again, here's XX-Saber Garsem!"

The humanoid gazelle appeared once again, holding aloft its twin blades. (1,400 ATK) –) (2,000 ATK)

"Make your move..." she said.

Rain drew a card.

"Oh, I will..." he said, as he quickly played it. "And it's going to win me this duel...

"I play Fulfillment of the Contract! Once I pay 800 Life Points, guess who's back?"

Lycanthrope appeared again with a roar. (2,400 ATK)

"Your Fulhelmknight has nothing to defend herself!" he laughed. "Combined with Lycanthrope's effect, you're through!

"Attack!"

Lycanthrope roared, and pounced at Fulhelmknight...

Then Fulhelmknight lifted her hand, and Lycanthrope was thrown backwards, as if by a mighty punch to the face.

"What?" said Rain.

"I didn't mention Fulhelmknight's _other_ effect," said Jinx. "I can only use it once per time that she's on the field. She can negate one attack on any X-Saber, including herself."

"Okay, now you _are_ annoying me!" growled Rain. "I have to end my turn... At least none of your Monsters can defeat Lycanthrope this time..."

**(J: 2,200) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 4,000)**

Jinx drew a card.

"Actually, snake," she said, "I'm not only going to defeat it, I'm going to defeat _both_ of your Monsters, and win this duel right now.

"First, I sacrifice Fulhelmknight..."

Fulhelmknight turned into a brilliant orb of energy.

"...to summon Allsword Commander Gatmuz!"

The Monster that appeared... Well, it was Gatmuz. His armor was not as fancy as it was before, but there was no denying that it was him. (2,100 ATK)

"Huh?" said Rain. "I thought he was a Synchro Monster."

"He is," replied Jinx. "And he's also an Effect Monster. Two different cards, two depictions of the same person.

"And this version has a different effect. He increases the Attack Scores of all X-Sabers by 400 points."

Wayne rose to an Attack Score of 2,500, while Garsem rose to 2,200.

Rain hissed loudly.

"Oh, I'm not done..." said Jinx, as she played the last card in her hand. "I Equip Wayne with the Sword of Sparkles!"

Wayne's six-shooter vanished, and the legendary blade of the X-Sabers appeared in his hand.

"Wayne, take care of that mutt!" shouted Jinx.

Wayne made a slash at Lycanthrope with the enchanted blade, and the Beast-Warrior roared. It shattered into pixels again.

"And when an X-Saber slays a Monster using the Sword of Sparkles," continued Jinx, "I get to send another card packing."

Neo Aqua Madoor shattered into shards of ice.

"All right! Gatmuz... Garsem... Let's end this!"

The Beast and the Beast-Warrior lifted their weapons...

"Wait! Hold on!" shouted Rain.

He screamed as he was struck by three swords, and knocked prone.

**(J: 2,200) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 0)**

"Oh, my aching noggin..." groaned Rain.

He looked up to see Jinx standing over him, with a big frown on her face.

"Fine..." he said. "Arrest me...

"I'll be out in seventy-two hours anyway... What can you actually charge me with?"

"Assault, for one thing..." said Jinx.

"Your word against mine," replied Rain.

He grinned. He and his brothers knew a lawyer who could get a charge like that dropped with no problem...

Jinx grabbed his arm, and yanked the Duel Disk off of it. She took the cards out, and held the Orichalcos Shunoros card in front of his face.

"This is a reprint of a card created by one of the most powerful forces of evil ever to threaten the world, buster!" she shouted. "Do you know how many major violations of the Treaty you're committing by simply _owning_ it?"

Suddenly, Rain got _very_ nervous.

"One?" he squeaked.

It suddenly seemed he'd need a _much_ better lawyer now...

"Try _eleven_," said Jinx, as she raised her gemstone. "And if dark magic was involved in its construction, a lot more.

"Once you get to the detention center, you're gonna have a lot of talking to do..."

The ophidia vanished in an aura of energy.

She looked up.

_Okay, how do I get out of here?_ she thought. _Where's that manhole he pulled me through?_

_Better find it fast... Since they didn't follow me down here, I have a feeling that they're in as much trouble as I got into..._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SYNCHRO GIFT (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Naturia Rock in the foreground glowing with energy as Real Genex Kurokishian stands behind.

**Card Description:** Select one Synchro Monster you control. Until the End Phase of the turn, reduce the ATK of the selected Monster to zero. Increase the ATK of another Monster you control, except another Synchro Monster, by the base ATK of the selected Monster until the End Phase of the turn.

_Note: "Synchro Gift" was first used by Yusei in a third-season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" __Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Gears: I hope Jinx can take care of herself for now, because we have problems of our own. Another ophidia on a D-Wheel has appeared, and has led me on a merry chase to an alternate reality. My only way home seems to win this Turbo Duel where I'm being assaulted by Monsters that are dangerous times two. **

"**Double Snare" is coming soon.**

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Rosed Vallery; Dramatic Killer**

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." So begins a famous monologue from Shakespeare's _As You Like It_. Rose Vallery is a member of the Chaser Hunters of questionable sanity who has taken this phrase far too literally.

A rather flamboyant and cheerful elf, Rosed was born into acting. His adopted parents were actors, and he got a free ticket to see every show. It made him see the whole world as his stage, and he enjoyed life, going so far as to do dumb risks for the drama.

Then his parents died during a play. Someone had replaced the fake poison on the set with the real deal. The culprit was never found, nor was any motive for the murder ever discovered.

Most would have been distraught, but Rosed simply wiped a tear and said they had a 'marvelous performance'. But he refused to be adopted again, and he ran.

He made money from small-time performances, before he started to grow bored of it. His parent's death had switched him to a different theatre, Antonin Artaud's Theatre of Cruelty. That wasn't the public name for it, but only a name used in the Shadow underworld for this devious operation where the performers and often some viewers often were injured by the proceedings.

Before long, the people who traveled by began to feel uneasy at the things he performed. Rosed may even have touched their minds with magic, but despite the uneasiness the people would come back. Before long, a policeman smelled a rat, and attempted to arrest him due to the odd things that were happening to the people who watched his performance. It was then that a still-smiling Rosed broke the officer's neck. Declaring himself the way to shatter the illusions of the world, he escaped.

Only one person, a Chaser Hunter who happened to be passing by, noticed him. How he managed to convince Rosed to join him is unknown, but Rosed appeared later to help the Chaser Hunters, that smile still on his face. He hasn't killed anyone else as of yet, but he goes after the Shadowchasers with a passion.

The truth is, although he will never reveal it until the end, is that he wants the Shadowchasers to win. He doesn't care what happens to him in the end – no-one is ever concerned about the characters once the curtain goes down. This whole thing to him is one big performance, and he just wants to put on a great show, one that he knows, with the right incentive, the Shadowchasers will provide. Of course, to him all shows must have a great tragedy, and there is no 'happily ever after'.

**  
Story Ideas:** Rosed often joins the side he thinks will lose, for there is no 'drama' to being on the winning side. So if the people he is with gain a massive advantage, he would betray them. All in all, Rosed is a wild card, and he doesn't care for who wins so much as making a good show. He can betray the heroes when all seems well or help them when the condition seems its bleakest.

**  
Deck Suggestions:** Rosed is an actor at heart, but he is also into cruelty. He wants to shatter the masks and show others what they do not wish to see. He could use Fiends (unusual for an elf), a burn deck, or even an Evil Hero Deck. (Of course, if that were the case, there would have to be an explanation as to how he got Haou Judai's cards.)

_Rosed was a creation of fanfic author Aelsthla-Mental._


	16. Unleash Your Power!

_Note to readers: If I have sent you a copy of the Writer's Guidelines at any time in the past, and you still intend to write a Shadowchasers fanfic, or are already writing one, please contact me by e-mail. The Guidelines have been updates, and I would like to update all prospective authors._

_Anyway, on with the chapter..._

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL SIXTEEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Unleash Your Power!**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Turning back the clock about thirty minutes, to the point right after Jinx was grabbed and dragged down the manhole. Her three allies were bent over it, shouting her name.

"Jinx!" shouted Shichiro.

No answer.

"JINX!" he yelled. "Yell if you can hear me!"

"LOOK OUT!" screamed Gabriel.

The phoenix said something else, but was interrupted by the sound of a motor. The three Shadowchasers dove aside as a D-Wheel sped by, almost running them over.

The D-Wheel pulled to a stop twenty feet away from them.

"You crazy..." cursed Gears. "I'll have your license revoked!"

Then the driver turned his head towards them, and lifted up his visor, revealing the distinctive reptilian eyes of another ophidia.

"What the..." said Gears.

The ophidia D-Wheeler lowered his visor, and gave them a thumb's up sign. Then he started up again.

Gears got up and grabbed his helmet.

"You two keep watching for Jinx," he said. "I want some answers..."

He ran to his D-Wheel.

"Gears, he's leading you into something!" shouted Ember.

"I've never not been able to handle something that some thug 'led me into'," replied Gears.

He started up his ride, and took off down the street after the ophidia.

The ophidia (who was Thunder, naturally) watched Gears on the monitor on his dashboard as the Shadowchaser pursued.

"That's it, human," he said, as he entered a command into his controls. "The trap is set..."

"_Pan dimensional system activated,"_ said a voice on his dashboard. _"Opening portal to temple dimension."_

"And now the trap is sprung!"

All of a sudden, there was a rumble of real thunder, and the evening sky clouded up. Gears looked around nervously.

And then he was startled as a huge, black portal appeared in the middle of the street. The ophidia drove into it, clearly expecting it.

Gears slammed on the brakes, but that only made it worse. He and his bike were drawn into the dark portal like they were caught in some tractor beam...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Boy, did I just walk into _that_ one..." growled Gears.

The portal had closed, and he was on the wrong side of it. He seemed to be in a rocky wasteland of some sort. Mountains were far to the left, cliffs were to the right, and far ahead of them seemed to be a large building of some sort.

He strained his eyes to see. The building seemed to be in ruins.

He hit a command on his dashboard.

"Discern location!" he said.

"_Scanning..."_ said his computer.

There was a beeping, then a hum.

"_Current location undocumented,"_ it said.

"Just great..." he said.

Then Thunder pulled up in front of him. The ophidia took his helmet off.

"I suppose you have questions, human," he said.

"Yeah," said Gears. "Where do you want your corpse sent after I strangle you?"

"Don't make jokes," said Thunder. "I'm the only one who knows the way back to Earth, after all... Thunder's the name... I think your friend Jinx already knows my brother..."

"Where... am... I?" asked Gears.

"To be honest, we don't know the true name of this world," said Thunder. "We gave it a name when we found it, but it didn't sit well..."

"I don't understand..." said Gears.

"I'll explain," said Thunder. "Five-hundred years ago, the ophidia rulers found this world, which they could easily access from Earth. They figured an uninhabited world with a breathable atmosphere and a water supply would be the ideal place to build a grand temple to our goddess, where we could come and worship without being bothered by humans. Or Shadowchasers."

He pointed to the ruined building in the distance.

"So we built it... And for a while, we could indeed worship in peace..."

"So what happened?" asked Gears.

"It turned out we were wrong about this world being uninhabited," replied Thunder. "It's actually the home of a group of incredibly powerful and incredibly selfish beings who didn't want us here. They chased us out."

"And you didn't even try to fight back?" asked Gears. "That doesn't sound like ophidia..."

Thunder glared at him.

"We had weapons that were typical for the Seventeenth Century," he said. "They had vehicles and armaments that the most brilliant of your scientists don't believe will be invented on Earth for at least three centuries from now. You do the math.

"But we still come here from time to time, indiscreetly, when we want privacy."

Gears looked at him.

"You dragged me through a portal..." he said, "onto a world that belongs to a technologically superior race that doesn't like trespassers??"

"We were here for five years before they found us," replied Thunder. "I doubt they'll realize we're in this wasteland before we're done..."

"Done doing what?" asked Gears.

Thunder put on his helmet.

"Dueling, of course," he said. "If you want to know why, it's quite simple... My brothers and I are bounty hunters. So it's nothing personal."

_Brothers?_ thought Gears. _As in plural?_

_Then Shichiro and Ember are in trouble too..._

"Look buddy," he said, "Turbo Dueling in such a dangerous area is usually against my policy..."

"I live for danger!" laughed Thunder.

"...but since I really have no choice," continued Gears, "you're on..."

He punched in some commands on his dashboard. A progress bar started to form.

_But as soon as my own pan-dimensional system finds a route back home,_ he thought, _I am so out of here..._

Hopefully, his computer would be able to get a ballpark of their location and construct a portal back to Earth. Of course, since it was a rush job, he didn't expect a first class trip.

The two D-Wheels started. The Speed World Field Spell appeared, and the shimmering void appeared over the wasteland.

"Let's ride!" laughed Thunder.

**(Gears: 8,000 SPC: 0) - - - - - - - - - (Thunder: 8,000 SPC 0)**

The two duelists sped off from their starting point, towards the temple in the distance.

"I'll start this show," said Gears, making a draw.

"I'm calling out Ally of Justice Garadholg."

The portal behind him opened, and Garadholg leapt out, holding its energy blades. (1,600 ATK)

"I'll throw this facedown, for later..."

A facedown card appeared next to his bike, and then faded.

"...and I end my turn..."

He looked at the progress bar. Unfortunately, it was only at two percent completion.

"My move!" laughed Thunder, as he made a draw.

Both Speed Counters went up to one.

"I summon Goggle Golem!"

A portal behind him opened, and a hulking humanoid leapt out. It was a muscular brute with grey skin and a pug face, wearing leather pants and studded leather gloves. (1,500 ATK)

"That's a Gemini Monster!" exclaimed Gears.

"Oh, you've heard of them?" asked Thunder. "Well... I guess I don't need to waste time on boring explanations then...

"I'll just set two cards, and end my turn..."

Two facedown cards appeared beside his bike, and then vanished.

Gears made a draw, and both Speed Counters rose to two.

_Gemini Monsters are tricky creatures..._ he thought. _They're powerful, but they have to be Normal Summoned twice to use their effects..._

_I think I can see what he's planning..._

"I summon Robotic Knight," he said.

The portal opened, and the android soldier flew out. (1,600 ATK)

"Garadholg, destroy his Goggle Golem!"

Garadholg flew out in front and did a 180, and flew towards the Gemini...

"I can't believe you fell for it!" laughed Thunder, as one of his facedown cards spun around. "I activate Ultimate Offering!

"For the low, low price of only 500 Life Points, I can Normal Summon a Monster right now."

"Meaning you can Gemini Summon your Goggle Golem, right?" asked Gears.

"Naturally," said Thunder, as Goggle Golem flexed and glowed with an aura of energy. "Which means its effect activates, making it stronger!"

(2,100 ATK)

"Well I suspected as much," said Gears, as his Trap Card spun around. "I activate Rising Energy!

"I toss one card..."

He threw Ally of Justice D.D. Checker into his discard slot.

"...and Garadholg gets even stronger."

(3,100 ATK)

Garadholg's blades made a slash, blowing Goggle Golem to pebbles.

"Ergh..." grunted Thunder.

**(G: 8,000 SPC: 2) - - - - - - - - - (T: 6,500 SPC 1)**

"You think you're so smart!" cursed Thunder. "Well, I was prepared too!"

His other Trap Card spun around.

"I activate Gemini Trap Hole! Because my Gemini Monster was an Effect Monster when it was destroyed, it drags your Monsters with it!"

Garadholg and Robotic Knight shattered.

_Okay..._ thought Gears. _Didn't expect that..._

He took a card from his gauntlet, and set it on his console. A facedown card flashed into existence, and then vanished.

"I end my turn!"

The two D-Wheels drove down a hill, and then started driving through a long canyon. Apparently, the temple was farther away than Gears had at first thought. He looked at the progress bar, which was still only at ten percent.

Thunder made a draw.

"I summon Ancient Gear Knight," he said.

The portal opened, and a rickety robot flew out. It looked like the famous Ancient Gear Soldier, except armed with a lance and a metal shield shaped like a gear. (1,800 ATK)

"And guess what Gears? This is also a Gemini Monster. So I'll pay 500 to use Ultimate Offering again..."

Ancient Gear Soldier glowed with the same aura of energy.

"...and it gains the same effect that all Ancient Gears have!"

_That means I can't use my Trap Card!_ thought Gears.

"Attack directly!" shouted Thunder as the Machine flew at Gears.

Gears held on tight as the robot stabbed its lance into the front of his bike.

**(G: 6,200 SPC: 2) - - - - - - - - - (T: 6,000 SPC 2)**

"I set a new facedown card," he said, as a facedown card appeared next to his bike, "and I end my turn."

Gears quickly drew the top card off his deck. Both Speed Counters rose to three.

He simply set a card on his console, and a set Monster appeared.

"Mmm!" he said.

"This is too easy!" laughed Thunder, drawing a card, as the Speed Counters went up to four.

His facedown card spun around.

"I activate Soul Resurrection. Because Gemini Monsters are considered Normal Monsters while in my Graveyard, I can now Special Summon Goggle Golem to the field in Defense Mode..."

The portal opened again, and Goggle Golem flew out, shielding itself with its arms. (500 DEF)

"Next, I have just enough Speed Counters to play this..."

A Speed Spell appeared in front of him.

"Speed Spell – Speed Fusion!"

"Huh?" said Gears. "What the heck are you going to fuse together?"

"Seems you don't know as much about Gemini Monsters as you thought," said Thunder. "The Monster I'm going to summon can be Fusion Summoned by combining _any_ two Gemini Monsters."

A portal opened above him, and both Goggle Golem and Ancient Gear Knight were sucked through it...

There was a low growl....

Slowly, a huge creature emerged from the portal. It was clearly a Dragon, with metallic blue skin, and such an intense glow, it seemed to be radioactive. (2,200 ATK)

"The Superalloy Beast Raptinus!" exclaimed Thunder. "Sure, it has a funny name, but I assure you, it's no laughing matter. Especially because I'm also summoning Gemini Lancer."

The portal opened again, and a fish-man in gladiator armor with tridents in both hands emerged. (1,800 ATK)

"In case you can't tell from the name," continued Thunder, "Gemini Lancer is a Gemini Monster too... And thanks to Raptinus, it doesn't need to be summoned twice to gain its effect."

_You gotta be kidding..._ thought Gears.

"Its effect," said Thunder, "lets it deal damage while attacking a defending Monster!

"Attack his Monster! Spiral wave!"

Gemini Lancer fired a bolt of wave-like energy from its left trident, and Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive appeared before it exploded. Gears groaned a little.

He sighed, and drew a card.

"You like that..." said Thunder. "Wait until you see what Raptinus can do!

"Attack directly! Super shockwave!"

Superalloy Beast Raptinus roared, and blasted a cone of pure electricity at Gears.

"I activate... Draining Shield!" shouted Gears.

His Trap Card spun around, and a dome of energy covered his bike as the blast hit.

Thunder growled.

"Make your move..." he said.

Gears made another draw.

**(G: 7,600 SPC: 5) - - - - - - - - - (T: 6,000 SPC 5)**

"Oh, I will..." said Gears. "You don't realize how much you helped me by summoning that thing...

"You see, because you now control two Monsters, and at least one of them is a Light Monster, I can Special Summon Ally of Justice Cosmic Closer."

A large, bulky Machine slowly rose behind Gears's bike. Unlike most of the Allies, this one didn't even remotely resemble any sort of living creature. It looked like the cabinet of a control panel with a circular, glowing portal on the front. (2,400 ATK)

"Crud..." said Thunder.

"Next..." said Gears, "I'm Normal Summoning my Mechanicalchaser."

The portal opened behind him, and another Machine flew out, the notorious robotic hunter, with a spherical body and spindly arms, tipped with blades. (1,850 ATK)

Gears glanced at his controls. The progress bar had just made a big jump, and was now at thirty percent.

_Good,_ he thought. _Just have to keep going, and soon this will be only a bad memory..._

Mechanicalchaser flew at Gemini Lancer, swinging its knives like a weed wacker. The Sea Serpent grunted, and then shattered.

Then Cosmic Closer blasted a mighty bolt of energy from its portal, striking Raptinus. The great Dragon roared, and burst into a colorful display of energy.

"I end my turn, snake," he said. "Got any more?"

Thunder chuckled as he made a draw.

**(G: 7,600 SPC: 6) - - - - - - - - - (T: 5,750 SPC 6)**

"Oh, I got plenty, Gears..." he said. "But first... Heads up!"

"Huh?" said Gears, looking ahead.

Then he realized that the canyon they were driving through terminated in a stone cliffside, with a cave entrance in the center.

Gears ducked as he maneuvered his D-Wheel through the entrance. His high-powered headlights flashed on automatically, and his foe followed him.

Another automatic feature came on his screen as they started driving down the underground passage. His D-Wheel had a navigation system built in for just such an occasion. He just hoped it would help him find the way out if he needed to find it.

He had heard stories of spelunkers foolishly going into unmapped parts of caves, getting lost, and having to be rescued... But there would be no-one to rescue him if he got lost here...

"You were right..." he told Thunder. "You DO live for danger!"

"I know..." chuckled Thunder. "And it's still my move...

"I set a Monster..."

A reversed Monster appeared in front of his bike, and then faded from sight.

"Then, I pay 500 Life Points to use Ultimate Offering, and summon Future Samurai."

A portal opened again, and a strange female Warrior leapt out of it. It was a cross between a Samurai and an astronaut, wearing a kimono made of silvery material with circuitry on it, a visor over her eyes, and holding a katana that was also covered with circuitry. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, I pay 500 Life Points again to Gemini Summon her, so that I can use her effect..."

Future Samurai glowed with silvery energy.

"...and she's got a good one! If I just remove a Monster in my Graveyard from play, she can destroy one on the field."

Gemini Lancer appeared behind him, and dissolved into nothing. Future Samurai made a slash with her katana, and Cosmic Closer was cleaved in half before shattering.

"Your move..." said Thunder.

Gears drew a card, and looked around him.

**(G: 7,600 SPC: 7) - - - - - - - - - (T: 4,750 SPC 7)**

The tunnel they were driving down seemed pretty straightforward, fortunately, and it appeared to be man-made (or maybe ophidia-made). Clearly, the ophidia had plans for long-term settlement on this world when they found it...

He looked at the card he had drawn. He set it on his console, and a facedown card appeared in a flash of light.

"I summon Nanobreaker!" he shouted.

With a flourish, a coldly beautiful woman wearing cybernetic armor holding a very fancy sword flew out of the portal. (Her name was actually Jake; the word "Nanobreaker" was the name of her sword. Like the Gradius Monsters, this card had been based on a video game.) (1,600 ATK)

"Mechanicalchaser, you first," he said.

The Machine hunter flew at Future Samurai and made a flyby attack. The Warrior dropped her sword and clutched her stomach before shattering.

"Nanobreaker, the last one!"

Nanobreaker bore down on the reversed Monster. Morphing Jar appeared on the card and made a loud cackle before her blade slashed it to ribbons.

"Figures..." said Gears.

He discarded his last card, DNA Transplant, and both duelists made five draws. Gears looked at them, and stashed all five on his gauntlet.

"I end my turn!" he said.

"Then it's my move!" chuckled Thunder, as he drew a sixth card.

**(G: 7,600 SPC: 8) - - - - - - - - - (T: 4,500 SPC 8)**

"I set a new Monster..." he said, as a reversed Monster appeared.

"Then I remove my Speed Fusion from play to Special Summon Spell Striker!"

In a small burst of energy, a little Monster appeared. It was a toy wizard with a horned helmet and a cape, holding a wand. (600 ATK)

_Huh?_ thought Gears. _Shichiro has that card!_

"Attack him directly!" shouted Thunder.

Spell Striker flew up to the front of Gears's bike and shot a blast of shocking energy at him. Gears grunted a little.

Thunder threw three cards on his dashboard, and three facedown cards appeared before fading.

"I end my turn..." he said with a grin.

Gears quickly made a draw. As he did, he was relieved to see an opening in the tunnel up ahead of him.

**(G: 7,000 SPC: 8) - - - - - - - - - (T: 4,500 SPC 8)**

"I summon Ally of Justice Researcher," he said.

With the loud roar of an engine, the robotic buggy appeared, driving next to his bike. (1,400 ATK)

"Now its effect activates," said Gears, as he discarded Ally of Justice Thousand Arms. "By tossing a card, I can flip your Monster into Attack Mode, and negate its Flip-Effect."

Gears was very surprised to see the bizarre Monster leap out in front of him. It looked like a very thin elf in a green robe with very wide sleeves and a pointed hat, wearing a collar of long ribbons that was arranged in a circle around his neck. (700 ATK)

"What the heck is THAT?" asked Gears.

"A Featherizer," replied Thunder. "I know it doesn't have all too many feathers, but..."

"Oh, who cares?" said Gears. "Researcher, destroy it!"

Researcher blasted its guns, and Featherizer was blown to atoms.

Thunder grinned from ear to ear.

"You should have looked before you leapt," he chuckled. "I never said it had a Flip-Effect..."

As he said this, they burst out of the opening, into open air. They were now driving down a rocky plain, with the abandoned temple in full view.

"Featherizer's effect is activated simply by it being destroyed by battle," he continued. "It lets me send a Gemini Monster from my deck to the Graveyard..."

He discarded a card.

"...and then make one draw..."

He drew a card.

"Well then..." said Gears, "now Nanobreaker attacks Spell Striker!"

Jake swung her sword, and the small Warrior shattered.

"I know, I know..." continued Gears. "You take no damage due to its effect... Well let's see if this damages you."

Mechanicalchaser flew towards Thunder.

The ophidia waved his hand, and one of his Trap Cards spun around.

"Magic Cylinder??" gasped Gears.

He screamed as a backlash hit him, and struggled to control his bike as his Speed Counters went down by one.

He caught his breath, and took a card from his gauntlet. He set it on his console, and a facedown card appeared.

"End!" he shouted.

Thunder chuckled as he made a draw.

**(G: 5,150 SPC: 8) - - - - - - - - - (T: 3,800 SPC 9)**

"I summon the dreaded Blazewing Butterfly!" he exclaimed.

The Monster that appeared this time was indeed a butterfly, albeit a big one with flames for wings. (1,500 ATK)

"Now, let's use Ultimate Offering one more time..."

His Life Points dipped again, and Blazewing Butterfly started to burn fiercer.

"You keep using that Trap," said Gears, "it's gonna come back to haunt you."

"It won't matter much anymore," said Thunder. "Because now that I've Gemini Summoned my Butterfly, I can sacrifice it..."

Blazewing Butterfly vanished in a burst of flame.

"...to Special Summon any Gemini Monster from my Graveyard, except another Blazewing Butterfly."

A huge ball of fire appeared in front of Thunder's bike.

_What is he summoning?_ thought Gears.

With a roar, a huge, hulking Warrior emerged from the ball of flame. His plate armor was white with flaming red trim, with a crested helmet, and he carried a decorated broadsword and a shield. An aura of flame surrounded him. (2,800 ATK)

"Whoa..." said Gears.

"Meet the king of all Gemini!" laughed Thunder. "Phoenix Gearfried! And because I summoned him using Blazewing Butterfly, he's already considered Gemini Summoned!

"And I'm going to make him even stronger..."

One of his facedown cards spun around.

"The Trap Card, Kunai with Chain!"

Gearfried's sword vanished, and a bladed boomerang on a length of chain appeared where it was. (3,300 ATK)

"Go!" shouted Thunder. "Crush his Researcher!"

Gearfried roared, and flew at the small vehicle, twirling the Kunai.

"Go, Sakuretsu Armor!" shouted Gears, as his facedown card spun around.

"Not gonna work!" laughed Thunder. "Gearfried can dodge any Spell or Trap you try to use against him by ditching an Equip Spell!"

The Kunai shattered, and Gearfried's sword reappeared. (2,800 ATK)

The huge Warrior made a mighty smash, and Researcher exploded into scrap. Gears struggled to hang on as his D-Wheel shook and skidded, but he managed to stay in control.

"How do you like that?" laughed Thunder. "It's your move..."

Gears looked at the progress bar. It was at seventy percent.

_Only a little longer..._ he thought, as he made a draw.

**(G: 3,750 SPC: 8) - - - - - - - - - (T: 3,300 SPC 10)**

"I set a facedown," he said, as a facedown card appeared in front of his bike.

"Then I sacrifice Mechanicalchaser..."

Mechanicalchaser transformed into an orb of light.

"...for Ally of Justice Clausolas!"

With a screech, the large, robotic condor appeared on the field, flying over their bikes. (2,300 ATK)

"Nanobreaker, move to Defense Mode..."

Nanobreaker shielded herself with her arms. (1,800 DEF)

"...I end my turn..."

Thunder chuckled again as he made a draw.

"Gearfried, show him what snakes do to birds!" he laughed.

Gearfried rushed towards Clausolas with his sword held high.

"Not so fast!" shouted Gears, as his facedown card spun around. "I activate Half or Nothing!"

Lightning flashed, and Judge Man appeared to block Gearfried's path.

"Make a choice, pal," said Gears. "Either end your Battle Phase, or continue... With your Monsters' Attack Scores cut in half."

"In that case, I'll end it," said Thunder, taking one of his two cards. "And I'll end my turn with one more facedown card..."

Gears looked as another card appeared in Thunder's Spell Zone next to the other.

Then his console beeped. The progress bar was full.

"_Analysis complete,"_ said the computer's voice. _"Opening portal to original location via Astral conduit."_

"Astral conduit?" muttered Gears. "I knew it was a rush job, but that was the best it could do?"

An Astral conduit was a portal with a very limited life span, which could only be used once before closing, by one person. Gears could get home, but Thunder would have to find his own way back.

"Well, no problem..." he said to himself. "I assume he wasn't stupid enough to not have a way back..."

A countdown on his console started. The portal would open in two minutes.

Gears looked at Thunder a length ahead of him as he drew a card.

_If he beats me, this D-Wheel isn't going anywhere..._ he thought.

He looked at the card.

_I think I have what I need to end this right now..._

"I play Speed Spell – Platinum Echoes!" he exclaimed, as a Spell Card appeared in front of him. "With one Ally of Justice on the field, I'm allowed to summon a weaker one from my Graveyard.

"So here's Ally of Justice Garadholg!"

Garadholg appeared, flying next to Clausolas. (1,600 ATK)

"You activated another of Gearfried's effects!" laughed Thunder. "Since you played a Spell Card, I get to Special Summon a Gemini Monster from my Graveyard!"

Goggle Golem appeared again. (1,500 ATK)

"Yeah?" said Gears. "Well, you won't be using that Ultimate Offering again..."

Then Thunder was shocked as Ultimate Offering vanished.

"HEY!" he shouted. "Where'd it go?"

"I sent it to the Graveyard to summon this," said Gears. "Trap Eater!"

With a laugh, a Fiend appeared next to Garadholg that was almost all mouth, with beady eyes, and small limbs. (1,900 ATK)

"And now, I can Tune it with Nanobreaker..."

Trap Eater and Nanobreaker flew towards the sky. Nanobreaker closed her eyes, as she and the Tuner faded into eight glowing stars.

Gears started to chant:

"_Wanderer of the spaceways, traveler propelling yourself through the ether on the waves of the Healing Darkness! Clustering stars turn your powerful sight inward..._

"_Synchro Summon... Ally of Justice Light Gazer!"_

In a burst of energy, a new robot appeared. It was shaped like an inverted pear, with glowing optic sensors, laser cannons for arms, and a metal ring around its base. (2,400 ATK)

"Light Gazer gains 200 extra Attack Points for each Light Monster in your Graveyard," said Gears. "You have two... Superalloy Beast Raptinus, and Future Samurai."

(2,800 ATK)

"Sorry to disappoint you..." said Thunder.

His facedown card spun around.

"I activate Birthright! Now I can summon Future Samurai _out_ of my Graveyard."

Future Samurai appeared again. (1,600 ATK)

"And in case you were thinking of attacking her..."

His other facedown card spun around.

"I activate Gemini Shield!"

A large shield that appeared to be made of glass appeared in Future Samurai's left hand.

"This Trap's effect depends on whether the Equipped Gemini Monster is being treated as a Normal or Effect Monster," explained Thunder. "Since she's a Normal Monster right now, she can't be attacked by Level 5 or higher Monsters.

"So, what are you gonna do now?"

"I'm gonna summon Ally Bomb," said Gears, playing a card.

The small, spherical explosive device appeared. (400 ATK)

"Eh?" said Thunder.

"Attack Future Samurai!" shouted Gears.

Ally Bomb flew at the Warrior. Future Samurai swatted it away with her sword, and an explosion rocked the plain.

**(G: 2,550 SPC: 9) - - - - - - - - - (T: 3,300 SPC 12)**

"Perfect!" shouted Gears. "When Ally Bomb is destroyed in battle with a Light Monster, I can destroy two of your cards!"

Future Samurai and Phoenix Gearfried shattered into broken shards.

"HEY!" shouted Thunder.

"Uh oh..."

"Garadholg!" shouted Gears. "Obliterate Goggle Golem!"

The Ally slashed with his blade, and Goggle Golem burst into broken pieces of rock.

The Clausolas shot bolts of lightning from its talons, and Thunder screamed as he was hit directly.

"Light Gazer, finish this!" cried Gears. "Cosmic cannons!"

Light Gazer fired a burning beam of plasma from its arm. Thunder screamed again...

**(G: 2,550 SPC: 9) - - - - - - - - - (T: 0 SPC 0)**

Gears passed right by Thunder, who was spinning out of control, just as the countdown hit zero, and the portal in front of him opened.

He stepped on the gas, and sped at full speed towards it. He didn't know what would happen to Thunder at this point, but he knew he had to get home at all costs.

After all, from what Thunder had said, the other Shadowchasers were in trouble too...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – SPEED FUSION (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **Dark Magician and Flame Swordsman surrounded by the energy of "Speed World" with Dark Flare Knight looming in the background.

**Card Description:** You may only activate this card when you have 4 or more Speed Counters. Send Monsters from your side of the field or your hand to the Graveyard that are listed as Fusion Material for a Fusion Monster and Special Summon that Monster from your Extra Deck. (This Special Summon is treated as a Fusion Summon.)

_Note: "Speed Spell – Speed Fusion" was first used by Jack in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "A Blast From the Past (Part 1)" Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – PLATINUM ECHOES (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **Allies of Justice Garadholg and Catastor flying through the energy of Speed World.

**Card Description:** You may only activate this card when you have 5 or more Speed Counters. Select one "Ally of Justice" Monster you control. Special Summon an "Ally of Justice" Monster from your Graveyard that is a lower Level than the selected Monster. The effect of the Special Summoned Monster is negated.

_Note: "Speed Spell – Platinum Echoes" first appeared in the original "Shadowchasers"._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GEMINI SHIELD (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Evocator Chevalier holding a glass shield.

**Card Description:** Upon activation, Equip this card to a Gemini Monster you control as an Equip Spell Card. The Equipped Monster gains one of the following effects, depending on whether it is being treated as a Normal or Effect Monster:

* Normal Monster: The Equipped Monster cannot be targeted by attacks by Monsters that are Level 5 or higher.

*Effect Monster: The Equipped Monster gains 1,000 Attack and Defense Points during your opponent's Battle Phase only.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Ember: There's no silver lining in this cloud. I'm forced to face the last of the Three Storms, an ophidia with a strategy as deadly as it is hypocritical in his hands. Truly, this is a case of Beauty and the Beast. **

"**Forbidden Chalice" is next.**

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Kesto Brighteyes, Shadow Scholar**

The Athar… _There's_ an interesting group. This Shadow-exclusive organization supposedly originated on another plane, but for some reason, were forced to move from their home base. They've spread to many other worlds, including Earth.

Most people have few kind words about the Athar. They say that this group hates gods and divine beings, thinking that greater powers are frauds and cheats who have conned mortals in order to be worshiped. Most Shadows think that the typical Athar is an unfriendly radical who is likely going to lecture him on the "evils" of dedication to religion and faith.

This is sadly true for many Athar, but some Athar, like Kesto Brighteyes, the gnomish owner of the Parted Veil bookshop in St. Louis, still subscribe to the true philosophy of the Athar, as it was centuries ago. True Athar believe that gods are simply not needed, and that mortals can achieve their best potential without aid from higher powers. Kesto has long believed in the ability of mortals to achieve greatness – you might say he's an optimist to the extreme.

A very old (at least two-hundred years) gnome, Kesto is short, with white hair and a long beard, with sparkling blue eyes that peer through a set of bifocals. Kesto is a lot friendlier than most Athar, and is rarely ever seen without a big smile.

Finding Kesto's bookstore in St. Louis is difficult for anyone who isn't Aware. It's nestled between two larger buildings, and a Mundane would likely walk right past it without noticing anything. Kesto is a wizard, and apparently a powerful one, and he specializes in illusions.

Once inside, one immediately becomes aware that the place is bigger on the inside than the outside. Shelves of books line the walls and form maze-like corridors inside, making it hard to get around. Fortunately, Kesto is usually around if the place is open, and he can usually direct a customer to what he needs. The place has books on every subject relating to Shadowkind imaginable, and a wealth of information can be found here if one spends enough time. Kesto rarely disappoints a customer.

When not helping customers, Kesto is hard at work writing papers and giving speeches that outline his beliefs. Apparently, when the Athar was a more united organization, its leader often turned Kesto's works down in favor of more "forceful" tracts. Since the group was exiled, Kesto is free to publish anything he sees fit, and his works are seen by many Shadow-exclusive groups.

Kesto's topics include evolution of many species, epic magic, and other sciences that involve mortal achievements. He points to many historic and mythological factors as proof of his beliefs, such as stories of how many actual gods (like St. Cuthbert and Vecna) were reported to have once been mortal. His own personal power, which is considerable and which he claims was achieved without any divine aid, is something he often brings up. As he often tells those who witness his magic, "The gods do things you can't; I do things you can't. Does that make me a god? Better than you? It's something to consider, my friend." (Indeed, Kesto keeps the true limits of his own magical power secret, just in case someone has an issue with his works.)

Kesto knows that his beliefs are likely going to make a lot of enemies. St. Cuthbert's House gives the cold shoulder to anyone who mentions him, and some members of the Sons of Tyranny have been heard saying unpleasant things about him while drinking in backwater bars. Still, Kesto welcomes anyone who comes into his bookstore with a smile, along with herbal tea and macaroons.

**Story Ideas:** The most obvious use for Kesto is to use his bookstore for research. The Parted Veil has information in it that even the Shadowchasers' database doesn't have, and everyone is welcome there. Kesto is a better place to do research than most other sources, because you don't need a press pass or a college ID to use him. He's there for everyone.

Kesto is useful as an ally, but as previously said, a lot of folks don't like him. The tough part is, some of the folks who don't like him aren't people who the good guys normally oppose. When you're in the Athar, you upset the followers of benign gods as much as you upset the followers of evil ones. The Shadowchasers would have no trouble deciding what to do if Kesto was threatened by followers of Hextor or Vecna… If followers of St. Cuthbert or Boccob got mad at him, deciding what to do might be harder. Especially since Kesto is _not_ helpless to defend himself.

**Deck Suggestions:** Kesto is fond of Leveled Monsters, as they are symbolic of his belief that mortals can achieve great potential. He doesn't use just any Leveled Monster… Horus is a reflection of a deity, so using that card would oppose his beliefs as an Athar. He also eschews Armed Dragons and Ultimate Insects. The evolution of animals and monsters is interesting, but not as much as that of humanoid beings.

Kesto's favorite deck is the one which uses two evolution lines: Silent Magician and Silent Swordsman. These are not only among the most powerful Leveled Monsters, they are incredibly beautiful, and make the duel an exciting experience. Kesto's deck is well constructed, containing far more Traps than Spells, as he knows that Spells are not of much use when Silent Swordsman reaches his final form.


	17. Forbidden Chalice

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL SEVENTEEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Forbidden Chalice**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Once again, we must turn the clock back about thirty minutes.

Ember was nervously pacing back and forth at the same part of the sidewalk near the open manhole, while Shichiro was looking at the console of his D-Wheel.

"Oh, this is terrible..." said Ember. "For all we know, they may be in trouble... hurt... or even..."

"I can't speak for Gears, but Jinx is alive," said Shichiro, "and she's dueling someone."

"What?" asked Ember. "How..."

"Our all-purpose contingency plan," said Shichiro. "What Jalal thought up to find Shadowchasers who get lost.

"This database contains information on the rarer cards in each Shadowchaser's deck...

"And according to this, somewhere down there, someone has just summoned XX-Saber Garsem. Unless another duelist is in the middle of a duel using X-Saber Monsters, it's Jinx.

"All we have to do is follow the signal, and..."

There was a loud clap of thunder, followed by a flash of lightning.

"Not advisable, Shadowchaser..." said another voice, as two eyes appeared in the alleyway behind them.

"Not another one?" said Ember, turning around.

The third of the Three Storms slunk out, a smile on his fanged face.

"Listen, pal, this has gone far enough," said Shichiro. "Where is Jinx and Gears?"

"My brothers are handling them," said Lightning. "But I, Lightning, the strongest of the Three Storms, will strike last!"

"What loony bin did this guy escape from?" asked Ember.

"We want answers, snake," said Shichiro. "Who are you working for? This has all been a set-up, not some random criminal act.

"Did the ophidia suddenly change leaders or something? Did Hebi-Na know more than she let on?"

"All I'll say is," said Lightning, "your two friends won't be coming back... Unless the young lady here accepts my challenge."

He held up a Duel Disk.

"I think you're bluffing," said Ember.

"Want to take that chance?" asked Lightning.

Ember sighed. She knew that with ophidia, she really couldn't...

She activated her Disk.

"All right, fine..." she said. "I'll take you on..."

The two Disks shuffled the decks.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Lightning: 8,000)**

"DUEL!" they both shouted.

"Ladies first," said Ember, making a draw.

"I'll summon... Great Angus!"

With a bellow, a large, muscular, humanoid bull with no horns appeared in a fiery aura. It blew flames from its snout. (1,800 ATK)

"And that will be all for now..."

"I see..." said Lightning, making a draw.

"I'll defend with a Monster, and set a card..." he said.

He played two cards, and a reversed Monster and a reversed card appeared.

"...and I end MY turn."

Ember quickly made a draw.

"I summon the Blue Flame Swordsman!" she exclaimed.

In another aura of flame, a fiery Warrior appeared. It looked like the classic Fusion Monster, but its helmet, armor, and sword were, true to its name, blue. (1,800 ATK)

"Great Angus, toast his Monster!"

Great Angus bellowed again, and belched a stream of flame at the hidden Monster...

An odd creature appeared on the card. It was a chubby, female Fiend, wearing a purple dress with gold trim. It wore a headdress with the same design as the trim, and held a golden scepter. (2,000 DEF)

"Your Great Angus is no match for my Djinn Releaser of Rituals..." said Lightning.

Ember gave him a strange look.

"I... end my turn..." she said.

**(E: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 8,000)**

Shichiro gave the same strange look.

_Djinn Releaser of Rituals?_ he thought. _Don't much like the sound of that..._

"My move..." said Lightning, making a draw.

"And I summon another Djinn... The Djinn Presider of Rituals!"

He played a card, and another overweight Fiend appeared. This one looked more martial than the first one; it wore a Spartan helmet and carried a shield and a sword with a skull on the hilt. (1,800 ATK)

"I'll end my turn there..." said Lightning.

_These Djinns seem to have something to do with Ritual Monsters,_ thought Shichiro. _If their names are any indication... Question is... What?_

He shivered.

_Serious Rituals usually involve one specific Monster... And you DON'T want to be on the recieving end of it..._

"Draw..." said Ember.

She made a draw.

_Not bad..._ she thought.

She opened her Field slot.

"I play Molten Destruction!"

There was an explosion, like a volcano erupting, and lava quickly covered the streets around them. Great Angus roared, and Blue Flame Swordsman sneered. Both their Attack Scores rose to 2,300.

"Next," said Ember, "I summon Hiita the Fire Charmer..."

Hiita appeared, this time accompanied by a small, fiery fox. (500 ATK) – (1,000 ATK)

"Then, by sending her and one other Fire Monster to the Graveyard..."

Hiita and Great Angus vanished.

"...I can summon her more powerful form... Familiar-Possessed Hiita!"

In a burning aura, a teenage version of Hiita appeared, with a bigger, fiercer fox. (1,850 ATK) –) (2,350 ATK)

"She certainly is cute..." said Lightning.

"And powerful, too," said Ember, "because due to the way I summoned her, she inflicts damage by attacking Monsters in Defense Mode.

"Hiita, attack Releaser of Rituals with fire alchemy blast!"

Hiita chanted a hasty incantation and cast a fiery wammy towards the portly Fiend. The Releaser of Rituals shattered, and Lightning groaned a little.

"Blue Flame Swordsman," ordered Ember, "destroy his Presider! Flaming Sword of Battle!"

The Warrior hollared a war cry, and made a slash that cut right through the fat Djinn. It groaned, dropped its sword, and shattered.

**(E: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 7,150)**

_What this human doesn't know,_ thought Lightning, _is that some Monsters are more dangerous dead than they are alive..._

"It's your move..." said Ember.

Lightning drew a card. He looked at it, and then chose another one.

"I'll set a facedown..." he said.

A card appeared in his Spell Zone, next to the one that was already there.

"...and then defend with a Monster."

A concealed Monster appeared.

"It's your move..."

Ember drew a card.

_Those two facedown cards may be trouble..._ she thought, _but this is too good an opportunity to pass up..._

"I summon Blazing Inpachi!" she shouted.

In another aura of flames, the burning wood spirit appeared. (1,850 ATK) – (2,350 ATK)

"Hiita, destroy his Monster!" she shouted.

Hiita aimed for the facedown Monster.

"I activate a Trap!" shouted Lightning.

One of his facedown cards flipped up.

"Hallowed Life Barrier! Now, all damage to me this round is reduced to zero.

"I simply have to discard one card..."

_And I know just what to discard..._ he thought.

He slipped a card into his discard slot.

"It's still all over for your Monster!" shouted Ember.

Hiita's blast shot at the card...

But when the smoke cleared, a small Monster that looked like a dollop of whipped cream with eyes was sitting there, grinning at Ember with an upside-down smile that was above its eyes. (500 DEF)

"Marshmallon??" she gasped.

"It can't be destroyed," said Lightning, with a sinister smile. "And since you attacked it, you lose 1,000 Life Points."

Ember groaned as an aura of red energy covered her.

**(E: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 7,150)**

"I end my turn!" she growled.

"Then, I draw!" shouted Lightning, making a draw.

He looked at the card.

_Yes, this will do nicely..._ he thought.

He took another card from his hand.

"I first play the Spell Card, Preparation of Rites," he said, as a Spell Card appeared. "This Spell lets me take a Ritual Spell Card from my Graveyard, and a Ritual Monster from my deck."

A card slipped out of his discard slot, and one slipped out of his deck, and he took both.

"Now wait just a minute!" shouted Ember. "That's..."

"...too powerful?" asked Lightning. "Fear not... The Monster I searched for is not the notorious Fiend you are likely thinking of. I can only search for Level 7 or lower Monsters with this card. This Ritual Spell isn't Advanced Ritual Art either.

"Now, you may be thinking what Ritual Monster who isn't Level 8 is worth summoning? Well, many, actually... But they aren't exactly common...

"Now, before my star appears, I activate my Trap Card..."

His facedown card lifted up.

"Robbin' Goblin. A common enough Trap, I believe. I then play the Field Spell, Luminous Spark."

He fit a card into his Field Slot, and the molten lake faded away. A brilliant aura surrounded them. All of Ember's Monsters lost 500 Attack Points, while Marshmallon's Defense Points fell to 100.

"You need sacrifices to make a Ritual Summon," said Shichiro. "Unless the one other card you have is a Monster that is at least Level 4..."

"Not quite, Shadowchaser..." said Lightning. "Remember my two Djinns? When they are in my Graveyard, they can be the sacrifices for a Ritual Summon, so long as I remove them from play."

He quickly played one of his three remaining cards.

"So, I sacrifice Djinn Releaser of Rituals and Djinn Presider of Rituals to activate Ritual of Grace!"

A marble altar surrounded by four pillars with a glass window with a sun design appeared behind him as he pocketed the two cards.

Slowly, a beautiful form floated down from the heavens. It was a lovely woman, with blonde hair down to her waist, dressed in a fancy black dress and a headdress. She carried a long staff topped with the same sun design that was on the altar. At first glance, she seemed to be a long-lost sister of Ruin, Queen of Oblivion, but not nearly as evil as the more famous Ritual Monster. (2,700 ATK) –) (3,200 ATK)

"Meet Divine Grace – Norsewemko," said Lightning.

"Ho boy..." said Ember.

"By summoning her, her effect is activated," said Lightning. "I choose two of my cards, and so long as at least one of them is on the field, Norsewemko cannot be destroyed by card effects.

"I choose Robbin' Goblin and Marshmallon."

_Smart..._ thought Shichiro. _One of the cards he chose is pretty hard to destroy itself..._

"Plus there are my two Djinns," continued Lightning.

"What about them?" asked Ember. "They were removed from play."

"But when a Djinn is used as a sacrifice for a Ritual Summon, the Ritual Monster gains an added effect," replied Lightning.

"Since I used Releaser, Norsewemko prevents you from making any Special Summons.

"And since I used Presider, Norsewemko lets me draw a card whenever she destroys a Monster.

"Now... I think I've explained everything... But just to be safe..."

Ritual of Grace slipped out of his discard slot and he pocketed it.

"By removing the Ritual Spell Card itself from play, for this round only, Norsewemko is immune to all effects that target.

"Now... Norsewemko, destroy Blue Flame Swordsman! Graceful strike!"

Norsewemko made a pose that was indeed graceful, and shot a blast of pure light at Blue Flame Swordsman. He bowed his head before shattering like glass. The blow hit Ember like a hammer, and knocked her over.

**(E: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 7,150)**

_Crud..._ she thought. _If I can't Special Summon, that means I can't use his effect to summon Flame Swordsman..._

"I get to draw one card," said Lightning, making a draw, "and due to Robbin' Goblin, you lose one card."

Ember gasped as Flamvell Paun in her hand vanished.

"I end my turn..." said Lightning.

_This is bad..._ thought Shichiro. _Norsewemko may not be Demise... But the way this guy is using her, he's made her more powerful than Demise ever could hope to be. _

_On his own at least... If anyone were to use those Djinns to actually summon Demise..._

He shuddered.

Ember got up.

"My move!" she shouted, making a draw.

She looked at the card. It was Inferno.

_Terrific..._ she thought.

She looked at the other three cards in her hand, which were Brain Control, Evocator Chevalier, and Call of the Haunted.

_I've got two cards that are absolutely worthless right now,_ she thought. _I could take control of Norsewemko with Brain Control, but with his Marshmallon on defense, where would it get me?_

_Best defend myself for now..._

Blazing Inpachi knelt down and shielded itself. (0 DEF) Hiita crouched and held her staff in her lap. (1,500 DEF)

"It's your move..."

Lightning made a draw. He chuckled a little.

"I Equip Norsewemko with the Mist Body Spell Card!" he exclaimed, playing it.

A misty aura surrounded Norsewemko.

"With Norsewemko now unbeatable by battle, she's practically indestructible!" he laughed. "Norsewemko, destroy Blazing Inpachi"

Norsewemko fired another blast from her staff, and Blazing Inpachi exploded into a burst of burning logs and ashes.

"Once again, I get to draw one card..."

He made a draw.

"And it's your move..."

Ember closed her eyes. She made a draw.

She smirked.

"I play Brain Control!" she shouted, holding the card forward. "I'm giving up 800 Life Points to take control of one of your Monsters!"

"You're going to steal my Norsewemko!" screamed Lightning.

"No, that would be crude," replied Ember. "I have my eye on something else..."

Marshmallon was pulled over to Ember's side of the field.

"Eh?" said Lightning. "How is that going to defeat my Monster?"

"It can't..." said Ember, "but I'm going to sacrifice it along with Hiita..."

Marshmallon and Hiita turned into two glowing orbs of energy.

"...to summon Infernal Flame Emperor!"

With a roar, a huge, fiery centaur with flaming wings and fire shrouding his hands appeared in a blast of flame. (2,700 ATK)

Ember held up three cards, Great Angus, Blazing Inpachi, and Hiita the Fire Charmer.

"And now, for each Fire Monster I remove from play, I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card..."

Mist Body, Robbin' Goblin, and Luminous Spark shattered into bits. The glowing aura stopped, and Norsewemko fell to an Attack Score of 2,700.

"Infernal Flame Emperor, attack!"

The royal Pyro rushed at Divine Grace, holding its fist high. Norsewemko raised her staff in response...

There was a loud explosion as both Monsters were incinerated at the point of impact.

"It was a draw!" shouted Shichiro.

"My beautiful Monster..." sobbed Lightning. "Blown to bits..."

"It's still my turn..." continued Ember. "Now that she's gone, I'll remove one more Fire Monster from play..."

Infernal Flame Emperor slipped out of her discard slot, and she pocketed it.

"...to Special Summon Inferno in Defense Mode."

The raging bonfire with eyes appeared in front of her. (1,900 DEF)

"And I end my turn..."

**(E: 4,600) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 7,150)**

"You're going to pay for that, Shadowchaser!" shouted Lightning, as he made a draw.

"I set a Monster, and then end my turn."

A reversed Monster appeared.

Ember quickly made a draw.

"I throw a card facedown," she said, "and then summon Evocator Chevalier."

A reversed card appeared, and then Chevalier appeared in an aura of fire. (1,900 ATK)

"Destroy his Monster!" she shouted.

Chevalier leapt at the reversed card, and a different Fiend appeared on it. This one was much more familiar, a lanky, thin creature with rubbery skin and shock white hair, wearing a visor studded with spikes...

"Newdoria!" gasped Ember.

"That's right!" laughed Thunder. "A little thing called 'insurance'."

Evocator Chevalier shattered into pixels.

Ember sighed.

"Make your move..."

Thunder made a draw.

"First I summon Djinn Cursenchanter of Rituals," he said.

In an aura of shadow, a third of the rotund Fiends appeared. It was dressed in black pants, boots, gloves, and a hood, and wore a tattered brown cape. It held a staff topped with a golden skull. (1,700 ATK)

"Now, the Spell Card, Fulfillment of the Contract..."

He threw the card into his Disk.

"I'll give up 800 Life Points, and guess who's back?"

In a bright aura of Light, Norsewemko reappeared. (2,700 ATK)

"This is not good..." said Ember.

Lightning quickly played another Spell Card.

"She doesn't have her effects any more," he said, "but by playing Hidden Armory, I can discard one card from my deck..."

He discarded a copy of Ritual Buster.

"...and I get back my Mist Body."

The Equip Spell slipped out of his discard slot, and he took it. He quickly played it, and the misty aura surrounded Norsewemko again.

"Norsewemko, extinguish her Inferno!"

The goddess cast her spell at the Pyro, and it burst into an explosion of cinders.

_Here it comes..._ thought Ember.

Djinn Cursenchanter of Rituals pointed its staff and chanted an evil incantation. A dark hex shot at Ember and she sweated and strained as it covered her in dark energy.

"It's your move..." said Lightning.

**(E: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 6,350)**

Ember caught her breath. She drew a card.

She looked at the two cards in her hand.

_So, this guy likes Equips, does he?_ she thought, looking at it one of them.

Her facedown card lifted.

"I activate Call of the Haunted!" she shouted.

"I'll summon this guy from my Graveyard."

Evocator Chevalier appeared again. (1,900 ATK)

"Now, the Equip Spell, Big Bang Shot," she said.

"That won't make him strong enough to defeat Norsewemko," said Lightning.

"I know," said Ember. "Especially since she's the one I'm Equipping it to."

"Say what?" said Lightning.

Norsewemko glowed with energy. (3,100 ATK)

"You're crazy..." said Lightning. "Why in the world would you make my Monster stronger?"

"Well, I know why..." said Shichiro. "But I'm gonna let Ember explain it..."

"First," said Ember, "I have to Gemini Summon Evocator Chevalier so he can use his effect..."

Chevalier burned with an aura of flames.

"And now I'll use his effect. By sending an Equip Spell I control to the Graveyard, I can destroy one of your cards.

"So, I'll send Big Bang Shot to the Graveyard to destroy Djinn Cursenchanter of Rituals."

Big Bang Shot and the fat demon burst into particles.

"Of course, when Big Bang Shot is removed from the field, the Monster it's Equipped to is removed from play. So say goodbye to your Divine Grace!"

Lightning gasped in horror as Norsewemko simply faded into nothing.

"You..." he hissed. "You little..."

Then he screamed as Evocator Chevalier's sword slammed into him.

**(E: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 4,450)**

"Make your move, snake..." said Ember.

Lightning hissed again as he made draw. Then he simply set a card on his Disk, and a set Monster appeared. He glared at Ember.

"I take it that means it's my move," said Ember.

She made draw. Then she quickly played it.

"I summon Flamvell Gurnika!" she shouted.

In a blast of fire, the humanoid Dragon appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"Toast his Monster!" she shouted.

Gurnika shot a ball of flame from his jaws at the facedown card. Dark Mimic LV1 appeared and was burned to ashes.

"Now I..." started Lightning.

"I know what Dark Mimic does," interrupted Ember, as he made a draw. "But you still lose 200 Life Points due to Gurnika's effect."

Lightning grunted.

Then he braced himself as Chevalier's sword slashed across him again.

Ember looked at her last card. She placed it in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"That... ought to do it..." she said.

**(E: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 2,350)**

Lightning smiled an evil smile as he made a draw.

"I play Burial From a Different Dimension!" he laughed, as a Spell Card appeared. "I'll return Djinn Releaser of Rituals, Djinn Presider of Rituals, and Ritual of Grace to my Graveyard..."

He tossed the three cards into his discard slot.

"What good will those do you?" asked Ember. "I got rid of Norsewemko."

"You got rid of one of them," replied Lightning, playing another Spell Card, "but I have another in my deck! So I think I'll play another Preparation of Rites!"

Once again, he took one card from his Graveyard, and one from his deck.

"And once again... I play Ritual of Grace!"

The Ritual Spell Card appeared, and the altar started to form...

Then Lightning jumped as both crumbled into dust.

"WHAT?" he shouted. "What happened??"

Then he noticed that Ember had activated a Counter Trap, and was holding up her Flamvell Paun.

"Flamvell Counter, pal..." she said. "I just have to remove from play a Fire Monster with exactly 200 Defense Points, and I can negate a Spell or Trap Card..."

She pocketed the card.

"So... Any other ideas?"

Lightning gulped. He set his last card on his Disk, and a defensive Monster appeared. He glared at Ember again.

"My move..." said Ember.

She drew a card.

"Think I'll boost Evocator Chevalier this time," she said. "By playing Salamandra."

Evocator Chevalier's sword burned with fire. (2,600 ATK)

"But then, I can ditch Salamandra to destroy your Monster."

The Equip Spell shattered, and so did Lightning's facedown Djinn Releaser of Rituals.

"Chevalier... Gurnika..." said Ember. "Time to quell this storm..."

Lighting screamed as two blasts of fire slammed into him, knocking him over.

"Ooh..." he said.

**(E: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 0)**

He looked up nervously at the two Shadowchasers, who were glaring at him.

"Well..." he said, getting up. "Ta-ta!"

He was fast, but unfortunately, Shichiro was faster. The ophidia gasped as Shichiro grabbed him in a choke hold.

"You tell us where Jinx and Gears are, snake," he demanded, "or you're gonna be defanged..."

"Mercy, please!" begged Lightning. "My brothers and I are just hired help! We're mercenaries!"

"So you aren't lunatics," replied Ember. "You're just selfish."

"Guys, are you up there?" shouted Jinx's voice from the manhole. "Someone give me a hand..."

Ember rushed to the manhole and reached down. She pulled up Jinx, who was none the worse for wear.

"Where's the guy who grabbed you?" asked Shichiro.

"Most likely waiting to be photographed and fingerprinted," replied Jinx. "The guy had a card that may have been created using dark magic, so I doubt he'll be getting out on bail soon."

Lightning sighed...

Then the heard the sound of a motorcycle. They turned around, and saw Gears drive up.

"Gears, you're all right!" said Shichiro, with a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, thank goodness," said Gears, as he took off his helmet. "That ophidia led me on a merry chase through another dimension. Good thing my bike was able to find its way back home."

"So where is the guy?" asked Jinx.

"Last I saw him, his D-Wheel had gone into a tailspin," replied Gears. "I have no idea..."

Shichiro looked at Lighting.

"Any chance I can convince you to tell us who you and your brothers were working for?" he asked.

Lighting didn't answer.

"You were right, Gears..." he said. "A snake's nest is stirring somewhere... And it seems to be getting angrier by the minute..."

He looked up at the sky. The sun had gone down, and the moon had come up.

When you were a Shadowchaser, night always brings surprises...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Csimith entered Taramanda's throne room.

"Well, they screwed up..." he said. "Rain and Lightning are in custody, and Thunder... Well, I'm not sure where he is..."

"Lovely..." said Taramanda.

"This is a waste of time..." growled Hssimim. "If we were serious about this, we'd stop with these ridiculous card games and hire some _real_ assassins..."

Taramanda glared at him.

"Did I say something wrong?" he said.

"Come... here..." said Taramanda.

"Your majesty," said Hebi-Na, quickly, "request permission to be excused."

"Granted," said Taramanda. "Hssimim, I said come here!"

Hssimim cautiously approached, as Hebi-Na made a hasty retreat out the exit. Taramanda opened a drawer on the end table next to her couch, and took out a notebook.

"What?" asked Hssimim.

"It's a record of business transactions I've made," replied Taramanda. "It goes back eighteen months.

"Let's look at some of them, shall we?

"Twelve months ago... Paid an arson-for-hire one-hundred million yen to torch that townhouse while they were inside it. He said it would be done in three days.

"Three days later, no attempt made by said arson-for-hire. Called to demand an explanation, and an acquaintance of his said he had disappeared without a trace two days previous."

"What happened..." started Hssimim.

"Six months ago," interrupted Taramanda. "That wretched Shadowchaser Osaka arrested my masseuse. I got angry, and had someone pay a hired gun one-hundred million yen to take care of him.

"Three days later, job not done, no indication of any attempt made. Again, called to demand an explanation, only to be told the assassin in question had disappeared without a trace.

"Three months ago, after the Deluge was foiled... Decided to splurge. Contacted a representative of the League of Assassins..."

She looked at Hssimim.

"You've heard of them, right?" she said with a smile. "The F.B.I. and Scotland Yard claim they don't exist? The ones who specialize in targeting celebrities and politicians, making the hits look like suicides and drug overdoses?"

Before Hssimim could answer, Taramanda went on.

"Offered the representative half a billion yen to have all four of those do-gooders done away with. He demanded all the information I had on them.

"I supplied it. He took one look, gave it back, and angrily said that his employers would not take a contract on anyone even remotely connected to Jalal Stormbringer. Then he muttered an expletive, and left.

"I put two-and-two together, and realized that what happened to the two regular assassins I had hired had clearly happened in the past to members of a group that claimed to be the best."

She looked at Hssimim, who now looked a little scared.

"So..." he said. "Every time someone hired a real assassin to use against them... He vanished into thin air?"

"I did research after that..." said Taramanda, picking up a pen. "My situation is the same across the board. Apparently, the only assassins who ever get close enough to try are the ones who target Jalal himself. They get arrested. The ones who go after other  
Shadowchasers disappear off the face of the Earth."

She started to write something in the notebook.

"But HOW?" asked Hssimim.

"Did you really think Jalal would stay within the confines of that Fair Fight Clause if it put his men in danger?" asked Taramanda. "He's not stupid, you know. Your answer is written on this... Read it, but do NOT speak it out loud.

"I mean that. If you do, I'm going to send you to Seghulerak. Got it??"

She held it up. Hssimim shivered as he read the sentence written on the page:

_Jalal has made a pact with the Knights of Domiel._

"Uh..." he said. "Who are they? Who is he?"

"A powerful individual," said Taramanda, her voice sinking to a whisper. "Someone whose name you never want to say if you're an enemy of someone he has a pact with. One of seven divine beings who act as an intermediary between mortals and something called the Demiurge."

"Demiurge?" said Csimith, speaking up. "That has something to do with Creation, right?"

"The beginnings of all things," replied Taramanda. "Possibly the universe itself. But anyway... This particular one of these seven intermediaries is supposed to be, among other things, the patron of valiant warriors and heroes. He is the enemy of tyranny.

"And while he admires those who live to fight, he despises those who live to kill. Murderers and assassins, who strike by ambush and deception, are abominations in his eyes. And someone doing it for money is even worse. He thinks it evil to put a price on life. His followers..."

She pointed to the paper.

"... are a secretive group who have taken it upon themselves to eradicate that profession. They supposedly think of it as a holy war.

"Sometime early in his career, from what I found out, Jalal did something which earned him this being's respect, and made a pact with these followers. As a result, the Shadowchasers, except Jalal himself for some reason, are under their protection. If someone is plotting to stalk and murder a Shadowchaser, this group finds out quickly, reaches the would-be killer, and dispatches him without the intended target ever realizing he was in danger...

"I can only assume that they care little about the assassin's _employer_...

"And the best part is, as far as Jalal is concerned, he doesn't have to compromise the Treaty at all, because these protectors don't seem to act on Jalal's orders. Jalal doesn't even seem to talk to them. I don't know if he ever even did. It may not be a true pact at all."

"Spooky..." said Csimith. "There's no way to fight back?"

"No-one knows just who the..." started Taramanda.

She pointed to the written sentence.

"...are. No-one knows if they're humans, celestial beings, ghosts, or something else entirely. No-one has ever witnessed them doing their job.

"Except the criminals they take care of, of course.

"So, to answer your question, Hssimim, the reason why we don't send a 'real assassin' after them goes back to the point I made earlier...

"I'm not stupid, like my sister was. I realize that humans are not stupid; she did not.

"It's as simple as that..."

"I got a question..." said Csimith. "Who told you about these guys?"

"A traitor," replied Taramanda. "An ophidia who sold secrets to the Shadowchasers. He found out about a few of theirs, and thought I would spare him if told me them."

She put her hand on her stomach.

"He thought wrong..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Some hours later, in the banquet hall in the Empress's palace, Hebi-Na was sitting alone at the great table.

The box holding the Dark Synchros and their accessory cards was in front of her, as were many other cards, and a Duel Disk. She was putting a deck together.

"There..." she said.

She shuffled the deck, and placed it in the Disk.

Then, she lifted a card out of the box, and placed it in the chamber of the Disk where the Extra Deck was kept.

"What are you doing?" asked Taramanda's voice.

Hebi-Na turned her head, and saw that the Empress had come in.

"No bodyguards?" asked Hebi-Na.

"We aren't joined at the hip," replied Taramanda. "Sometimes I just get sick of being watched. I told them I was powdering my nose.

"While they're waiting, I seem to remember a leftover half of a cheesecake in the kitchen refrigerator... But before I go there... What are you doing?"

Hebi-Na put the Disk on her arm.

"Remember Louis DaPen?" she asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," replied Taramanda.

"DaPen had a plan when Sonja recruited him," explained Hebi-Na. "He wanted to gather together the leaders of all the local Shadowkind clans that had issues with the Shadowchasers, and join forces with them.

"He failed, mostly because very few sane Shadows would ever trust an illithid.

"Well... I think his plan was sound, in theory..."

"You want to recruit other clans who don't like the Shadowchasers and oppose them as a united group?" asked Taramanda. "In case you didn't realize, not many Shadows like us either."

"I used to be your ambassador, remember?" replied Hebi-Na. "And I think that actions speak louder than words... That is the mistake that DaPen made.

"With some help from the Dark Synchros, I can show some pretty intense action, and hopefully gain us some allies."

She got up.

"So who is your first target?" asked Taramanda.

"I was thinking Matron Drizzera," replied Hebi-Na.

A look of surprise crossed Taramanda's face.

"A bold move indeed..." said the anathema. "Either you're being very brave, or very foolish. She doesn't like _anyone_ too much.

"I won't stop you... Of course... The rules you were under when you were truly my ambassador are still in place... You know what that means..."

"Right, right..." said Hebi-Na. "If I'm captured, you are under no obligation to acknowledge that you even know who I am..."

As Taramanda slithered towards the kitchen, Hebi-Na left the room – quickly.

She knew that Taramanda was going to be very upset when she realized that Hebi-Na had gotten to the cheesecake first...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BLUE FLAME SWORDSMAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute:** Fire  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,800  
**DEF:** 1,600

**Card Description:** You may decrease the ATK of this card (in increments of 100) to increase the ATK of any other face-up Monster on the field by the same amount. This effect may be used during any Phase of the turn, and may be used during your opponent's turn. If this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, you may Special Summon 1 "Flame Swordsman" from your Extra Deck or Graveyard.

_Note: "Blue Flame Swordsman" was first used by Jonouchi in the original anime episode "Fighting for a Friend (Part 4)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_**Next:**_

_**Hebi-Na: Dark elf society is built on the concept of betrayal. Their dark goddess encourages the act, and is said to reward dark elves for it. Almost every dark elf in a high position of power got there by assassinating the dark elf who previously held the post. And most of them were close friends of their victims until days before they struck.**_

_**It is not uncommon for a dark elf to betray her college, friend, sibling, or even her mother to get ahead in life. The closer the victim is to her, the more respected she is when she makes it to the top. And when a dark elf does make it to the top, she learns to be a light sleeper, and to always sit with her back to the wall. She knows, after betraying so many, that a betrayal aimed at her can come at any time. From anyone. Anyone at all.**_

_**I've taken this controversial philosophy, taken it to the extreme, and condensed it into a deck of forty-one cards. Matron Drizzera is strong, but before the night is out, I may just succeed, and the ophidia will have a new ally in our quest...**_

"_**Dark Calling" is next.**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

"**Sly" Nye, Shadow Attorney**

Attorneys in civil law cases often get bad raps. They are called "ambulance chasers", "vultures", and a host of other nasty names. But very few things makes a judge groan more than to find out that the lawyer for a defendant in a civil case is Nye Judson, the name that the tiefling "Sly" Nye uses among Mundanes.

Nye is a member of the Xaositects, an organization who, like the Athar, got its start in another reality. Like the Athar, the Xaositects were exiled and spread across the cosmos. (Possibly, it was for the same reason as the Athar.) Ask three Xaositects what the purpose of their group is, you'll likely get three different responses; but most agree that they believe Chaos is the defining factor in the universe, and that Law is little more than a restraint to individual freedom.

It is indeed a puzzlement as to why one member of this group decided to become a lawyer. Even more puzzling is his success rate. Nye has never lost a case. He only defends other Shadows, and does not work for any law firm, but any Shadow that hires him (and his fee isn't very steep) can be assured the court will rule in his favor. Some have said that judges and juries rule in Nye's favor simply to get rid of him, as Xaositects are incredibly annoying to deal with. Even talking to Nye in casual conversation can be confusing, and any witnesses and prosecutors involved in a case often end up confused as well when he speaks in court.

Some say that Nye uses supernatural aid to help him win his cases. That may or may not be true, but Nye is something called an anarch disciple, a type of divine spellcaster. Rather than draw power from a deity, an anarch disciple gains power from the heart of the realm of Limbo, the Plane of Ultimate Chaos. No-one knows just how powerful Nye is in this regard, but most anarch disciples are too chaotic to concentrate on the craft for long. Nye may be an exception.

Thus far, Nye hasn't done anything outright illegal to win a case, but several law firms (particularly ones who have lost important cases against him) are watching him closely. If he ever slips, a real vulture might pounce.

**Story Ideas:** The Shadowchasers have no problem getting out of trouble as far as criminal law is concerned. Civil law may be another story. Jalal will readily provide an attorney if a lawsuit is brought against one of them, but "Sly" Nye might get into the picture in some way. He might offer to provide his services for free if he thinks he can get something out of it. Of course, those who know a thing or two about the Xaositects know that they aren't all too trustworthy.

Nye might be a powerful ally if heroes are having trouble with a dark force of Chaos. After all, Nye draws his personal power from the heart of Chaos, and he thus knows a great deal about it. He might be persuaded to help if he has nothing better to do. (Just because Nye is chaotic doesn't make him an ally of all other chaotic beings. He is the ultimate loose cannon.)

**Deck Suggestions:** To ask a Xaositect to choose a favorite deck is like asking a mother to choose her favorite child. Nye has several decks, all of them completely different than each other, and uses whatever one he feels like using at the time. All of them, however, are somewhat unusual. One of his decks uses the Armor Monsters used by Valon, another uses Infernity Monsters, while a third uses Toon Monsters.

Nye only uses a Chaos Deck if he takes part in something that he wants the Xaositects to take credit for (which usually involves other Xaositects). Nye's Chaos Deck uses the three Sky Scourges as weapons, Enrise, Norleras, and Invicil. The bulk of the deck naturally contains Dark Fiends and Light Fairies to help bring them out.


	18. Dark Calling

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL EIGHTEEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Dark Calling**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

In the industrial section of Neo Domino, there was a small, unassuming warehouse.

During the day, five human workers worked here. Their job was to unload boxes that arrived by truck, and load them onto a special freight elevator, which was operated from the lower level by a supervisor whom they never saw. They were told never to ask questions, and never interfere with anyone who came in to use the private elevator, which required a keycard to use anyway.

They only knew what was in a few of the boxes. A great deal of them contained food, everything from fruits and vegetables to dry goods to perishables. Other boxes contained bulk supplies of toiletries, clerical supplies, and many boxes were sent by companies that they simply could not identify. It seemed at times like they were delivering supplies for a hotel.

It was all strange, but their employer, whose name they didn't know, paid them three times the amount loading dock workers usually got, so they didn't complain.

They didn't know that down below, where the supplies went, was Neo Domino's dark elf community. Dark elves hated sunlight, so they only came out at night. The ones in this community followed a powerful priestess named Matron Drizzera.

She was a tall, beautiful dark elf, who was now about one-hundred years old (still quite young for her species). Rumors among Shadowkind stated that her mother had been the previous leader of her clan, but she assassinated her mother in an elaborate and very public betrayal when she was only fourteen, an act that was unusual for a dark elf so young. Her long reign as clan leader was proof that she had quickly learned one cardinal rule of the dark elves:

"Trust no-one, and don't expect anyone to trust you."

She was now sitting in her workshop, where flasks full of bubbling, boiling liquids surrounded her. (Alchemy was one of her talents.) She carefully lifted a flask of green liquid.

"Pee-yew, that stuff stinks!" said a voice.

Drizzera turned towards the small creature perched on the chair next to hers, a creature that looked like a gargoyle-shaped imp the size of a cat, with a very big nose and bat-like wings. It was a quasit, a type of familiar used by spellcasters with a connection to the Abyss. Unlike regular familiars, like Sorsha, quasits were actual demons (albeit weak ones), and didn't bother taking the form of animals. However, they granted their masters much more benefits than regular familiars.

"It's necrosia," replied Drizzera. "It's _supposed_ to stink... Now be quiet... Because it's also quite volatile..."

"Vo-what?" asked the quasit.

"That means," replied Drizzera, "if I measure wrong, this experiment might blow up in my face..."

The quasit ducked behind a chest. Drizzera lifted an empty bottle.

Then a buzzer on her desk buzzed.

Drizzera spun around, drawing a dagger. Her eyes met those of her apprentice.

"It's only me, Matron!" she said, nervously.

"What is it?" asked Drizzera. "I said I was only to be disturbed in case of an emergency."

"It is, Matron," said the apprentice. "The guards captured an intruder in the compound. They have her in the main hall."

Drizzera's eyes narrowed.

"Who dares..." she said.

She set the necrosia down, and followed the apprentice out to the main hall. Once there, she found that several dark elves had gathered.

Hebi-Na was standing there, her hands handcuffed behind her back, guarded by two male dark elves.

"We caught her crawling in through a ventilation shaft," said one of the guards. "She was unarmed, aside from a Duel Disk, of all things..."

"Matron Drizzera, I presume," said Hebi-Na.

Drizzera frowned.

"This is the second time this month we've found a snake down here..." she said. "I really must have a word with that exterminator..."

Hebi-Na chuckled.

"You're funny..." she said.

She held her hands forward, and twirled the handcuffs on one finger.

"Almost as funny as these guards, who thought these Sector Security-issue cuffs could hold me."

She threw them at Drizzera, hitting her in the face.

The next second, five spears and three assault rifles were pointed at Hebi-Na's torso.

"Your call Matron," said one of the guards. "Just say the word and this snake dies."

"Dunno..." said Drizzera. "I think I recognize her..."

She walked up to Hebi-Na.

"You're that fugitive that the Shadowchasers are looking for, aren't you?" she asked. "If I handed you over to them alive, they might be willing to forgive a few transgressions on my clan's record... And give us a nice reward as well... We could use the money to redecorate the ballroom."

She looked Hebi-Na in the eye.

"But I just have to ask, Hebi-Na... Just what made you think you could sneak in here without being caught?"

"I _wanted_ to be caught," replied Hebi-Na. "I have a little proposition for you, Matron...

"Well... Actually, it's more of a challenge..."

Drizzera looked at the Duel Disk on Hebi-Na's arm, and chuckled.

"Please..." she said. "I'm the leader of this clan. I only duel the aristocrats."

"How do you know I'm not an aristocrat?" asked Hebi-Na.

Drizzera turned away.

"Anyone who has to sneak in here like a thief clearly isn't," she said. "If you had come here invited with an entourage of at least three other ophidia, then I might have believed you were an aristocrat."

She nodded to one of the guards.

"Lock her away somewhere. With tighter chains. I have to make a phone call..."

"It's ten PM," said Hebi-Na. "They might be asleep... You know how cranky humans can get."

"Then I'll call Great Britain long distance!" replied Drizzera. "Take her away!"

As the two guards who had brought Hebi-Na in initially grabbed hold of, her, Hebi-Na shouted out:

"I, Hebi-Na, challenge Matron Drizzera to combat under Abyssal Doctrine."

Drizzera stopped short, and all the other dark elves in the room gasped. She slowly turned and looked at the ophidia.

_That_ was a little too serious to simply brush aside.

Abyssal Doctrine was not a challenge to be taken lightly, and could only be made under certain conditions. The ophidia worshipped a goddess who was native to the Abyss. The dark elves' goddess, named Lolth by some, was native to the same plane. Lolth was far stronger than Seghulerak, but it didn't matter in this case. This challenge could be made by one worshipper of an Abyssal entity to another, no matter what the status of the entities.

The actual battle could take any form that the participants desired, and did not have to result in the death of the loser. Truthfully, the winner got little more than bragging rights, and the right to say that her god was superior. In a battle of Abyssal Doctrine, you were supposed to put the faith in your god behind you.

Now, as she had admitted, Hebi-Na's faith in her goddess was rather low, but Drizzera did not know that. Hebi-Na also knew that Drizzera's faith in her own goddess was very high, and she'd be far too proud to turn down such a challenge.

She turned around and looked Hebi-Na in the face.

"You've got a lot of nerve, snake..." said Drizzera. "I assume you desire a battle of Duel Monsters?"

Hebi-Na nodded.

"Very well..." replied Drizzera. "I'll give you one... But once it's over, there won't be any Shadowchasers... I'll think of something far worse..."

She held out her hand.

"Duel Disk!" she demanded.

One of her acolytes rushed up to the priestess and handed her a Duel Disk. Drizzera quickly fitted it on her arm and hit the auto-shuffler.

"Give us some room!" shouted Drizzera.

Her entourage backed up.

"Hell..." she said. "This might even be fun..."

**(Hebi-Na: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Drizzera: 8,000)**

"I'll make the first move..." said Hebi-Na, making a draw.

She added the card to her hand and chose two others.

"I throw a card facedown," she said, "and then summon Mystic Tomato."

A reversed card appeared, and then a common Monster appeared: a large tomato with a silly face. (1,400 ATK)

"Your move..." she said.

"Oh, I get it," said Drizzera, with a grin.

She made a draw.

"Pretty amateur setup there... Well, it isn't gonna work...

"I play the Continuous Spell Card, Ancient Gear Castle!"

She fit a card into her Disk, and the ground started to shake. Behind her, a giant medieval-style castle rose up from the floor. It was a crazy structure, covered with gears, winches, pulleys, and cannons mounted on its towers.

"With this Castle on the field, any Machine with the word 'Ancient' in its name gains a 300-point bonus to its Attack Score.

"And I think I'll summon one right now... The Ancient Gear Soldier."

In a cloud of dust, a tall robot rose in front of Drizzera. Like its name implied, it looked old fashioned, made of iron in the shape of a humanoid, with gears all over. It had a rifle in place of its right hand that resembled a Thompson submachine gun, also made of iron. (1,300 ATK) –) (1,600 ATK)

"Soldier, plug that Tomato!" shouted Drizzera.

Ancient Gear Soldier aimed and fired a volley of bursts from its rifle, with empty cartridges flying from the case. Mystic Tomato squealed and burst into shards.

"Ergh..." said Hebi-Na.

"I use its effect..." she said. "I get to..."

"I know what Mystic Tomato does..." said Drizzera. "You get to Special Summon a Dark Monster with 1,500 Attack Points or less... So do it already..."

"I choose Dark Tuner Spider Cocoon," said Hebi-Na.

She played a card, and a large spider-like Monster appeared. It looked like a big spider with a cocoon for an abdomen. (0 ATK)

Drizzera raised an eyebrow.

"It's your move, snake," she said.

**(H: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 8,000)**

Hebi-Na made a draw.

"I summon Dark Spider," said Hebi-Na.

Another spider appeared. This one looked more like a regular spider, but with a peaked abdomen. (0 ATK)

"Hebi-Na..." said Drizzera, as she put her hand on her hip. "I'd be a pretty sorry excuse for a dark elf if I were afraid of spiders. And I'd be a pretty sorry excuse for a dark elf _and_ a duelist if I were afraid of spiders that had zero Attack Points."

"They may look powerless," replied Hebi-Na, "but I can use Dark Spider's effect to increase the Level of my Spider Cocoon from 5 to 7.

"And having done that, I can subtract the Level of my Spider Cocoon from that of my Dark Spider to summon something that is anything but powerless!"

Spider Cocoon faded into seven glowing stars. They descended upon Dark Spider, and burned into its exoskeleton...

Then Dark Spider burst into six dark stars, which started to spin around Hebi-Na.

"The stars turned black!" shouted one of the guards. "What's happening?"

Hebi-Na laughed.

"_When the Shadows are devoured by even darker Shadows, the curtain is pulled back to reveal… a world without light!_

"I call forth Underground Arachne!"

A dark shadow appeared on Hebi-Na's side of the field, and a frightening form appeared from out of it. From the waist up, it looked like a sinister, demonic woman. But from the waist down, it was a huge, fiendish spider. (2,400 ATK)

Several of the dark elves cowered in terror. Some were too afraid to even look at the Monster Hebi-Na had summoned. Even Drizzera seemed frightened now.

"Why so scared?" asked Hebi-Na. "Oh... Wait... I think I know...

"Your religion says that your goddess is known to assume a form that looks like this when she visits the mortal world... In fact... This is the form she takes when she's angry, right?"

Drizzera didn't respond to that.

"Well... whatever..." said Hebi-Na. "I use Underground Arachne's effect..."

A blast of spider web shot from Underground Arachne's abdomen, quickly forming a cocoon around Ancient Gear Soldier, and then pulling it over to Hebi-Na's side of the field.

"What have you done?" screamed Drizzera.

"In game terms, Underground Arachne possesses the ability to Equip an opposing Monster to itself like an Equip Spell," replied Hebi-Na. "And now that you're defenseless...

"Attack the Matron directly! Hell Thread!"

The Dark Synchro shot a blast of webbing from her jaws, and Drizzera screamed as she was hit in the chest by it. She tumbled backwards ten feet and landed on her back.

**(H: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 5,600)**

Hebi-Na chuckled.

"It's your move..." she said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Shichiro wandered into the living room with a glass of milk in one hand and a book in the other.

"Shichiro?" said Boris's voice. "What are you still doing up?"

Shichiro turned and saw the skull.

"Couldn't sleep," he said, sitting down. "Thought maybe a book would help do that."

"You read too much..." muttered Boris, as he floated into the kitchen.

Shichiro opened the book.

"Chapter One," he said to himself. "My father had a small estate in Nottinghamshire: I was the third of five sons. He sent me to Emanuel College in Cambridge at fourteen years old, where I resided three years, and applied myself close to my studies; but the charge of maintaining me, although I had a very scanty allowance, being too great for a narrow fortune, I was bound apprentice to Mr. James Bates, an eminent surgeon in London, with whom I continued four years."

Shichiro sighed.

"He's right..." he muttered. "I do read too much..."

Then he heard a beeping coming from the computer.

"What the heck..." he said, getting up.

He looked at the computer screen.

There was a disturbance somewhere in the city, but whoever was behind it had taken great pains to hide it. The sensors had just barely picked it up.

Shichiro input some commands to get a closer look.

"Good lord..." he said.

Three minutes later he had thrown on some clothes and had rushed out to his D-Wheel.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Matron Drizzera slowly pulled herself up.

Hebi-Na had not been too far off. The aspect of Lolth had two forms. Most dark elves simply called them the Provider and the Destroyer.

The Provider was the form she took when she wanted to talk (or, on occasion, when she wanted to deal with a foe by seducing him). In this form, she appeared as a beautiful female dark elf, who dealt with problems using magic rather than brawn.

The Destroyer, on the other hand, was the form she took when she had come specifically to fight. This demonic form did indeed look sort of like the Monster Hebi-Na had summoned, and had no taste for subtlety. It merely tore its foes to pieces. Dark elves who had been blessed with a visit by the Provider had to be careful never to upset her, because the aspect could change forms as easily as changing clothes.

"You don't fool me, snake..." she said with a scowl.

She drew a card.

"That thing is nothing but a big phony..."

"Odd..." said Hebi-Na. "From the tone of your voice, you seem like you're trying to convince yourself more than you're trying to convince me."

"I'll prove it!" shouted Drizzera. "I summon Ancient Gear Knight!"

In another burst of dust, another robot appeared. It looked similar to Ancient Gear Soldier, but held a long lance, and a shield shaped like a gear. (1,800 ATK) –) (2,100 ATK)

"Next, I play the Equip Spell, Ancient Gear Tank."

She played a card, and a vehicle materialized. It looked like a metal go-cart with three wheels and a cannon on the front.

Ancient Gear Knight sat in the Tank, and a blast shield covered its face and torso. (2,700 ATK)

"Destroy that imposter!" ordered Drizzera.

The Knight fired a blast of energy from the cannon, and the dark elves looked closely as an explosion covered the large spider-woman...

But when the smoke cleared, Underground Arachne was still there.

**(H: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 5,600)**

"Nice try..." said Hebi-Na. "But Underground Arachne can survive a battle simply by getting rid of the Monster it's Equipped with."

Drizzera grit her teeth.

"I end my turn!" she shouted.

"Then I draw!" exclaimed Hebi-Na, drawing a card.

"And during my Standby Phase, I can activate this..."

Her facedown Trap Card lifted up.

"Non Aggression Area. I just toss one of my cards..."

She discarded a Ground Spider.

"...and on your next turn, you are forbidden from summoning or setting any Monsters."

"WHAT?" shouted Drizzera.

"Now then..." continued Hebi-Na. "Since you liked this so much the first time, I think I'll do it again..."

Underground Arachne shot its strands of silk, wrapping up Ancient Gear Knight, Tank and all, and pulling it over to Hebi-Na's side.

Drizzera screamed as the beast's Hell Thread slammed into her again.

"Matron!" shouted her apprentice. "Please..."

"I'm fine..." said Drizzera.

**(H: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 3,200)**

_Who am I kidding?_ she thought. _I'm in big trouble..._

"It's your move, Matron," said Hebi-Na. "Don't forget, no Monsters this turn..."

Drizzera drew a card.

_Lovely..._ she thought. _Just when this Monster would be useful..._

She quickly set two cards in her Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

"Mmm," she said.

"Not much else to do, huh?" said Hebi-Na, drawing a card.

"Now, let's continue... Underground Arachne, attack her again!"

The Dark Synchro drooled.

"I activate my Trap!" shouted Drizzera.

A facedown card started to lift...

And then it sparked, and refused to lift further. Drizzera screamed as she was hit by the direct attack a third time.

"I should have warned you," said Hebi-Na. "This Monster has an effect similar to your Ancient Gears. It prevents you from activating Traps during the Battle Phase...

"If you can get up, it's your move..."

**(H: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 800)**

Matron Drizzera was hurt badly. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt such pain, or such humiliation...

But one thing she _did_ remember was the legend of Dal'ama. It was a story that was told to all dark elves when they were young... The story of a dark elf heroine whose existence may have been apocryphal, but who nonetheless taught her people a lesson that they all had to learn...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ages ago, in another place and another time, when the gods occasionally walked among mortals, the dark elves ruled empires below ground in subterranean cities. The priestesses of Lolth held great power, and other subterranean races were starting to follow them.

Then, one day, in one dark elf city, Hell came upon them. A priestess was in the middle of a holiday ceremony, when the aspect of Lolth appeared, in the form of the Destroyer. Without a word, she attacked the priestess without mercy.

The priestess was shocked. Why was her goddess attacking her? Had she not served faithfully all her life? What transgression had she committed that was so foul to deserve this?

She decided to fall to her knees and beg forgiveness, hoping to find out. But she got neither mercy nor an explanation. The aspect killed her, and then left as mysteriously as she came.

Some said that the priestess must have committed some great crime to have invoked the goddess's wrath. But even as speculation started as to what it might have been, another attack occurred, in a city several leagues away. The same thing happened, and another priestess was killed by the Destroyer.

And it happened many more times. Again and again, the ambushes occurred. The dark elves started to believe that the crime was one that their whole race had committed somehow. The clergy shut down their temples, and hid in fear.

One night, a priestess named Dal'ama snuck into a temple to pray. She knelt in front of the altar and asked why.

Then she froze in fear. The aspect was behind her, and had chosen her next victim. Dal'ama knew that pleading for her life was not going to work, so she decided to run.

She ran, but the Destroyer gave chase. She hid in a storeroom, but the demon started looking for her. Dal'ama knew there was no way out... Her escape route was cut off, and even if she could get out, this creature was the arm of a deity. No matter where she ran, so long as her goddess could find her, so could the aspect.

As doom drew ever closer, Dal'ama's fear started to change to anger...

She had served Lolth all her life... She had studied the sacred writings since age three, studying sixteen hours a day. To gain her position she had killed three other acolytes, one of whom was her little sister. They had never wronged her... She had simply done what tradition had demanded.

She had dedicated her entire life to this being... This being who was now trying to kill her for no reason she knew of... This was her reward? It seemed that her goddess was betraying her now...

As the aspect moved closer to her hiding place, Dal'ama's hand closed on the grip of her sword. She leapt out at the Destroyer, screaming that if she wanted to kill her, she was going to have to fight to do it.

The battle between Dal'ama and the Destroyer was long and terrible. The details vary depending on the version of the story. But in the end, to the surprise of everyone, Dal'ama most of all, Dal'ama slew the aspect, winning the battle.

Dal'ama dropped her sword and fell to her knees, trembling from exhaustion, her anger now replaced by fear once again. She felt that if her goddess had not been angry before, she surely would be now...

But then, she felt warm arms around her, and her wounds were healing. The one holding her was the aspect's other form, the Provider.

The Provider told Dal'ama that the society of dark elves had always been built around betrayal. A dark elf should know that she should never trust anyone. Only then can she truly climb to the top of the ladder. That was why she had attacked her own priestesses. She had to find someone who understood that even their goddess could not be trusted, and that they had to defend themselves from even this betrayal.

Dal'ama had been the only one to fight back. She was the only one to understand. She had passed the ultimate test of the dark elves.

Dal'ama went on to become a great leader in her own right. She led her faction of dark elves for centuries, seemingly immune to any form of betrayal. No-one knows how or even whether she met her end. Some say that she was taken to the Demonweb Pits to become the apprentice of the goddess; whether that was true, none can say.

So was this another test? Drizzera didn't know... But she knew she had to fight on...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"It's my move, snake!" she shouted.

She went to make a draw.

Then she paused.

"What's the matter?" asked Hebi-Na. "Too afraid to draw?"

"You think I'm scared of you and your Monster?" asked Drizzera.

She drew a card.

"I'll show you how scared I am... Because at least two Monsters have been Normal Summoned since I played Ancient Gear Castle, I can sacrifice the Castle itself..."

Ancient Gear Castle vanished.

"...to Normal Summon an Ancient Gear Monster that would otherwise need two sacrifices...

"Arise... Ancient Gear Golem!"

A large shadow loomed over the field, and the goliath of robots rose behind the dark elf matron. It stood twenty feet tall, was again covered with gears and cogs, had a glowing, red optic sensor on the left side of its face, and exuded an aura of pure strength. (3,000 ATK)

The dark elves watching cheered.

"Not bad..." said Hebi-Na. "Your most powerful Monster, huh?"

"That's right..." said Drizzera. "Now let's get down to business...

"Ancient Gear Golem... Attack Underground Arachne with Ultimate Pound!"

The huge Machine threw its mighty fist, throwing a punch at the demon. Underground Arachne shrieked, and skidded backwards on its eight legs, but it stood firm.

"My Monster is still unharmed," said Hebi-Na. "You forgot that it could use Ancient Gear Knight as a shield."

"Actually, I did know," said Drizzera. "And when Ancient Gear Knight went to the Graveyard, Ancient Gear Tank went with it. That means you lose 600 more Life Points."

Hebi-Na groaned as a red aura surrounded her.

**(H: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 800)**

"Celebrate while you can..." said Hebi-Na with a scowl. "No Monster is immune to Arachne's effect, and on my turn, you will taste bitter defeat..."

"But it's still my turn, snake," said Drizzera, playing a Spell Card. "I play Advance Draw. To play this card, I have to sacrifice a Level 8 or higher Monster."

Ancient Gear Golem vanished into grains of light.

"Sure, I'm sacrificing my best Monster, but it's better than letting you use it against me. And in return for that, I get to make two draws."

She drew two cards.

"Next, another Spell Card," she said, as she played another card. "A powerful one called Crazy Summon Gear.

"This Spell has two parts. First, I have to choose one of your Monsters. You only have one, Underground Arachne.

"You are now required to Special Summon as many Monsters as possible from your hand, deck, and Graveyard that match its Type and Level."

Hebi-Na looked shocked. Then she scowled at Drizzera.

"Don't have any, right?" said Drizzera. "I sort of figured that Level –6 Insects weren't commonplace."

_Actually,_ thought Hebi-Na, _this is the only one in existence..._

"Now, the second effect of Crazy Summon Gear," continued Drizzera. "I select one Monster in my Graveyard with 1,500 Attack Points or less. Then I Special Summon it and all Monsters from my hand, deck, and Graveyard with the same name."

Three Ancient Gear Soldiers appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,300 DEF x3)

"Then, I activate this..."

Her facedown card lifted up.

"It's called Gift of the Mystical Elf, a Trap Card that increases my Life Points by 300 for each Monster on the field."

She closed her eyes as she glowed with golden energy.

"I throw a card facedown," she said, as a reversed card appeared, "and then you go. This duel is not over yet..."

**(H: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,000)**

Hebi-Na smirked a little. She drew a card.

She looked at the Level 6 Monster on the card.

_Darn..._ she thought. _I knew Mystic Tomato was a bad idea..._

"Underground Arachne," she commanded, "use your effect on one Soldier!"

The Dark Synchro tied up one Soldier, and pulled it over to Hebi-Na's side once again.

"Now, destroy another one! Hell Thread!"

The demon spider shot another blast of webbing from its jaws, and a second Soldier was smashed into scrap metal.

"So now what?" asked Hebi-Na.

"I'll show you..." said Drizzera.

She quickly made a draw.

One of her facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Call of the Haunted to bring back the Ancient Gear Soldier you destroyed..."

Another Ancient Gear Soldier appeared next to the first. (1,300 ATK)

"Then I sacrifice both of them..."

Both Soldiers vanished into orbs of glowing energy...

Ancient Gear Golem loomed over the field once more. (3,000 ATK)

"That's right..." she said. "I had two of them..."

"Not a very fast learner, are you?" asked Hebi-Na. "Need I remind you that so long as my Monster is Equipped with your third Soldier, that Golem can't harm it?"

"That's what you think," replied Drizzera, fitting her last card into her Disk. "I play the Equip Spell, Ancient Gear Fist!"

The Golem's right hand vanished, and was replaced by one that looked even more mechanical-looking.

"Now... Let's see if it's the same this time... Attack!"

Ancient Gear Golem pointed its fist, and it shot like a rocket at the Dark Synchro. And it _was_ different this time. Underground Arachne ducked, the captive Soldier shattering...

But then, the rocket fist did a 180 in mid-air, and caught its target it in its grasp. Then it squeezed. Underground Arachne screamed, and then shattered into black pixels.

"What?" said Hebi-Na.

"Ancient Gear Fist lets my Monster destroy any Monster it attacks," said Drizzera. "Regardless of any defenses.

"So all of you cowards can look now!"

The dark elves started to look.

"She actually did it..." said one of the guards.

**(H: 5,700) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,000)**

Hebi-Na chuckled.

"Good job..." she said, "but this duel is far from over... And my Life Points are still far more than yours..."

"Maybe so..." said Drizzera, "but now that your ace is gone, it's a whole new ball game.

"It's your move..."

Hebi-Na made a draw.

She threw a card into her Disk and a facedown card appeared.

"That's all," she said.

"No Monsters?" said the acolyte. "Doesn't she know that Traps can't stop the Golem's attack?"

"My move..." said Drizzera.

She drew a card.

_Hmm..._ she thought.

"Think I'll activate this Trap now," said Hebi-Na, as one of her facedown cards lifted up. "And I put it in my deck especially for you... Threatening Roar!

"I may not be able to activate Traps in response to that thing's attack, but I can stop its attack entirely."

Drizzera frowned. She played the card she had just drawn.

"Then it's a good thing I have just enough Monsters in my Graveyard to play this," she said, as the Pot of Avarice appeared.

All three Soldiers, the Knight, and the first Golem fell out of her discard slot. She added them to her deck, and the Disk shuffled it.

She made two draws, and looked at them. She placed them in her Disk, and two reversed cards appeared.

"Just move..." she said.

Hebi-Na quickly made a draw.

"I activate the Dark Charity Spell Card," she said, as a Spell Card appeared.

"Dark Charity?" said Drizzera, opening her eyes wide.

The picture on the card was sort of creepy. It depicted Marie the Fallen One embracing a young duelist from behind.

"Don't be scared..." said Hebi-Na, with an evil smile.

A card slipped out of her discard slot.

"I get to take a Monster from my Graveyard, like Mystic Tomato here, and Special Summon it to your side of the field.

"However, _you_ get to choose what mode it's in."

"Defense Mode..." hissed Drizzera.

Mystic Tomato appeared next to her Golem.

"Not that it would have mattered much," continued Hebi-Na. "I play... The Earthquake Spell Card!"

As she played the card, the ground shook, and a big crack appeared in the floor. Ancient Gear Golem staggered, and knelt in Defense Mode. (3,000 DEF)

"Is this going anywhere?" asked Drizzera.

"It most certainly is..." said Hebi-Na, lifting up another card. "You see... Because my Graveyard now has no Monsters in it other than Insects, I can sacrifice two defensive Monsters to Special Summon this creature...

"And no-one ever said they had to be _my_ Monsters..."

Drizzera gasped as Mystic Tomato and Ancient Gear Golem faded into grains of light.

"Now... Meet Mother Spider!" laughed Hebi-Na.

The spider that appeared was just as big as Underground Arachne, but was neither more nor less a spider. It had a violet and red exoskeleton, and its legs ended in scythe-like blades. (2,300 ATK)

"Attack directly!" shouted Hebi-Na.

Mother Spider scurried towards Drizzera.

"Oh, Hebi-Na?" asked Drizzera. "Did you forget about this?"

Her facedown card, the one she had set after Hebi-Na had activated Non Aggression Area, lifted up.

"Dimension Wall! This shields me from the damage, and inflicts it on you instead!"

"ERGH!" grunted Hebi-Na.

The dark elves started to cheer.

"Ooh..." she hissed. "Well, let's see if you can handle this..."

She threw one of her remaining cards into her Disk.

"The Equip Spell, Dark Martyr."

Mother Spider glowed with an aura of darkness.

"What does that do?" asked Drizzera, nervously.

"Simple," said Hebi-Na. "First, I take Mother Spider's Level and multiply by –1. If I have a Dark Synchro in my Graveyard that matches that Level or higher, of the same Type as Mother Spider, I get to Special Summon it when Mother Spider is destroyed.

"By _anything_, incidentally."

"So if I squash your Spider, Underground Arachne is coming back..." said Drizzera.

"Bingo..." said Hebi-Na. "And it's your move..."

**(H: 3,400) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,000)**

"Don't count on it yet, snake," she said. "The duel isn't over until the last card is played!"

She drew a card.

It was Ancient Gear Engineer.

_Somehow,_ she thought, _that line seemed to work more often when Yukai Judai said it..._

She looked at her two facedown cards.

_This is gonna be a big risk... But I gotta take it..._

One facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Reckless Greed," she said. "In return for skipping my next two Draw Phases, I get to draw two cards now..."

She made two draws.

She was surprised by one of them. This Machine wasn't an Ancient Gear... It was far more... _modern_...

Her other facedown card lifted.

"I activate Level Conversion Lab!" she exclaimed. "Now, let me explain this. First I gotta show you a Monster in my hand..."

She flipped the card forward.

"Not exactly a card that fits the theme of the Medieval Shadow Deck," replied Hebi-Na.

"I know," said Drizzera. "You see, Hebi-Na, being the head of this clan, having double-crossed several dark elves to reach this point, I've had to be on guard from attempts by others to do the same to me. It's happened many times in the past.

"This card... It belonged to someone who almost succeeded.

"Her plan was incredibly elaborate. I believe that she put a year of work and a practical fortune into it. She checked and rechecked every detail a hundred times, even did stimulated dry runs...

"I won't go into detail because I don't want to give anyone here ideas. The only reason I likely survived was because _she_ was betrayed. She had a paramour whom she was rather abusive to, and he wanted out of the relationship. So he told me about her intentions."

"I assume that you killed him too after you killed this would-be betrayer."

"No..." said Drizzera, shaking her head. "But I did sell him at a slave market at the Outlands. I was sure the buyer was someone who'd treat him better than she did.

"As for her... Well, I was impressed at how much work she put into it. I was at least sure she was comfortable before her execution.

"Anyway, onto business! I'm gonna roll a die, and if I roll a one, I have to discard this card. Any other number, and that's the Level of this card until the end of the turn.

"Go!"

A large, silver die flew through the air, and skipped and bounced. It rolled, and landed on the three.

"That means I can summon this as a Level 3 Monster," said Drizzera. "In other words, without a sacrifice...

"So here it comes... I summon... _The Big Saturn!"_

In a fiery explosion, another giant robot, just as big as Ancient Gear Golem loomed over the field. It was streamlined, with a silver hull, with oversized fists and energy capsules on its back. (2,800 ATK)

"Now I use its effect," she said. "I toss one card and pay 1,000 Life Points..."

She discarded Ancient Gear Engineer, and The Big Saturn roared. It sprouted cannons, lasers, and missile launchers from each limb and all over its torso. (3,800 ATK)

"Impressive..." said Hebi-Na. "But it's not gonna do you any good... My Dark Martyr..."

"...is absolutely worthless," replied Drizzera, as she fit her last card into her Disk. "Because I'm gonna defeat you before it can do anything.

"From my hand, I activate Limiter Removal!"

The Big Saturn started to burn with a glowing green fire... (7,600 ATK)

"Flatten Mother Spider and end this duel!" she shouted. "Attack now! _The End of Cosmos!"_

What happened next was hard to describe. It was like the artillery of a small army centered on one point. You could barely hear Hebi-Na scream as her Monster was blown out of existence.

**(H: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 1,000)**

Hebi-Na was on the floor, with smoke rising from her shoulders and hair...

Drizzera ran up and grabbed her.

"Talk, snake!" she demanded. "How did you get a card with the image of our goddess on it? Tell me if you want to live!"

Hebi-Na caught her breath.

"Why, your excellence..." she said, "haven't you figured it out yet? Your goddess couldn't have sent the test with another dark elf..."

Drizzera let go of Hebi-Na.

"Test?" she said, nervously.

Hebi-Na nodded.

"Times have changed since the old days..." said Hebi-Na. "The gods can't walk the mortal world, even in the form of aspects... Your goddess thought that Duel Monsters was the best way to confront you..."

"What are you saying?" asked Drizzera, getting even more nervous. "Did your goddess make some sort of deal with mine?"

Hebi-Na nodded.

"I do what I'm told..." she said. "And I was told that you were to be tested...

"And you passed with flying colors..."

She took the deck from her Disk, and handed it to Drizzera, the Underground Arachne card on top.

"She wants you to have these cards now... Who is more worthy to have them than the dark elf who isn't afraid to stand up to her goddess?"

Drizzera's hand shook.

She took the deck.

"But..." she asked. "But... what do I do with them?"

Hebi-Na chuckled, and handed her a small slip of paper.

"Call the phone number on that card if you need some ideas," she said. "It's the number of someone you might want to get acquainted with. Unlike me, she [I]is[/I] an aristocrat.

"You may find, Matron Drizzera, that your people and mine are not as unalike as you think..."

Hebi-Na turned around, and started to slither away.

"Your excellence..." said one of the guards.

"Let her leave!" replied Drizzera.

The dark elves watched Hebi-Na leave, as their leader looked at the Underground Arachne card. Drizzera could hardly believe what had happened...

Was it true? Had she passed the same test that Dal'ama had passed in ancient times?

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Once she got to the surface, Hebi-Na took out her cell phone.

"It's me," she said into it. "Mission accomplished... I believe we'll be hearing from Matron Drizzera again soon...

"Oh, it was easy... I just had to know a little about dark elf mythology and some of their most popular folklore... I used the situation to my advantage, and even though I lost the duel, I triumphed in the encounter...

"Might I add that if this works out, we will indeed gain a powerful ally. For all her superstition, Matron Drizzera is _quite_ dangerous."

As Hebi-Na hung up, she looked up at the night sky. For some reason, the stars seemed awfully bright tonight.

Just then, a shooting star streaked across the night sky.

_Ooh!_ thought Hebi-Na. _Maybe I should make a wish..._

_I wish... I wish..._

She paused.

_Kinda wish I had something to eat... Even that cheesecake didn't seem filling... I guess that's what happens after you live on prison food for so long..._

_I suppose I have time to grab takeout before going back to the palace..._

As she slithered towards the center of town with her stomach grumbling, she didn't see the shooting star she had seen change course strangely in its flight...

Then it faded, and dissolved into motes of light.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**UNDERGROUND ARACHNE (Monster Card, anime version)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Insect/Dark Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** -6  
**ATK:** 2,400  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** _1 or more non-Tuner Monsters – 1 Dark Tuner Monster_

To Special Summon this card, subtract the Level of the Dark Tuner Monster used as Synchro Material from the combined Levels of the non-Tuner Monster(s) used. The value must equal the Level of this card. When this card attacks, your opponent cannot activate set Spell or Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step. Once per turn, you can select a face-up opposing Monster and equip it to this card as an Equip Spell Card. This card cannot be Equipped with more than one Monster at one time. If this card would be destroyed by battle, destroy the equipped Monster instead.

_Note: This is the Dark Synchro version of "Underground Arachne" which was used by Rudger in the anime. The card has been released as a true Synchro Monster for the OCG and TCG with a similar effect._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK TUNER SPIDER COCOON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Insect/Dark Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** When your opponent controls at least one Monster and you control no Monsters, you may Special Summon this card from your hand.

_Note: "Dark Tuner Spider Cocoon" was first used by Rudger in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Mark of the Spider (Part 1)". __Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CRAZY SUMMON GEAR (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A collection of interlocking gears and cogs.

**Card Description:** Select one face-up Monster your opponent controls. Your opponent must Special Summon from his hand, deck, and Graveyard as many Monsters as possible with the same Type and Level as the selected Monster. Then, select a Monster with 1,500 ATK or less in your Graveyard and Special Summon it and all Monsters with the same name from your hand, deck, and Graveyard.

_Note: "Crazy Summon Gear" was first used by Chronos in a fourth season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK CHARITY (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Marie the Fallen One standing behind an Obelisk Blue student with a Duel Disk, her arms around him, whispering in his ear.

**Card Description:** Select one Monster in your Graveyard and Special Summon it to your opponent's side of the field. (Your opponent chooses the Battle Position.) The selected Monster cannot use its effect(s).

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK MARTYR (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** Underground Arachne standing on the dead bodies of Saber Beetle and Insect Princess, raising its fist in anger.

**Card Description:** When the Equipped Monster is destroyed, Special Summon from your Graveyard a Dark Synchro Monster of the same Type as the Equipped Monster and whose Level is equal to or higher than the Equipped Monster when multiplied by –1.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Shichiro: Usually, a trip to the card store is a pleasant experience for a duelist like myself. But this morning, a mysterious card has been included in the order that has arrived for me. And on my way to get it, I find that I am not the only one who wants it. I'm forced to duel the shadowy figure who has been watching us for quite some time... Who is he, and what does he want? And what is this strange card? **

"**Armageddon Knight" is coming soon...**

**Ember: Hey, Shichiro... Where were you running off to this chapter?**

**Shichiro: That's another story that will be told at another time. Read mario72486's upcoming fanfic, "Yu-Gi-Oh: The Link of Destinies" for details!**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Dumay, Underworld Informant of Shadow**

If you passed him on the street, you probably wouldn't think much of him. Sure he dresses a bit strangely, but otherwise he looks like a fairly average guy. But in organized crime circles, he goes by the name Dumay, a mysterious figure that has connections everywhere in the United States.

Dumay is not a crime boss or a hitman, but simply someone that has good connections. He doesn't use them for the benefit of the mob either, tending to use them to pass information to police agencies. Most recently, he started giving information to the Shadowchasers, most notably the New York City branch. Whenever a Shadow becomes a major player in the Underworld, he tends to show up to give them a boost in information, so long as they can pay for it.

What little is known about his past is that he grew up in Africa, taken captive by an African warlord that was rebelling against the local government. The warlord was also a sorcerer of no small skill, who took Dumay on as an unwilling apprentice, teaching him the ways of magic, as well as warfare and politics. Of course, the type of politics that Dumay learned was the type that is more often used to take advantage of governments than help them. When the local government finally raided the warlord's facility, Dumay escaped, using the money he had stashed away to buy a boat ride to the United States. For years he spent most of his time as a smuggler for organized crime families, being caught several times by both the police and the Shadowchasers, until he finally struck a deal with both.

He would continue his operations within the underworld, but at the same time he would pass information on the Mundane crime families to the police, and information on Shadow-run mobs to the Shadowchasers. Since then, several Shadowkind Mafiosi have been apprehended. Some would call Dumay a stool-pigeon who would do anything to make money, and that's pretty much true. But when people accuse him of such things, he just laughs them off, saying he's nothing more than a capitalist.

Dumay doesn't look all that impressive, he's tall with short black hair, he usually wears a suit top and cargo pants, but nothing out of the ordinary. He's a bit strange, tending to enjoy simple magic acts and illusions than any really impressive things, but he is known to deviate. He is always accompanied by is familiar, the grey cat Ylla. This familiar is very helpful in finding the information he needs; when gangs discuss their plans with no-one but an apparently harmless cat listening, they have no idea that they are feeding information to the last person who they want to hear it.

**  
Story Ideas:** Dumay will probably show up in any story that involves Shadowkind organized crime in the United States. While he tends to stay in the Tri-State area, he may journey elsewhere to get his information. He is not the kind of guy that would be a real villain, as he never gets his hands dirty unless he feels there is no other way to get information. That is all he is, an informant.

On the other hand, maybe his past could finally catch up to him. There may be more about his origins that he is not willing to reveal. A plot could involve his past in Africa, or the crime families groups finding out about his informant business, but really nothing more.

**  
Deck Ideas:** Dumay, as it probably shouldn't surprise you, runs a Spellcaster deck. He tends to focus mostly on Spell Counters and ways to use them, but he does keep a copy of Dark Magician as a back-up. (How he got this rare card is a story for another time.) He does not rely too much on this Monster, preferring more powerful Effect Monsters like Magical Marionette and Dark Red Enchanter, along with Synchro Spellcasters like Arcanite Magician and Explosive Magician. (He does not have a copy of Tempest Magician – yet. He'd likely get information on the most dangerous of criminal leaders for someone who could provide him with one.)

_Dumay was a creation of fanfic author Ruin, Queen of Oblivion._


	19. Armageddon Knight

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL NINETEEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Armageddon Knight**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

In the dark chamber under the city with the pool of water, the strangely-dressed man with the sunglasses ran in. His employer had sounded very upset this time.

"_What took you so long?"_ said the being in the pool.

"I came as soon as I could!" said the man, out of breath. "You sounded like it was an emergency..."

"_It is!"_ said the being. _"Trymus has come to Earth! I don't know how, but he has come in the form of a card."_

"Is that bad?" asked the man.

And then he groaned as a splitting pain ripped through his skull.

"_YES it's bad!"_ replied the being. _"This could seriously set our plans back..."_

A deck of cards appeared on a stone pedestal in the center of the chamber.

"_Take that deck... Go to __Kurumizawa's store and get that card... Do whatever you must to do so..._

"_If Mr. Osaka interferes, deal with him. We can't worry about secrecy any longer."_

The man took the deck.

"I swear it will be done..." he said.

He ran out of the chamber.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Nine AM..." said Ember. "Shichiro usually doesn't sleep this late..."

"I think he was out working late last night..." said Boris, as he picked some glasses off the coffee table. "Something about..."

Then Shichiro walked into the living room, wearing the clothes he had worn yesterday, clutching his forehead.

"Rough night?" asked Jinx.

"Boris, coffee..." said Shichiro. "Make it strong..."

"Coming up," said Boris, as he flew into the kitchen.

Shichiro slumped in an armchair.

"Yeah, you might say that, Jinx..." he said.

"Care to elaborate?" asked Ember.

"Remember that story about how they found a crocodile at the zoo mutilated?" asked Shichiro. "Decapitated?"

"Yeah..." said Gears. "They thought it was the work of some cult, or some sicko..."

"Well, I found the guy who did it..." said Shichiro. "It was more than a 'sicko'.

"And we owe Jeager a favor. Seems he's actually doing something by working late these days..."

Boris flew in with a cup of coffee in one hand and the pot in the other.

Shichiro grabbed the cup, and drank it in two gulps.

"But everything seems to be okay now..." he said, holding the cup for a refill. "I just hope..."

As he said that, the phone rang.

"Is that the phone, or did my headache just get worse?"

Gears picked up the phone.

"Oh, hi Kurumizawa," he said.

"Kurumizawa?" said Shichiro.

"Yeah," said Gears. "He wants to talk to you..."

Gears handed him the phone, and Shichiro put it to his ear.

"Yeah?" he asked. "Did my order come in?"

On the opposite side of the line, the man speaking was behind the counter in a hobby shop in downtown Neo Domino. Among its merchandise were several posters, figures, and toys depicting Duel Monsters, particularly female ones.

Kurumizawa was the typical owner of such an establishment. He was a portly man in his forties, who wore a purple jacket and sunglasses.

"Yeah, Osaka, it came in," he said. "I have the package right here... But there's something weird about it...

"You see, looking at the receipt, it seems to include a card that you didn't order...

"You were only charged one yen for it..."

"One yen?" asked Shichiro, sitting up. "You can't buy a stick of gum for that much. What card is it?"

"It's called Trymus the Conqueror," replied Kurumizawa. "And before you ask, I've never heard of it either. I've Googled and Wikied it too... Nothing."

Shichiro gave a strange look.

"Kurumizawa, don't let that package out of your sight," he said. "We'll be there right away. See you soon."

He hung up. Kurumizawa looked at the receiver.

"Nice guy..." he said. "But he can be a little weird sometimes..."

He picked up a magazine and turned to a dog-eared page.

"Now, where was I here?"

Then he heard the tinkle of the bell that indicated the front door opening.

He looked up, and saw the strangely dressed man walk in.

"Uh, buddy?" said Kurumizawa. "The science fiction convention won't be in town until next month..."

"Funny..." said the man. "But I have no patience for jokes. I simply require that..."

He pointed to a package on the counter.

Kurumizawa's eyes narrowed.

"I'm very sorry..." he said, "but that belongs to another customer..."

"I realize that," said the man, "and I don't recall asking permission..."

He started to reach for it, but Kurumizawa pulled it out of his reach.

"You'd best hand it over..." said the man.

"Or you'll do what?" asked Kurumizawa, standing up. "You should know that you don't hold up a store unless you have a weapon, pal..."

He turned around and pushed the package into the wall safe behind him, and slammed the door shut.

"Try getting it out of there," he said. "Now I'm gonna... Urk!"

The man grabbed him by the chin.

"I don't need a weapon..." he said. "And I won't resort to violence to get you to open that safe... Not when I can find the combination must easier..."

He took Kurumizawa's sunglasses off, and stared into his eyes.

"What… what are you doing?" asked Kurumizawa.

"You might call it mind reading..." said the man.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Five minutes later, the four Shadowchasers pulled up in front of Kurumizawa's shop on their D-Wheels.

"I don't get it..." said Gears, looking at the screen on his dashboard. "I've checked the KaibaCorp database, the I2 database, and the Pro League records... There's not even a mention of any card called Trymus the Conqueror."

"Maybe it's a secret prototype card," said Ember, "one that the winners of some contest were going to test... And you were one of the winners."

"I don't remember _entering_ any contest, Ember," replied Shichiro.

"We gotta be careful... As the Trojans discovered, always beware of suspicious gifts."

They walked into the store, where the strange man was still trying to probe Kurumizawa's mind, and clearly getting frustrated.

"Where is it?" he cursed. "Where is that confounded combination?"

"Stop right there!" shouted Shichiro.

The strange man let Kurumizawa go and turned to face them.

"Who the heck are you?" asked Shichiro. "And what do you want with Kurumizawa?"

The man grinned.

"My name, Mr. Osaka, is Trueman," replied the man. "I am called that because the words I speak are true.

"And as for your second question, I want nothing with Mr. Kurumizawa, or with any of you. I simply want the extra card that came with the order he placed for you.

"Seeing as you were only charged one yen for this card, you can surely admit that giving it to me to avoid trouble will cost you practically nothing."

Shichiro looked at him.

He had a feeling that giving the card to this guy would be bad...

"Hold on, pal..." he said. "Why exactly do you want this card?"

"I _don't_ want it," replied Trueman. "My employer demands I retrieve it."

"If you always tell the truth," said Gears, "tell us who your employer is."

Trueman chuckled a little.

"Some truths are best left unspoken, Gears," he said. "I will say, however, that my employer is a being of incredible power."

"That's all I need to know..." said Shichiro. "I can tell just by looking at you that you aren't fully human...

"And seeing as you apparently expected it, seeing as you have a Duel Disk..."

He placed his deck in his Disk.

"A duel then?" chuckled Trueman. "Well... If you insist... And if that's how I must deal with you...

"But this store is a little cramped, wouldn't you say? Why don't we go outside?"

"There's plenty of room..." said Jinx.

"Trust me..." said Trueman, "there isn't..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Two minutes later, Shichiro and Trueman were facing each other on the street outside.

"I have a bad feeling about this..." said Jinx. "What did he mean by there not being enough room?"

"I'm trying hard not to think of it..." said Ember.

Shichiro activated his Disk, and Trueman activated his odd version of the mechanism.

"All right, Trueman," said Shichiro. "Prepare to get your game on!"

"Shichiro!" snapped Gears. "We all agreed never to say that again..."

"Uh... sorry..." said Shichiro.

"Just start, already," said Trueman. "My employer is a great deal less patient than I am..."

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Trueman: 8,000)**

"I'm drawing!" said Shichiro, making his first draw.

"I'll defend with this..."

A Monster appeared in Defense Mode.

"...and I'll leave it at that..."

"Defending, Mr. Osaka?" asked Trueman, making a draw. "Well, I'll defend myself first, by Special Summoning Vice Dragon in Defense Mode."

An incredibly ugly dragon with violet skin and wings, standing upright on two legs, appeared. It folded its wings and crossed its arms. (2,400 DEF)

"Of course, since I Special Summoned it that way, its scores are now cut in half."

(1,200 DEF)

"Now, with it on defense, I'll add some offense. I summon the Lance Lindwurm!"

In a blast of energy, a humanoid Dragon wearing armor with large wings appeared. It naturally carried a long lance. (1,800 ATK)

"Defending is pointless against this Monster," he said, "due to its trampling effect.

"Destroy his Monster!"

Lance Lindwurm flew at the facedown card...

Command Knight appeared on the card, and blocked the blow with her shield. (1,900 DEF)

"It can try," replied Shichiro, "but it will find Command Knight a little too much to handle."

"Then I end my turn…" said Trueman.

**(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,900)**

Shichiro made a draw, and looked at it.

"To Special Summon this guy," he said, "I need to discard a Monster from my hand.

"So I'll send Level Eater to the Graveyard..."

He discarded a card.

"...to bring out Quickdraw Synchron."

In another flash of energy, a cute robot dressed like a cowboy, complete with a hat, bandana, poncho, and tattered cape appeared. (700 ATK)

"I'll tell you right now, Mr. Osaka..." said Trueman. "Cute Monsters tend to get on my nerves."

"Moving right along..." said Shichiro. "I'm using the effect of the Level Eater I just sent to the Graveyard. I can reduce Quickdraw Synchron's Level from 5 to 4, and then summon it to the field."

Quickdraw Synchron gave a look of surprise as a large beetle with a star on its back bounced out of its chest and landed beside it. (0 DEF)

"Next," said Shichiro, "I Normal Summon Tuningware..."

In another flash of light, another cute robot with a scarf around its neck and a saucepan on its head appeared. (100 ATK)

"Then I use Quickdraw Synchron's effect..."

The three lights on the little cowboy's chest flashed, turning into a projector. The images of six cards, Junk Synchron, Nitro Synchron, Turbo Synchron, Road Synchron, Drill Synchron, and Hyper Synchron appeared in a circle in front of it, and started to rotate at high speed. Quickdraw Synchron drew its gun and fired, blowing the Junk Synchron card to shards.

"Since it just plugged Junk Synchron's card, that means I can treat its name as that of Junk Synchron for this round.

"So I Tune it and Tuningware..."

The two Machines flew into the sky, dissolving into five glowing stars.

With a roar, Junk Synchron landed on the street with a crash. (2,300 ATK)

"Because I used Tuningware to summon it, I get to draw one card..."

He made one draw, and looked at it.

"Not too impressive..." said Trueman.

"But Junk Warrior not only gains Command Knight's bonus, due to it being a Warrior," replied Shichiro, "it also gains the Attack Points of all my Level 1 and 2 Monsters when it's summoned. That means it gains 600 additional points from Level Eater."

(3,300 ATK)

"Now, Command Knight moves to Attack Mode..."

Command Knight stood up. (1,600 ATK)

"...and Junk Warrior attacks Lance Lindwurm! Blow that thing away with Scrap Fist!"

The Warrior Synchro flew at the Dragon, and punched it hard. The Dragon-man shattered into an explosion of shards.

"Command Knight, attack his Vice Dragon!"

Command Knight flew at the other Dragon, and slashed at it with her sword, cleaving it in half.

**(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 6,400)**

"Heh, heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Trueman.

He wiped his face.

"You just pulled together a pretty powerful combo…" he said with an evil smile. "You sort of remind me of an old enemy of mine who was just as tenacious…

"Thing is… After a while… His tenacity got kind of annoying…"

"Yeah, I've heard it a lot," said Shichiro, taking a card from his hand.

He set the card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared in a flash of light.

"I end my turn…"

Trueman made another draw.

"Time to bring out my ace," he said, fitting a card into his Disk. "I play the Spell Card, Future Fusion.

"I simply send to my Graveyard the Monsters that are required for the Fusion Summon of a Monster, and in two turns, I get to Special Summon that Monster.

"The Monsters I'm sending… Are these."

He held up five cards: Infernal Dragon, Tyrant Dragon, Luster Dragon #2, Des Volstgalph, and Rare Metal Dragon.

"Five Dragons?" gasped Shichiro, startled. "That could only mean..."

Trueman grinned as he discarded them.

"The Fusion Monster he's summoning..." said Gears, "is the F.G.D... "

"No wonder he wanted more space..." said Jinx. "That thing's sheer power rivals even some God Cards..."

"Hey... No problem, right?" said Ember, nervously. "Didn't you guys say that Shichiro took one of these things out before?"

"Yeah, Ember, he did," replied Jinx, "but the guy who used it was the biggest loudmouth in town, and he was very proud of having the card. The fact that he had an F.G.D. was hardly a secret. Shichiro was more than prepared for it then. I don't think Shichiro knew he'd be going up against one today."

"Lovely..." said Gears. "If Shichiro doesn't think of something, this duel is going to be incredibly painful... And more than likely, over very quickly."

"Well," said Ember, "at least Trueman has to wait two rounds to summon it, right?"

"Well, you see Ms. Eiko," replied Trueman, as he held up another card, "that's sort of a sticky wicket... See, the thing is..."

Another Spell Card appeared.

"I hate waiting..."

"Dragon's Mirror?" gasped Shichiro.

The five Dragons Trueman had just discarded fell out of his discard slot, and he held them up. The five cards vanished.

"By removing them from play," he said, "I'm allowed to Fusion Summon F.G.D. now...

"Arise..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jalal was once again sitting alone in his study, thinking.

He felt something. Something odd.

The Shadowchasers knew that Vennominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes was more than a card. It was a way for Seghulerak to break the rules set by deities without the others knowing, and manifest her avatar on Earth. For this reason, no Shadowchasers dared use that card.

Shadowchasers were suspicious, but not certain, of F.G.D. as well. They thought it possible that another evil goddess had done the same thing with this card. The goddess in question was Tiamat, Queen of Evil Dragonkind.

Being the son of a dragon himself, Jalal knew a lot about Tiamat. His father (who was a metallic dragon, a member of a species who hated her) had told him plenty about the fivefold Queen of Evil.

Because Jalal ran a Dragon Deck, and was incredibly wealthy, he himself owned a copy of the F.G.D., but he had always been very careful about using it. Truth be told, he had only used it twice in his career; and both times, he was certain he heard sinister, unclear whisperings in his ear when the Monster was summoned. But both times, the duel ended before the voice could become clear. He cautioned every Shadowchaser about use of the card, and put a great deal of effort into finding the truth of the matter.

Now, he could sense it. One of his men was facing the F.G.D.

He had to see what was unfolding...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It loomed over the field in front of Shichiro...

A giant Dragon with five hideous heads. One head was yellow with a mane of spikes, one was covered with dull, black scales, one was blue with fins on the sides, one was metallic, and the fifth was literally made of fire. The beast's body was scaly, green, and muscular, with huge, fiendish wings.

Shichiro stepped back in fear as it let out five mighty roars that seemed to shake the whole city. (5,000 ATK)

"Intimidating, isn't it?" asked Trueman.

"Uh huh..." said Shichiro, as sweat started to roll down his face.

"No more small-talk..." said Trueman. "Attack his Junk Warrior! Pentecost Holocaust!"

The F.G.D. shot a bolt of energy from each of its five heads: a blast of fire, a cone of frost, a bolt of lightning, a stream of acid, and a beam of pure darkness. Shichiro was thrown backwards as Junk Warrior was incinerated.

**(S: 6,****300) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 6,400)**

_That… That hurt!_ thought Shichiro. _This Trueman fellow is more than the average criminal…_

_This is a Shadow Duel…_

He looked up at F.G.D.

_And where a Monster this powerful is involved, a Shadow Duel can be extra lethal…_

"While you're picking yourself off the pavement," said Trueman, "I'll play two facedown cards…"

Two reversed cards appeared in front of him.

"And then it's your move…"

Shichiro got up.

_Come on, Osaka…_ he thought.

His hand trembled.

_You can do this…_

He made a draw. He looked at the card.

"You think your Dragon is so tough, Trueman?" he asked.

"I'd be lying if I said otherwise," replied Trueman.

"Well, watch as I bring it down!" shouted Shichiro. "I summon Marauding Captain!"

The Captain stepped onto the field, holding his twin swords up high. (1,200 ATK) –) (1,600 ATK)

"Next, I use Captain's effect to Special Summon Road Synchron."

In an aura of light, Road Synchron appeared next to the two Warriors. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, I Tune together Road Synchron, Marauding Captain, and Level Eater!"

Exhaust shot from Road Synchron's pipes, and its eyes glowed. The three Monsters flew into the sky, and faded into eight glowing stars.

"_Clustering stars form a highway where the king of the road can rule. Form a path that can guide the way to victory on the horizon! Dash onward! _

"_Synchro Summon… Road Warrior!"_

Road Warrior landed on the pavement and glared at the huge Dragon. (3,000 ATK) –) (3,400 ATK)

"Not bad..." said Trueman. "That's a very powerful Monster... It's even a Light-Attribute Monster, the only kind that could destroy my Dragon...

"But unless you somehow make it at least 1,600 Attack Points stronger..."

"I'll get to that in a minute," said Shichiro. "But first, I activate its effect, to Special Summon Mystic Swordsman LV2 from my deck."

The child Warrior appeared, holding its glowing sword. (900 ATK) –) (1,300 ATK)

"Next, I'll reduce Road Warrior's Level from 8 to 7 to bring Level Eater back to the field in Defense Mode."

Level Eater appeared again. (0 DEF)

"Now, I activate this..."

His facedown card lifted up.

"The Spell Card, Battle-Tuned! By removing a Tuner Monster in my Graveyard from play, a Monster on the field gains Attack Points equal to its Attack Points."

Road Synchron slipped out of his discard slot. He pocketed the card, and Road Warrior's Attack Score rose to 5,000.

"It's score is equal to F.G.D.'s!" shouted Ember.

"And that's all I need!" exclaimed Shichiro. "Road Warrior, attack his Dragon with Lightning Claw!"

Road Warrior roared, and fired a blast of burning lightning at the goliath in front of it. F.G.D. let out a bellow, and responded with its five streams of destruction. The two attacks met each other in mid-air...

Both Trueman and Shichiro braced themselves as both Monsters were incinerated.

"Curse you, Osaka..." growled Trueman.

Then he was knocked down as Mystic Swordsman and then Command Knight slammed into him with their blades.

He growled, and one of his facedown Trap Cards flipped up.

"I activate Damage Condenser!" he shouted. "So I toss this..."

He quickly discarded his last card.

"...and I get to Special Summon a Monster from my deck with an Attack Score equal to or less than the damage I just took.

"I summon Masked Dragon in Defense Mode!"

In a red, flaming aura, the familiar metallic-skinned Dragon with a metal mask on its face appeared. (1,100 DEF)

"In that case," said Shichiro, "I end my turn..."

"Not before I activate this…" said Trueman.

His other facedown card lifted up.

"The Trap Card, Shock Draw. I now get to draw one card for every 1,000 points of damage I lost that round.

"Rounded down, I lost 2,000, so I get two cards…"

He made two draws.

"Now I'll take my turn…"

**(S: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 3,500)**

He drew a third card.

He played two of them, and two reversed cards appeared behind Masked Dragon.

He glared at Shichiro.

"My move…" said Shichiro, making a draw.

_Those two facedown cards might be trouble…_ he thought, _but if I took a risk, I could cinch this duel…_

"I sacrifice Mystic Swordsman…" he said.

Mystic Swordsman turned into an orb of glowing light.

"…to Special Summon Turret Warrior."

Turret Warrior rose over Shichiro's side of the field, and formed a fighting stance. (1,200 ATK)

"In addition to the bonus from Command Knight, Turret Warrior gains the Attack Points of Mystic Swordsman."

(2,500 ATK)

"And I'm not done… I sacrifice Level Eater…"

Level Eater vanished into a similar orb.

"…to summon Divine Knight Ishzark!"

In a burst of radiant light, a new Warrior appeared. It was a knight wearing a suit of armor that resembled priestly vestments in overall shape. He carried a weapon that fans of certain video game RPGs might call a "buster sword"; a broadsword with an oversized blade, that looked too big to be wielded with one hand (even though all known users, including this one, did so). (2,300 ATK) –) (2,700 ATK)

Truman frowned.

"Ishzark," commanded Shichiro, "smite Masked Dragon with Breakdown Distortion!"

The holy knight leapt into the air holding his blade up high, and brought it down on Masked Dragon, cleaving it in twain. The two pieces shattered.

"In case you're thinking about using that Dragon's effect, forget it," said Shichiro. "Masked Dragon has to go to the Graveyard to use its effect, and Ishzark's effect just removed it from play.

"Which mean these next two strikes are gonna wipe you out! Turret Warrior, attack with Revolver Shot!"

Turret Warrior fired a blast of rounds from both the turrets on its shoulders. An explosion erupted from where Trueman was standing.

"All right!" cheered Ember. "Shichiro's gonna win!"

"Don't be so certain…" said Trueman's voice as the smoke started to clear.

He was grinning as the smoke fully cleared, with one of his Trap Cards activated.

"Nutrient Z??" gasped Shichiro.

"That's right, Mr. Osaka…" said Trueman. "Since that attack was strong enough to inflict at least 2,000 points of damage, I gained 4,000 Life Points right before it hit."

**(S: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 5,000)**

"Yeah, well, I've got another attack coming your way!" shouted Shichiro.

Command Knight flew at Trueman sword-first.

Then a fiendish looking Warrior appeared to block her advance, a strange creature dressed in armor with a mane of white hair. Command Knight stopped short.

"Necro Gardna?" said Shichiro, opening his eyes wide.

The Warrior vanished into grains of light.

"Yes," said Trueman, pocketing the card. "That's what I discarded when I used Damage Condenser. A little trick I learned from that tenacious duelist I was talking about."

"Uh-huh…" said Shichiro, nervously.

He looked at the last card in his hand, and then looked at Trueman's other facedown card.

"Think I'm gonna stop now…" he said quickly. "Your move…"

**(S: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 5,000)**

Trueman smiled a smile that made Shichiro's blood run cold as he made a draw.

"You realize, Mr. Osaka…" he said. "This is my second Standby Phase since I played Future Fusion…"

"You're kidding…" said Shichiro.

"I don't kid…" said Truman. "I speak the truth…"

With the familiar five-mouthed roar, F.G.D. loomed over Trueman's side of the field again. (5,000 ATK)

"He had _two_ of them??" shouted Jinx.

"Just how many copies of that card _are_ there?" asked Gears. "Did someone hate Kaiba so much that he wanted to make dozens of copies of a Dragon that could trump his Ultimate Dragon?"

"I have no idea," said Trueman. "But the thing is, there's a difference between me and the Shadowkind criminals you folks are used to dealing with.

"One difference is, I'm not a Shadow at all. I'm something very different.

"But that's beside the point. The important difference is, I have intelligence, something that most riff-raff you folks are used to fighting sadly lack.

"I realized that F.G.D., while powerful, was not indestructible. I realized that you could well have found a way to defeat it.

"So I included two in my deck, and made certain my strategy had a way to summon the second one should the first one fall.

"And here's another way I think ahead…"

His facedown card lifted up.

"The Continuous Trap Card, Pole Position. This card renders the Monster on the field with the highest Attack Score completely immune to Spell Cards.

"Now let's get down to business… Destroy Turret Warrior! Pentecost Holocaust!"

F.G.D. blasted its five streams of energy, and Shichiro shielded himself as Turret Warrior exploded.

"Ergh…" he groaned.

**(S: 3,800) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 5,000)**

"To end my turn…" said Trueman, "I'll set a facedown, and summon Vanguard of the Dragon."

He played his last two cards, and a reversed card followed by a humanoid Monster appeared. It looked more like a reptilian humanoid that a Dragon, with a long, thick tail and horns, holding a spear and shield. (1,700 ATK)

Shichiro slowly made a draw.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Tell me something, Trueman…" he said.

Trueman didn't say anything to object, so Shichiro continued.

"You say you aren't a Shadowkind… But you clearly aren't human… Just what are you?"

"I don't claim to be anything I'm not, Mr. Osaka," replied Trueman. "I'm exactly what I appear to be… a creature of nightmares who feeds on the hatreds and fears of mortal beings.

"I'm not a charlatan like Godwin was… I'm not a tempter and manipulator like the Society of Light was. I never lie about my intentions.

"With me, you know what to expect. And in that regard, I'd say I'm a more decent person than many sadists who have plagued the world…"

"Decent?" asked Shichiro.

"Who is crueler?" asked Trueman. "Someone like me who simply tries to kill you?

"Or something like the Light of Ruin, who lures you into its grasp with lies and false promises, controls you for its selfish reasons, and doesn't try to kill you until it's damned your soul and reduced you to the point of utter despair?"

Shichiro looked at him.

"There may be varying degrees of evil, Trueman," he said, "but to say 'I'm less evil than him, so I'm better' is nonsense.

"Benito Mussolini was responsible for fewer atrocities than Hitler was, but he was still an evil man whose actions were inexcusable. Was he 'less evil' because the scope of his actions didn't reach as far? I think not.

"Now… My mind is made up… I don't know who you are or where you came from, but I know that I don't like you. I don't know what your plans are, but it's clear that I have to stop them… And I still have a few tricks to use…"

He played a card.

"Like this one! I summon Junk Synchron!"

In a burst of energy, the cute robot Tuner appeared. (1,300 ATK) –) (1,700 ATK)

"Now, I use its effect to bring Tuningware back in Defense Mode…"

Tuningware appeared, shielding itself. (300 DEF)

"You can't fool me, Mr. Osaka," said Trueman. "Your Junk Warrior is in your Graveyard, and it couldn't defeat my F.G.D. anyway."

"Junk Warrior?" asked Shichiro. "That's not who I'm summoning… The Synchro Monster you're about to see was given to me by an old friend… He had two copies, and he was willing to share…"

Junk Warrior grabbed hold of the ripcord on its waist, and gave it a yank. Then it and Command Knight flew into the sky, fading into seven glowing stars...

Shichiro started to chant, and this time it was completely new:

"_Clustering stars form an arrow shot from the heavens to strike like a bolt from the blue! Appear!_

"_Synchro Summon... Junk Archer!"_

A new Warrior flew out of the sky. Like Junk Warrior, it seemed to be made of scrap metal and spare parts, but it was far more streamlined than the more familiar Synchro. It held a bow fitted with an arrow tipped with steel. (2,300 ATK)

"And just how is _that_ going to help you?" asked Trueman. "It's Attack Score is less than half that of my Monster, and it's an Earth Monster."

"I'll show you," replied Shichiro. "Junk Archer... Dimension Shoot!"

Junk Archer pulled back its bow, and aimed at F.G.D...

"Is Shichiro crazy?" shouted Ember. "His Archer won't even scratch that Dragon..."

"But my Archer isn't going to attack it," replied Shichiro. "He's using an effect..."

Then Junk Archer fired, and F.G.D. simply vanished, disappearing into thin air.

"What?" said Trueman.

"Junk Archer can remove a Monster from play until the End Phase of the turn," said Shichiro. "And by the way... Since Junk Archer and Ishzark have the same Attack Scores, your own Pole Position is protecting _both_ of them until F.G.D. comes back.

"Ishzark... Attack Vanguard of the Dragon!"

Ishzark lunged at the Dragon-man...

"I still have one Trap Card left, Mr. Osaka..." said Trueman, as his facedown card shot up. "The Spellbinding Circle!"

Ishzark froze in place, as a shimmering pentagram formed around him.

"Nice..." said Shichiro. "But what will protect your Vanguard from Junk Archer's actual attack?

"Attack with Scrap Arrow!"

Junk Archer pulled back its bow again and fired, blowing the Vanguard to shards.

Shichiro fit his last card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Make your move..." he said.

F.G.D. reappeared, looming over the field once again. (5,000 ATK)

**(S: 3,800) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 4,400)**

Trueman made a draw. He quickly set it in his Disk, and it appeared facedown.

_C'mon you big lug..._ thought Shichiro.

"F.G.D.," ordered Trueman, "attack Divine Knight Ishzark!"

_Huh??_ thought Shichiro.

He screamed in pain as Ishzark was incinerated by the blast.

"Why did he do that?" asked Gears. "Doesn't he know that Junk Archer can use its effect again next turn?"

"I have my reasons..." said Trueman. "It's your move..."

**(S: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 4,400)**

Shichiro made a draw.

_Another blow like that, and I'm finished..._ he thought. _But I've gotta try anyway..._

"Okay, Mr. Cannot-Tell-a-Lie," he said, "I'm setting this card facedown."

A new facedown card appeared behind Junk Archer, next to his other one.

"Now, I'm using Junk Archer's effect again!"

Junk Archer fired its arrow, and F.G.D. vanished again.

"And that's just what I was waiting for, Mr. Osaka," said Trueman.

His facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Mystical Space Typhoon, which I'll use to destroy my Pole Position."

The Trap Card shattered.

"And when Pole Positions goes, so does the Monster it was protecting."

Junk Archer shattered into pixels.

Shichiro sighed.

"It's your move..." he said.

F.G.D. reappeared with another roar. (5,000 ATK)

"Man..." said Jinx. "That little Tuningware is the only thing protecting Shichiro from that giant Dragon..."

Trueman made a draw.

"I play Akashic Record," he said, playing the Spell Card. "I now get to draw two cards. The catch is, if either one of them has been used previously, I lose both of them."

He made two draws. He looked at them, and then turned them forward.

Shichiro practically froze in fear when he saw what they were.

"Fortunately," said Trueman, "both of them are new. And I think I'll use one now... Then Spell Card, Soul Taker!

"You gain 1,000 Life Points, but I get to destroy one Monster."

He played the Spell, and a beam of light shot from the card, vaporizing Tuningware.

"Shichiro!" screamed Ember.

"F.G.D..." ordered Trueman. "Annihilate him!"

The colossus roared.

"I activate... Descending Lost Star!" shouted Shichiro, as one of his facedown cards shot up. "Junk Warrior comes back!"

Junk Warrior leapt onto the field in a flourish of energy, and crouched in Defense Mode. (0 DEF)

"Bah!" shouted Trueman. "A minor setback… F.G.D., attack!"

F.G.D. blasted its Pentecost Holocaust...

"I activate my other Trap!" shouted Shichiro, as his second facedown card lifted up. "Synchro Deflector!

"Because your Dragon attacked my Synchro Monster, its attack backfires!"

F.G.D. let out a much louder roar, as it erupted in flames. Then it collapsed, and exploded in a deafening blast.

Shichiro let out a breath of relief.

He had dodged that bullet… But would he be so lucky with the even worse one that Trueman would unleash next turn?

"Ergh…" grunted Trueman. "That wasn't supposed to happen…"

He glared at Shichiro.

"Celebrate while you can, Mr. Osaka…"

He fit his last card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"I'm sure you know what this card is… And since you summoned Junk Warrior using Descending Lost Star…"

"It has to stay in Defense Mode," replied Shichiro. "And its Defense Score is zero… I know…"

"I end my turn…" said Trueman.

**(S: 2,100) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 4,400)**

"I'm not finished yet, Trueman…" he said.

He looked at his deck.

_Then again,_ he thought, _maybe I am… No cards in my hand, and all I have on the field is Junk Warrior with zero Defense Points… _

_If I don't draw something good… I'm dead meat…_

He drew one card.

He closed his eyes, and set it in his Disk. A facedown card appeared behind Junk Warrior. Then he bowed his head.

"Your move…" he said, softly.

Trueman grinned. He made one draw. He looked at it. It was D.D.R. Different Dimension Reincarnation.

He couldn't use that… Not without a discard… But he didn't need it…

His facedown card lifted up.

"I activate my final Trap Card," he said. "Return from the Different Dimension!"

Everyone gasped as lightning flashed, and a glowing portal opened overhead.

"I have to pay half my Life Points," said Trueman, "but it's worth every one to bring back the five Monsters that I fused to summon the F.G.D."

Five huge Dragons emerged from the portal: Infernal Dragon (2,000 ATK), Tyrant Dragon (2,900 ATK), Des Volstgalph (2,200 ATK), Luster Dragon (2,400 ATK), and Rare Metal Dragon. (2,400 ATK)

"Shichiro's situation just got a whole deal worse…" said Ember.

"Can you say 'free-fall'?" replied Jinx.

"If one giant five-headed Dragon couldn't do the job," said Trueman, with a scowl, "I'll just have to do it with five regular-sized ones.

"Goodbye, Mr. Osaka…"

The five Dragons roared, and five streams of energy blasted towards Shichiro's side of the field…

"Shichiro!" shouted Ember.

There was a lot of smoke. They couldn't see anything.

"There's a problem with being so truthful, Trueman…" said Shichiro, as the smoke started to lift.

"You don't recognize when other people are deceiving you…"

He smiled.

"You thought my facedown card was a bluff… But it wasn't…"

Indeed, Shichiro was unhurt, even though Junk Warrior was gone. And Shichiro's Trap Card had been activated.

"Synchro Barrier??" exclaimed Trueman.

"I just had to sacrifice a Synchro Monster," said Shichiro, "and the damage from your attacks was reduced to zero."

**(S: 2,100) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 2,200)**

Trueman glared at him.

"You are one lucky son of a bitch, Mr. Osaka," he said. "Either that, or you've got more lives than a cat from Hell…"

He looked at the Spell Card in his hand.

_When I end my turn, the side effect of my Trap will remove these Monsters from play again…_

_But with only one card, he can't possibly inflict 2,200 points of damage on his turn, and I can use this to bring back Tyrant Dragon on my next turn…_

"It's your move, Mr. Osaka…" he said.

The five Dragons vanished into wisps of vapor.

Shichiro made one draw.

"Hmm…" he said, looking at it.

"Well, Trueman, I'd like to say this has been fun… But frankly, it hasn't… Time to bring this to a close.

"I summon Junk Blader."

In an aura of energy, a powerful, muscular Warrior appeared. He wore violet armor and a helmet, a tattered, black cape, and held a red broadsword. (1,800 ATK)

"And just how are you going to defeat me with that Monster?" asked Trueman. "You have no other cards to boost its Attack Score."

"Who needs them?" asked Shichiro.

Junk Synchron slipped out of his discard slot, and he took it.

"Its own effect does the job just fine. By removing from play a Monster with the word 'Junk' in its name, Junk Blader here gains 400 Attack Points for the rest of the round."

(2,200 ATK)

For the first time, Trueman looked scared…

"Attack directly!" shouted Shichiro. "Scrap-iron steel-blade!"

Junk Blader flew at Trueman, and slammed its sword into him…

**(S: 2,100) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 0)**

And then, the unusual happened. Trueman shattered into black shards, as if he were a holographic Duel Monster himself.

"_This isn't over, Shadowchasers,"_ said his voice, echoing over the streets. _"I guarantee you, we will meet again…"_

Junk Blader vanished.

"Weird…" said Ember.

Shichiro ran into the card store, with the others following him. Kurumizawa was getting up, holding his head.

"Gee…" said Kurumizawa. "Did I nod off?"

"Kurumizawa, the package…" said Shichiro.

"Package?" asked Kurumizawa. "Oh, right, the package with your order… Let's see… I think I put it in the safe…"

He took a notebook down from a shelf and started to look through it.

"What are you doing?" asked Jinx.

"Oh, I can never remember the combination to that stupid safe," replied Kurumizawa. "So I always keep it written down in this notebook that I use to check the inventory…"

"That's probably why Trueman couldn't find it by probing his mind…" whispered Gears.

"Here we are…" said Kurumizawa.

He quickly opened the safe and took the package out.

Shichiro wasted no time. He carefully opened the box, and removed the bubble wrap.

The card in question was on top, a holofoil Synchro Monster of elaborate design, sealed in a plastic casing.

He looked at it closely. It was Level 10, a Warrior, and the Wind Attribute.

He read the card text. It had specific summoning requirements, as high-Level Synchros often do, but his deck was capable of summoning it…

He looked closely at the image on the card.

This was more than a card… He could feel it…

Then his cell phone rang.

He looked at it. It was Jalal.

"Go ahead, boss," he said, answering it.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Twenty minutes later, they were back in the townhouse, with Jalal's holographic projection in front of him.

"So it was Trueman?" asked Jalal, with a worried look on his face.

"I'm guessing you know who that was," replied Shichiro.

"Yes," said Jalal. "Trueman was a servant of Darkness several years ago, when Darkness was preparing his master plan.

"Trueman was a very strange individual… He may not have even been an individual at all. He was either one being with many bodies, or several beings who looked exactly the same. He confronted Judai Yukai several times... The first time, he seemed to be a pushover, but his deck evolved with each encounter, and he became more dangerous each time... One deck he played used the F.G.D. as a weapon, similar to the one he faced you with...

"When Judai and Johan Anderson dueled Darkness's pawn Yusuke Fujiwara in a triangle duel, all of Trueman's clones appeared to be present. Judai won the duel with Rainbow Neos, and a powerful blast of energy from the final attack was thought to have killed all of them."

"But it seems one of them survived..." said Jinx.

"Maybe the original Trueman was never there," replied Jalal. "But this is the first we've heard from him since then."

"Do you think Darkness is up to another scheme?" asked Jinx.

"I checked all the wards that would alert us to his presence," said Jalal. "Not even a flicker. I even did a full scan of the planet to detect Darkness's influence. No trace of it, not even from Trueman during your duel. I believe that Trueman is serving a new master now."

"He claimed he always told the truth," said Gears, "but his supposed truthful answers to our questions only left us with more questions."

"Lying isn't the only way one can confuse a person, Gears," said Jalal. "Truths can be twisted and manipulated so that their meanings are purposely misinterpreted.

"What exactly did he want, anyway?"

"This," said Shichiro, holding up the Synchro.

He showed it to Jalal.

"Come on Jalal, surely you must know who this guy is... I don't even think Trueman knew. He said his employer wanted it."

Jalal looked at the card with a puzzled look on his face.

"Uh..." he said. "It... It seems to be a Synchro Monster of some sort..."

Shichiro sighed.

"It must mean something," said Jalal. "I'll ask around, call in some favors, question my contacts. I'm sure someone must know who Trymus the Conqueror is.

"I'll get back to you later. In the meantime... Protect that card at all costs... If Trueman or someone he's working for wants it, we want to stop him from getting it..."

And with that ominous note, he vanished.

Shichiro looked at the card again.

"Well, this is just peachy..." said Jinx.

"This will cheer you all up," said Boris, flying out of the kitchen carrying a tray. "I'm trying something new here. These are Crazy Carl's spicy Cajun cocktail wienies."

"Boris, this is hardly the time for hors d'oeuvres," said Shichiro.

He stopped short.

"On second thought, this is the perfect time for hors d'oeuvres. I'm starved... Come here..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**AKASHIC RECORD (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A dinosaur skull with a few bones scattered.

**Card Description:** Draw two cards from your deck. If a card with the same name as either card has been used previously in the duel, remove both of the drawn cards from play.

_Note: "Akashic Record" was first used by Johan (possessed by Yubel) in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Ultimate Face-Off (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Jinx: You gotta hand it to Jalal... He's good at finding things out... I have to take on another ophidia in a Turbo Duel after I find him trespassing in the B.A.D. Area... But once I finish there, it seems Jalal is actually able to shed some light on Shichiro's mysterious card.**

"**Descending Lost Star" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Cole Abastor, The Willing Slave**

One of the only "high-up" (in a manner of speaking) Chaser Hunters, the Aware human named Cole Abastor is also a member who has plenty known about him. Indeed, ask anyone who has looked into the Chaser Hunters and they could probably tell you his life story up to joining the Hunters, and a few crimes he has committed. His physical appearance they would know as a young man with dirty light brown hair and dark blue eyes, skin slightly tanned, and a few assortments of injuries, each most likely from a fight with a different Shadowkind.

It isn't that he was well known. Just the opposite, he didn't really do much worth noting beforehand.

Cole Abastor is human, and he lived a suburban life. He was a bright boy, but not the top of the class. He was the top duelist of the town, but never tried his hand any further until he joined the Chaser Hunters. It is worth noting that around his teens, Cole had to see a psychologist due to 'strange sightings' of weird creatures, probably due to him becoming Aware. This caused problems at school, as he began to get bullied and teased. But eventually the teasing began to lessen and he made a friend. Some suspect that friend was in fact a Shadowkind, but it was never proven.

After going through his university, he vanished. The next time he was seen was in a Chaser Hunter group (or 'cell') with two elves and an orc (an unlikely group indeed, possibly an indication that he was a smooth talker) dueling some Shadowchasers who, due to their defeat, wish to remain anonymous. Although they did survive and have continued their lives, they still recall the human with a will that refused to die and a quick-thinking mind that kept him in the duel and made the opening for his eventual comeback.

He never tried to hide his reasons for joining the Chaser Hunters, although some question if there is a subconscious or possible hypothesis in there somewhere. He considers pretty much all of Shadowkind superior to humans and considers it abominable that the Shadowchasers are "suppressing" them (in his own words). Most of all, he despises Jalal, thinking a half-dragon should be leading Shadowkind, not suppressing them. (In his mind, a Shadow-touched like Jalal is a Shadowkind, although this is technically not true.)

When he was in his first cell, he got the nickname the 'willing slave' due to the rumors (and indeed, some were revealed to be true) of him basically doing anything in his power on behalf of his Shadowkind allies, without a second thought.

The truth of the matter is, Cole has in fact united several cells of the Chaser Hunters into a united faction. In a sense, he is the leader, but mostly he seems to allow others in the cells to feel like they are in charge, and Cole merely 'advises' them.

Cole Abastor seems to have no supernatural abilities, apart from being Aware, but to make up for that he manages to get his hands on numerous magical artifacts (he tends to look at technologically designed objects as inferior, but does put up with them and use them occasionally), and while not an expert at martial arts, he can still fight decently.

Lastly, Cole's greatest desire is to become something "Beyond a human". Exactly how he intends to do this is not known.

**Story Ideas:** Cole would try to stop the Shadowchasers at nearly every turn of trying to arrest Shadowkind, and uniting several cells of Chaser Hunters together means the Shadowchasers would consider him a threat, especially with the chance of him uniting more cells together. The result could be open hostility, or even a war between them.

However, the odds of Cole wanting this to happen are slim, as he knows Shadowkind would die, and he considers that a terrible thing. However it is still possible.

Although funnily enough, it is possible he would help out the Shadowchasers against a threat that could be dangerous to Shadowkind, although most likely it would happen in through intermediaries. Cole would not want to be known to have ever aided the enemy, even if he had no choice.

**Deck Suggestions:** Cole would not use a deck involving 'human' Monsters (like most Warriors), and avoids Machines as well. Hs deck changes from time to time, and there is usually a personal reason for it, possibly depending on the situation.

_Cole was a creation of fanfic author Aelsthla-Mental_


	20. Descending Lost Star

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL TWENTY**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Descending Lost Star**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Shichiro held his chest. When would he ever learn?

He should have known by now that Boris saying he was "trying something new" was a red flag. Those Cajun-style cocktail wienies were good, sure, but now he had terrible heartburn because of them.

He leaned back in an armchair and looked at the strange Synchro Monster again.

He looked like the sort of character Robert E. Howard would have thought up. He was a barbarian hero, not unlike Conan, handsome and muscular, with long, blonde hair worn loose. He looked like he was dressed for cold weather, in a fur vest and pants, with no sleeves to accent the muscles. His weapon was a decorated two-handed sword.

The background of the card showed a mountain terrain. Shichiro knew that the old Mountain Field Spell was a benefit to Dragon, Winged Beast, and Thunder Monsters; two of those groups had many Wind Monsters as members, like this card was. Maybe the environment, combined with the warm clothing, was reflective of this Warrior's Attribute.

He read the card text. This was clearly not an easy card to summon. Aside from his deck, he only knew of one other duelist whose deck could easily fulfill the requirements. It was as if this card had been designed with him or that other duelist in mind...

And why had it chosen to come to him? Yusei was much better...

Shichiro looked closely at the card. He could swear he could hear faint whispers in his mind, whispers that he couldn't make out... Someone or something was _trying_ to speak, but it either wouldn't or couldn't do so clearly...

He picked up his Duel Disk.

Then he got an idea. He opened the chamber where his Extra Deck was stored, and placed the card with his other Synchros.

He had never actually seen Duel Spirits... But if they did exist, maybe being close to others would help this one.

He slowly closed the chamber.

Then he was startled as an alarm rang through the room.

Gabriel's statue on the coffee table came to life, and the young phoenix spread its wings.

"What's that?" he asked. "Is the house on fire? I didn't do it!"

"No..." said Gears, as he rushed to the computer. "That's a special alarm... It goes off when a Shadowkind in our area enters a place that Jalal has labeled as interdicted."

Everyone gathered around the computer.

"Interdicted?" asked Gabriel.

"As in, entrance forbidden," said Gears.

"Ooh!" said Gabriel, getting excited. "Where is it, where? A lich's tomb? A dragon's lair?"

"Worse..." said Jinx, looking at the screen. "Someone is trespassing... in the B.A.D. Area..."

The four Shadowchasers looked at each other with looks of dread.

"Not me..." said Ember. "I'm scared of that place..."

"Who isn't?" said Gears. "I don't know why anyone would even think it was worth going there... There's nothing valuable in the place any more..."

"Then why is the place off-limits?" asked Gabriel.

"Because Jalal isn't taking any chances..." said Jinx. "I'll go check it out..."

"Be careful..." said Shichiro.

"I'm always careful," replied Jinx.

"Then be _extra_ careful," added Shichiro. "Any Shadowkind who isn't afraid to go in there isn't gonna be afraid of you..."

Jinx grabbed her helmet and ran for the garage.

"Wait for me!" shouted Gabriel, flying after her.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Despite all the renovations going on in Satellite, the B.A.D. (which stood for "Barbaric Area after Damage) was one place where no projects were scheduled to begin, and where there likely would never be any. This was the worst part of the worst part of town.

If seen from above, it looked like an ash-strewn field of gravel with a large crater in the center, a gaping wound in the ground. This had been the epicenter of Zero Reverse, the cataclysm that had originally separated Satellite from the rest of Neo Domino.

After Zero Reverse, it had become a haven for criminals. Godwin had forbidden Security from entering, so it was a safe haven... Until the Dark Signers moved in. It seemed that the Old Momentum generator was still working, and it became the source of their power.

The Dark Signers were gone now... The evil power was extinguished... But still, it was rare that anyone, human or Shadow alike, ever came near this place now. Most everyone thought it was cursed. Which, of course, was true for a while.

Even Jinx felt a foreboding feeling of dread as she drove her D-Wheel through the dusty wasteland. The phoenix flying next to her was nervous too.

"Good lord, Jinx," asked Gabriel, "what hit this place? An atomic bomb?"

"No..." replied Jinx. "Something far worse."

"Worse?" said Gabriel. "It must have been one big explosion..."

"Let me put it this way," said Jinx. "Take every disaster movie you've ever seen, throw them all together in one big, jumbled mess, and then multiply that by ten, and maybe you'll get an inkling of how big an explosion it was. I was only a baby when it happened, so I'm speaking on behalf of witnesses, and the only reliable witnesses saw it from at least five miles away. Anyone who was any closer wouldn't have survived.

"The important part is, it was what opened the gateway to the Underworld... Awakening the Earthbound Gods..."

As they approached the crater, they passed a sign that said: _**Restricted Area! No Trespassing! Entrance Forbidden! Violators Risk Prosecution and Imprisonment!**_

The seal of Sector Security was under the writing.

"Uh..." said Gabriel. "Shouldn't we worry about that?

"Relax..." said Jinx. "Security put those signs there to protect themselves legally. Pigs will fly before you find one who will actually come here now."

Jinx parked her D-Wheel at the side of the crater. A metal staircase led down into the darkness.

"They put stairs here?" asked Gabriel.

"The Dark Signers may have had plenty of dark powers," replied Jinx, "but they still had to enter and leave their headquarters the old fashioned way."

She shined a flashlight into the darkness and started to walk down.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It wouldn't be a long search. The old headquarters of the Dark Signers wasn't very large. They didn't allot any space to kitchens, pantries, or bedrooms, because they didn't eat or sleep. One prerequisite to becoming a Dark Signer was, you had to be dead. They had no need for food or sleep.

As Jinx shone her flashlight through the dark rooms, it seemed her search might well be fruitless.

_There's nothing here..._ she thought.

She entered the meeting room, where the long table stood, where the Dark Signers had met to plot their sinister plans. The tarnished candelabra with five candle-holders was still there, but nothing else seemed to be here. Only dust, broken furniture, and cobwebs (the _normal_ kind).

_If anyone was here,_ she thought, _he must have split..._

Then she heard a clatter.

"Who's there?!" she shouted, spinning around.

Silence. Jinx looked back and forth.

"Probably just a rat..." she said out loud.

Then she heard an angry hiss.

"Rat?" said a voice. "RAT??"

She saw two angry reptilian eyes in the darkness, looking at her.

A tall, thin, lanky ophidia with beige skin and pronounced fangs, wearing a leather jacket and pants walked into the light.

"As if we snakes didn't get enough bad press without being mistaken for diseased rodents!" he hissed.

"Well, seems my coming here wasn't a waste," said Jinx. "You know this place is off-limits, buddy. Why, pray tell, are you here? Hoping to find something that the Dark Signers left behind?"

"Maybe..." said the ophidia. "Maybe not... Maybe we already have a thing or two and want to use them better…"

Jinx raised an eyebrow.

Then the ophidia turned and fled, running to the hall with the stairway.

"He won't get far," said Jinx, as she ran after him with Gabriel flying behind. "Once he gets topside, I'll be able to see wherever he tries to run, and I've got a D-Wheel..."

She chased the snake-man up the stairs, in twos, and reached the surface to see him bending over a pile of dirt...

Well, she had _assumed_ it was a pile of dirt. It was actually a blanket covered with dirt. He threw it aside, revealing that it had concealed a D-Wheel that had been lying on its side. It was an old model with a motorbike design, similar to Mukuro Enjo's.

He quickly pushed it upright, and mounted it, donning his helmet.

"Come and get me, copper!" he laughed, hitting the ignition.

Jinx quickly mounted her own ride.

"You think you can outrun me on that old chopper?" she said, as she donned her own helmet.

She hit the gas and sped off in pursuit.

"That thing couldn't lose me if you were trying to lose me two years ago when it was a new model."

_Curses..._ thought the ophidia. _She's right... Nice going, Shallic, you dummy... There were plenty of new D-Wheels in that place you could have swiped, but you had to go for that classic charm..._

"In that case, Shadowchaser..." he said. "I challenge you to a Turbo Duel!"

"I accept!" shouted Jinx.

The Field Spell appeared on both their screens, and the shimmering aura of Speed World covered the B.A.D.

"Duel!" they shouted.

**(Jinx: 8,000 SPC: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 8,000 SPC: 0)**

"Ladies first," said Jinx.

Shallic didn't object, so she made a draw.

It was Dimensional Prison, one of her most powerful Traps.

_Not bad..._ she thought.

"I set this," she said, "and then summon Enraged Battle Ox."

The facedown card appeared, and the shimmering portal appeared behind her. The minotaur flew out with a snort. (1,700 ATK)

"That's all," she said.

"I draw!" exclaimed Shallic.

He whipped a card off his deck, and the Speed Counters both rose to one.

"I set a Monster and a facedown card..." he said.

Two reversed cards appeared, perpendicular to each other.

"...and I end MY turn."

Jinx drew another card.

"I activate Speed Spell – Angel Baton," she said, as a Speed Spell appeared in front of her.

"I draw two cards..."

She made two draws.

"...and then toss one..."

She made a discard.

"Next, I summon X-Saber Galahad..."

The portal opened again, and Galahad flew out. (1,800 ATK)

"Then I attack with my Battle Ox!"

Enraged Battle Ox did a 180 in mid-air, and flew towards Shallic's Monster. Mystic Tomato appeared on the card, and exploded into red shards as the Beast-Warrior's axe fell.

"I'm sure you know what Mystic Tomato can do," said Shallic. "I'll summon another Mystic Tomato."

Another of the monstrous fruits appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"But you still lose Life Points due to my Monster's trampling effect," replied Jinx. "And now Galahad is going to attack your second Tomato!"

Galahad flew at the second Mystic Tomato, and his Attack Score rose to 2,100. He jabbed it with his pike, and it burst into a second explosion.

**(J: 8,000 SPC: 2) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,700 SPC: 2)**

Shallic smiled an evil smile.

"I activate the second one's effect!" he shouted.

Thunder rumbled.

"I summon Legendary Fiend!"

Lightning flashed, and a large, winged, incredibly ugly demon appeared, flying in front of Shallic's bike. It was hulking and muscular, with goat-like legs and a gaunt, skull-like face. It had four arms, two of them ending in claws, the other two ending in smaller demonic heads. (1,500 ATK)

"O-kay..." said Jinx. "That's... very unpleasant..."

She set a card on her dashboard, and a second facedown card appeared next to the first one.

"Think I'll be ending my turn now..."

"Then I draw..." said Shallic.

He drew a card.

"And during each of my Standby Phases, Legendary Fiend gets stronger, by 700 Attack Points..."

The demon glowed with an aura of dark shadow. (2,200 ATK)

"Legendary Fiend," he ordered, "annihilate Battle Ox with merciless hellfire!"

The creature belched burning fire from all three of its mouths at the Beast-Warrior...

"I activate Dimensional Prison!" shouted Jinx, as one of her facedown cards spun around.

"I thought that facedown card might be an issue," said Shallic, as his facedown card spun around. "So I prepared.

"Dark Illusion! This Counter Trap protects a Dark Monster from any effect that targets it, without me having to pay a dime."

The Dimensional Prison card shattered, and Enraged Battle Ox roared as the flames incinerated it.

"I'll set a new Monster and a new facedown, and end my turn."

A hidden Monster appeared, and a reversed Spell or Trap appeared. Both faded from view.

"My draw!" shouted Jinx.

She drew a card.

**(J: 7,500 SPC: 3) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,700 SPC: 3)**

"I summon X-Saber Airbellum!" she shouted.

With a roar, the savage, clawed Beast leapt out of the portal. (1,600 ATK)

"Let's bring them together guys..." she said.

Airbellum flashed his blades, and then he and Galahad flew into the sky, fading into seven glowing stars...

Jinx chanted...

"_Power gained from primal rage, nature spirits bestow your gifts on your chosen ones! Clustering stars light the way to victory on the battlefield! Fight on… X-Saber Urbellum!"_

The mighty barbarian landed, drawing his twin swords. (2,200 ATK)

"Heh..." chuckled Shallic. "You attack with that guy, both our Monsters will be destroyed."

"That's the idea," said Jinx. "Urbellum, attack his Legendary Fiend!"

Urbellum roared, and leapt at the demon.

"Eh!" said Shallic. "I don't think so!"

His other facedown card spun around.

"I activate Reinforcements!" he shouted. "I can give 500 Attack Points to any Monster on the field! And I think I'll give them to my Legendary Fiend!"

Legendary Fiend shot up to an Attack Score of 2,700. It threw a punch at Urbellum, and the Warrior groaned before he shattered.

"You're defenseless!" laughed Shallic.

"Not yet, I'm not," said Jinx. "First, I pay 500 Life Points to Special Summon X-Saber Palomlo from my Graveyard..."

Palomlo appeared, shielding himself with his spear. (300 DEF)

"Wait a minute..." said Shallic. "When did I send that guy to your Graveyard?"

"You didn't," replied Jinx. "I put him there myself when I played Angel Baton.

"Next, my Trap Card activates..."

The card spun around.

"Gatmuz's Urgent Orders. With one X-Saber on the field, I can Special Summon _two_ from my Graveyard."

In two flashes of light, Urbellum appeared (2,200 ATK), followed by Airbellum, crouching and shielding himself with his claws. (200 DEF)

"Still my Battle Phase," said Jinx. "So Urbellum is going after that mystery Monster of yours..."

Urbellum drew one sword, and flew towards the hidden Monster.

Mask of Darkness appeared on the card, right before Urbellum cut it in half.

"Thank you," said Shallic.

The Reinforcements card flipped out of his discard slot.

"You're too kind..."

_Things sure aren't getting any prettier..._ thought Jinx.

She threw a card on her console, and a facedown card appeared in her Spell/Trap Zone.

"I end my turn!" she shouted.

"My draw..." said Shallic, as he drew a card.

**(J: 6,500 SPC: 4) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,700 SPC: 4)**

"My Legendary Fiend powers up again..." he said.

(2,900 ATK)

_Better get rid of her Tuners before I do anything else,_ he thought.

"I summon Zure, Knight of Dark World," he said.

The portal opened again, and another ugly demon emerged. Its face had shark-like teeth and upward-pointing horns on the temples, and an exoskeleton with bony protrusions covered its skin. It wore a blue, fur cape, and carried a sword. (1,800 ATK)

"Destroy X-Saber Airbellum!" shouted the ophidia.

Zure sneered, and then made a deep cut with its sword, slicing the Beast in two.

"Now, Legendary Fiend, incinerate her lizard!"

The demon blasted its three streams of fire, and Palomlo went up in smoke.

_Smarter than I thought..._ thought Jinx.

Shallic threw two cards on his dashboard, and two facedown cards appeared before fading from sight.

"I end my turn," he said.

_One of those facedown cards..._ thought Jinx. _Clearly his Reinforcements... But the other one..._

_Is it another Dark Illusion?_

She made a draw.

Her facedown card lifted up.

"I activate One Seriousness!" she shouted.

Urbellum's two swords vanished, and a bigger, much nastier sword appeared in his hands. (3,000 ATK)

_Even with One Seriousness,_ thought Jinx, _Urbellum can't beat Legendary Fiend once he uses Reinforcements... I have one chance..._

"So..." said Shallic. "Gonna attack my Legendary Fiend?"

"I'll pass..." said Jinx. "But I will attack Zure! Get him!"

Urbellum flew at the Knight of Dark World, and with one swipe of his blade, cut it in half.

"ERGH!" grunted Shallic, as his D-Wheel shook.

**(J: 6,500 SPC: 5) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,500 SPC: 4)**

"Because my X-Saber won a battle using One Seriousness," continued Jinx, "I get to draw one card..."

She made a draw.

_Huh?_ she thought, as she looked at it.

She paused for a second. She had almost forgotten about this...

"Are you going to do anything with that card, or are you just gonna look at it?" asked Shallic.

"I throw _three_ cards facedown, and end my turn," said Jinx.

Three facedown cards appeared in front of her, and then faded from view.

"My move," said Shallic, making a draw.

"Once again, my Legendary Fiend's power goes up a notch..."

(3,600 ATK)

"Legendary Fiend... Attack!"

The demon blasted its fire again...

"Activate... Draining Shield!" shouted Jinx, as one of her facedown cards spun around.

Then Shallic's facedown card spun around in response. As Jinx expected, it was another Dark Illusion.

The Draining Shield shattered.

_Thought so..._ thought Jinx.

She braced herself as Urbellum exploded.

"I pay 500 Life Points to bring Palomlo back to the field again!" she shouted.

Palomlo appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (300 DEF)

"Yeah?" said Shallic, taking another of his cards. "Well, I'm not done with you...

"With my Counters over four, I can play Speed Spell – Sonic Buster."

He played the Speed Spell, and Legendary Fiend roared. A blast of pure sound shot out of its chest, and slammed into Jinx's bike. She struggled as it wobbled.

"It's your move..." he said.

Jinx quickly drew a card.

**(J: 3,600 SPC: 5) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,500 SPC: 5)**

"I summon X-Saber Anabelera!" she shouted.

In a burst of energy, the armored, female X-Saber leapt onto the field, lashing her bladed whip. (1,800 ATK)

"And I end my turn..."

Shallic chuckled and made a draw. Legendary Fiend roared as its Attack Score went up to 4,300.

He looked at the card he had drawn. It was Speed Spell – The End of Storm.

"I don't even care what those Trap Cards are," he said. "Legendary Fiend... Attack!"

Legendary Fiend prepared to fire...

_Okay, Ross..._ thought Jinx. _Time to see if this card of yours does the trick..._

"I activate Klein's Labyrinth!" she shouted, as one of her facedown cards spun around.

"Klein's Labyrinth?" said Shallic, opening his eyes wide. "What the Hell is that?"

"A card that flip-flops your Monster's scores," replied Jinx. "Now its Attack Score is its Defense Score, and vice-versa."

Legendary Fiend's Attack Score fell to 1,800 as it blasted its flame towards Anabelera.

"Nice try!" laughed Shallic. "But you forgot about THIS!"

His Reinforcement's Trap Card spun around, and Legendary Fiend rose to 2,300 Attack Points...

But Anabelera didn't seem to care. She lifted her hand, and the flames were deflected by an invisible barrier.

"No I didn't!" replied Jinx.

"HUH?" exclaimed Shallic.

"Klein's Labyrinth also protects my Monster from being destroyed by battle," said Jinx, and reduces the damage to zero.

"And another thing... The effect it had on your Fiend's Attack Score won't wear off until the end of my next turn. Reinforcements, however, will wear off at the end of this turn."

"That may be so, Shadowchaser..." said Shallic. "But even so, your Warrior-maiden would only be able to manage a draw against my Fiend.

"I end my turn."

Legendary Fiend fell back to an Attack Score of 1,800.

Jinx drew a card.

"All right!" she shouted. "I activate this..."

Her facedown card spun around.

"Synchro Spirits! I first remove Urbellum from play..."

Urbellum appeared behind her, and then vanished into grains of light.

"...and in return, the Monsters I Tuned to summon him come back to the field!"

Two X-Sabers leapt out in front of her bike, first Galahad (1,800 ATK) and then Airbellum. (1,600 ATK)

"Galahad, destroy Legendary Fiend!" she shouted.

Galahad flew at the demon, his Attack Score once again rising to 2,100. He stabbed its pike directly into the beast's torso. The creature groaned, and then shattered into black pixels.

"Uh... oh..." said Shallic.

"Now, I attack with Anabelera and Airbellum!" continued Jinx.

Anabelera flew at the snake-man, and made a lash at his bike with her whip. Shallic hollered. Then Airbellum followed, and made a flyby attack with his blades.

"Ooh..." groaned the ophidia.

**(J: 3,600 SPC: 7) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,100 SPC: 5)**

"And because Airbellum made a direct attack," continued Jinx, "you lose one card from your hand."

One of the three cards in Shallic's hand, The End of Storm, vanished.

_Ah, well,_ he thought. _I wouldn't have been able to use that for a while anyway..._

He looked at one of his remaining two cards.

_At least I still have a big surprise for her..._

"It's your move, snake," said Jinx.

"Then I'll move..." said Shallic, making a draw.

"And I remove from play Legendary Fiend, Mask of Darkness, and Zure, Knight of Dark World..."

The three Monsters appeared behind him and were consumed in a dark shadow...

_Removing his three Fiends from play?_ thought Jinx. _Oh no... that could only mean one thing..._

Two evil eyes appeared in the dark fog...

Jinx shivered as an even more hideous demon emerged from the fog. It was vaguely female, bald, with blue skin, and pointed ears. It wore a metal collar and bustier made of metal, covered with spikes and barbs, over a torso that was partially eaten away, revealing bones underneath that appeared to be made of metal. She carried a doll that looked like a mutilated infant.

"Behold..." said Shallic. _"Dark Necrofear!"_

(2,200 ATK)

"Attack Galahad!" he shouted. "Murder death gaze!"

Dark Necrofear stared at Galahad without blinking... Galahad shivered...

"I activate Galahad's effect!" shouted Jinx. "If I sacrifice another X-Saber, I can negate the attack!"

Palomlo vanished. Dark Necrofear stopped staring.

"Ah, well..." said Shallic, as he threw a card on his dashboard.

A facedown card appeared.

"Next round, maybe..."

Jinx looked at the two cards in her hand, which were X-Saber Axel and Urgent Tuning. Not much she could use there...

She drew a card...

She smirked.

"I sacrifice all three of my Monsters..." she said.

Airbellum, Anabelera, and Galahad turned into globes of light...

"THREE sacrifices?" shouted Shallic. "What the..."

With a bellowing roar, a ferocious creature, with the upper body of a savage, muscular barbarian with a lion's mane, and the lower body of a black panther, bounded onto the field next to Jinx's bike. He held a long lance and a round shield. (3,000 ATK)

"Meet Beast King Barbaros!" exclaimed Jinx. "I didn't really have to use three sacrifices, but since I did, he destroys all of your Monsters, Spells, and Traps!"

Shallic shielded himself as Dark Necrofear, along with his facedown Escape From the Dark Dimension, exploded in a burning blast of fire.

"I know," said Jinx. "Since Dark Necrofear was destroyed, its effect will activate at the End Phase of the turn...

"But I doubt that will become an issue, now will it?

"Barbaros... Attack directly!"

Barbaros roared, and charged at Shallic lance-first. The ophidia screamed as the Beast-Warrior's lance slammed into his bike...

**(J: 3,600 SPC: 9) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 0 SPC: 0)**

Shallic's bike was stopped dead in its tracks, with steam pouring from the engine. Shallic himself was on the ground, groaning.

Jinx dismounted her bike. As she looked at the fallen ophidia, Gabriel flew up, gasping for breath.

"What... What did I miss?" asked the phoenix.

"I dunno..." said Jinx. "I think I'm the one who missed something... And I really don't think this snake is gonna tell us what it is..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember sighed.

She was in her room, and had all the cards of her deck spread out in front of her on her bed.

There were her older cards, like Flamvell Archer, Flamvell Paun, and Flamvell Urquizas...

Then there were her newer additions, like Neoflamvell Shaman, Neoflamvell Garuda, and Flamvell Enchantress...

Her deck had evolved considerably since she had been formerly initiated into the Shadowchasers, but she felt that there was still something missing.

On a whim, she went over to her closet, and took something out of a knapsack. It was a common collectible – a Pez dispenser. The character on this one was the _Looney Toons_ character Sylvester.

She remembered when her cousin Akira, the Pro League duelist, had given her this little thing, in order to illustrate a point...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember was only twelve years only. Three weeks previous, her cousin had bought her a birthday present... The Flamvell Urquizas card.

She was now trying to put a full deck together, but was having a hard time.

"I don't get it, Akira..." she said. "You say I have to put my heart and soul into these cards... How do that with cards?"

"You have to be in tune with your cards, Michiko," he replied, as he sat down. "Just as a duelist isn't much without her cards, the cards aren't much without the duelist...

"Here... Take this as an example..."

He handed her the small, plastic toy.

"A Pez dispenser?" asked Ember.

"Hey, that's not just a Pez dispenser," replied Akira. "That's a _Thylvester_ Pez dispenser!"

Ember giggled.

"And here's the connection," he continued. "Pez is a sweet candy... But you wouldn't eat it without a dispenser, right? If you did, it wouldn't be any different from any other little candies you could get from a drug store.

"It's the same thing with the duelist and the cards. The cards are like Pez, and the duelist is like this dispenser. The cards need the duelist to have their own identity, to become unique. Otherwise, they're just cards.

"Now, you keep this, and remember that, okay?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember sat on her bed and looked at the toy. He was quite a guy, Akira. He would have made quite a Shadowchaser if he only could see what she could see.

She wished she could go visit him, but he was at a convention in Hong Kong right now. The life of a Pro Duelist keep you moving...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Two hours later, Gears was in the garage, working on his D-Wheel's transmission, and singing to himself.

"Goin' fast, makes me feel alive, my heart beats, in hyperdrive..."

Jinx appeared at the door.

"Gears, will you stop singing that _ridiculous _song?" she said. "And come in, Jalal will be here in five minutes."

Gears wiped his hands, got up, and walked in. Shichiro was still looking at the mysterious Synchro Monster.

"What are you trying to tell me?" muttered Shichiro. "What are you trying to say?"

"So now Shichiro is talking to his cards?" asked Gears.

"Talking to your cards is fine," replied Ember. "When they start talking back is when you should worry..."

Gabriel looked at the card.

"Bet that guy could bench about three-hundred," said the phoenix.

"He likely could bench far more than that," said Jalal's voice.

Everyone watched as Jalal appeared from the fireplace.

"That was quick, Jalal," said Shichiro. "You found something out?"

"Lots," replied Jalal. "I found out who that individual is...

"He's a survivor... One of the Primordial Titans…"

"Hold on…" said Ember. "I aced mythology, and I know that there was no Titan named Trymus…"

"No Titan on Earth," replied Jalal.

"What are you trying to say, boss?" asked Gears, "that this guy came from outer space?"

"That's _exactly_ what I'm saying people," replied Jalal. "And it shouldn't be too farfetched... The Neo-Spacians were also beings of cosmic origin.

"But this tale is one more tragic than theirs... It's a long story… But it's a story that must be told… Trymus and his three companions wanted others to know of it, so they sent their story across the cosmos via various methods. That's how we found out. The story was recorded in a _mimir_ that a member of Morgana's Kin found in the Outlands years ago, and we followed up on it."

Jalal sighed, and began again.

"It began on another world, far, far away, roughly five-hundred years ago. This world's name is never mentioned, but it was unique in that it existed at the very center of the universe!"

"Hello?" said Shichiro. "The universe has a center?

"Most agree that this world's three suns rested at the very location of the epicenter of the Big Bang at the beginning of time," replied Jalal. "But anyway, this world was shared by four sentient humanoid races.

"These four races had long ago done away with war, crime, hatred, and poverty, and their planet was a practical utopia. For generations, they lived in peace, and no-one wanted for anything…

"Until one day… Doom fell from the sky…

"A meteor shower rained cosmic debris upon their world, and the meteors carried a deadly virus. By the time the inhabitants realized what had happened, it was too late. Every member of the populace was infected with a heretofore unknown disease. All efforts to find a cure failed, and their best medical experts realized that in a year's time, the disease would have its full effect, and they would die.

"They couldn't flee their planet… They would spread the virus across the galaxy. Slowly, they accepted the hard truth that they were doomed.

"But they started to form a desperate plan… A plan to save their races' memories and knowledge, and create a new world from scratch.

"They had invented a powerful device… It was an experimental machine that could channel the power of the three suns and concentrate it, filling a recipient with a great power… The Power Primordial."

"The power of Creation!" gasped Ember.

"Yes," said Jalal. "This device, if it worked, could grant a recipient immortality, giving him eternal youth, immunity to illness, and power beyond belief. A recipient of this device could easily fight off the virus.

"But it didn't have nearly enough power to give this gift to everyone. If they used all the fuel and energy generators their planet possessed, they could use it four times."

"One for each race…" said Gears.

"Exactly," replied Jalal. "The plan was as follows: Each race would appoint a representative, the strongest, smartest, bravest, and most noble member it had. Then, the knowledge of each race would be 'downloaded' into them, stored in their immortal memories. The four would consist of two males and two females…"

"Adam and Eve…" said Jinx. "But times two, for a better chance of success."

"Exactly," said Jalal. "As the virus poisoned the planet, the leaders of each race reviewed, interviewed, and tested several prospective candidates. Finally, their four representatives were chosen.

"The scientists did their work, and as they had predicted, it drained the planet of all the power it had. All but the power in one spacecraft that they had reserved for the lucky four. They told their representatives to leave them to their fates, but since it had seemed to work, and the virus inside of the four of them was dying, they stayed to comfort everyone who wasn't so lucky."

Jinx sat up.

"This was what Lord Copernus was talking about!" she exclaimed "The positive energy version of Zero Reverse!"

"No wonder it was unnoticed by anyone on Earth," added Gears. "It didn't happen on Earth!

"It makes sense... Lord Copernus thinks of things far more large-scale."

Jalal nodded.

"Eventually, there was no more they could do," he continued. "When the last members of their races succumbed to the terrible disease, the Titans, as they called themselves, left the now-dead world.

"Sadly, however, they quickly found that a side effect had come with their immortality. Perhaps some divine force didn't want a whole race of immortals to be born. But immortality came with a price… They had become sterile. Unable to bear children, unable to propagate a new race.

"They mourned for a while. They sobbed and tore their hair. One of them suggested flying into the heart of a star to end their misery, thinking that what gave them their powers could take them away. But the smartest of them said they had been given this gift for a reason. They could use it to make a difference."

"Cosmic heroes…" said Ember. "Like the Silver Surfer…"

"But that doesn't explain why one of them is a Duel Monsters card," added Shichiro.

"Here's where it becomes sort of vague," said Jalal. "We only got this newer information by contacting someone who was 'in the know' about such planar gossip. Two-hundred years ago, one of the Titans did something that got her in trouble with an intergalactic law enforcement agency. I'm not sure what happened, maybe the charges were trumped up or something… But she was imprisoned for it, and the other three set about on some mission that was required to release her.

"Possibly, they have taken a new form as part of this mission, and are trying to contact you."

"Well," said Shichiro.

He looked at the card again.

"He hasn't actually spoken to me yet… But… I am hearing faint whispers… Something is definitely different about this card."

"Possibly, something must be done in order for him to speak more clearly," said Jalal. "The other Titans may try to contact you all as well. For now, keep your eyes out for them, and for the love of God, do NOT let Trueman get them.

"Whatever he wants with them… It cannot be a good thing…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Hebi-Na did not want to be here.

Whenever Taramanda took an ophidia to this shrine, that ophidia was rarely the same when she came back, if she came back at all. This was Taramanda's private shrine, where her connection to her goddess was strongest.

A stone relief of Seghulerak dominated the entire back wall of the room, and the whole room was lit by torches that burned with green flame. The altar was made of black marble, and held odd devices that Hebi-Na didn't know the purpose of.

The bloodsilver golem was standing off to the side.

"Hebi-Na..." said Taramanda. "Have you prepared the deck?"

Hebi-Na handed her a deck. Taramanda looked at the cards.

"You'll find it incredibly deadly," replied Hebi-Na.

"Indeed," said the empress.

"So who are you going to duel?" asked Hebi-Na.

"Someone I've wanted to confront for a long time..." replied the empress. "The mongrel who leads our foes."

"Jalal?" asked Hebi-Na. "You're actually going to let him know who you are and risk being caught?"

Taramanda chuckled.

"No, of course not..." she said. "I'll be confronting him from a safe distance and completely hidden from his view once I use Magic Jar to transfer my soul to this golem."

"Magic Jar?" asked Hebi-Na. "The necromantic spell that lets a spellcaster steal someone's body? But a golem isn't a living creature, how can you possess it with that spell?"

"You can't with most golems," replied Taramanda. "But the Primals spared no expense. They put a special feature in these golems... An artificial soul-chamber, put there specifically for using Magic Jar. I can use the spell to steal this golem's body just as if it were a living being.

"And even better, since it has no soul, it won't resist when I do so. I'll take control of this golem, and storm into Shadowchaser Headquarters, and force him to duel me."

"But you said he'd find a weakness in this thing by now," said Hebi-Na.

"It will be different this time," replied Taramanda. "Last time, it was an automaton, acting under programming. This time, it will be acting under me, directly, and will possess my divine power."

_I'm not certain that's an improvement..._ thought Hebi-Na.

"And if they do manage to destroy this thing?" she asked.

"Then I'm dead..." said Taramanda. "But if there's danger of that happening, I'll abandon the golem before it does.

"Of course, I have to make sure my true body remains unharmed. I'm counting on you to guard me on this end, Hebi-Na."

Hebi-Na lifted an eyebrow.

"Why?" she asked. "Because I'm the strongest and bravest, and you trust me the most?"

Taramanda placed the deck in a specially designed Duel Disk, and then fit into the golem's chest cavity.

"No," she replied, as she closed it, "because out of all the ophidia here, you're the one who has the most to lose if something happens to me.

"Think about it, Hebi-Na... You're a fugitive who has every Shadowchaser on the planet looking for you. There's likely a big reward being offered for information leading to your capture. If I was killed, just where would you go?"

"Good point..." said Hebi-Na with a sigh.

"Use this if someone gives you trouble," said Taramanda.

She handed Hebi-Na a crossbow.

"Nice..." said Hebi-Na, sarcastically. "Would kinda be more useful if I had some bolts to load it with..."

"It's an enchanted crossbow, moron," growled Taramanda. "Point it at what you want to die, pull the trigger, and it fires lethal venom bolts. It's harmless to anyone who's loyal to Seghulerak..."

"Meaning if I use it on you, it won't do anything..." said Hebi-Na. "But if I use it on anyone who breaks in here to assassinate you..."

"He's roadkill..." replied Taramanda.

She lay down on the altar.

"Oh, by the way..." she said. "Don't forget... So long as my real body is in this temple, my connection to Seghulerak is at its strongest.

"So don't get any ideas..."

She crossed her arms and fell into a trance.

The bloodsilver golem started to move. It slowly came to life.

It nodded at Hebi-Na, and then walked out the exit.

Hebi-Na sighed, and sat down.

_Maybe I should have brought a magazine,_ she thought.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – ANGEL BATON**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **An angel holding a glowing bead between her two hands.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have 2 or more Speed Counters. Draw two cards from your deck. Then, discard one card from your hand.

_Note: "Speed Spell – Angel Baton" was used by many characters in the anime, originally by Yusei in the OVA episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – SONIC BUSTER**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A figure bursting with energy in the background, blasting the energy towards a figure in the foreground.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have 4 or more Speed Counters. Select one face-up Monster on your side of the field. Inflict direct damage to your opponent equal to half that Monster's ATK. You cannot activate this card if your opponent's Life Points would be reduced to zero by this effect.

_Note: "Speed Spell – Sonic Buster" was first used by Ushio in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D" episode "Pipe Dreams". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SYNCHRO SPIRITS (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Junk Synchron and White Magician Pikeru in the foreground with Junk Warrior in the background.

**Card Description:** Select one Synchro Monster in your Graveyard that was originally summoned properly, and remove it from play. If the Monsters that were originally used for the Synchro Summon of the removed Monster are in your Graveyard, you may Special Summon them to your side of the field.

_Note: "Synchro Spirits" was first used by Yusei in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D" episode "Second Round Showdown (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**KLEIN'S LABYRINTH (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A weird series of black, winding tubes with digital circuitry on them, in a void full of colored lights.

**Card Description:** Activate only when your opponent declares an attack against one of your Monsters. Switch the base ATK and DEF of the attacking Monster until the End Phase of the next turn. During the turn this card is activated, battle damage you take is reduced to zero and your Monsters are not destroyed by battle.

_Note: "Klein's Labyrinth" was first used by Ghost (although the deck belonged to Placido) in a third season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Jalal: Once again, my compound has become the target of that bloodsilver golem, but this time, the one behind it has decided to use it to confront me directly. This Shadowkind is looking for a fight, and I won't back down from this challenge.**

**If you want me to prove I'm worthy of leading the Shadowchasers, I'm more than happy to oblige. Bring it on!**

"**Dragon's Rage" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Maverick Investigations, Private Eyes of Shadow **

A kitsune, dark elf, rakshasa, and minotaur walk into a bar... While this sounds like the opening to some bad joke, it is in fact the makings of one of the oddest Shadowchaser-allied groups known to date. To anyone who is not Aware or a Shadowkind, they are a small-time private investigations company. Those in the know however, are aware that they are people not to be crossed, and to have them put on your tail is practically a guarantee of being caught. Their very name defines what they are; mavericks, misfits, and outlaws from races that are known far and wide for being anything ranging from generally unpleasant, to outright evil.

Their nominal leader is a kitsune, who is best known by the name Tempest. Where most kitsune find fun in playing pranks on humans and making general nuisances of themselves, he found that he preferred the thrill of hunting down rogue Shadows and matching wits with them, putting every one of his seven hundred years of cunning (each century represented by one of his tails) to work. As the most charismatic of the four, he is the one who speaks for the team as a whole when conducting business. He generally dresses in a battered black fedora, with a matching long duster or trenchcoat that he uses to cover his tails. Tall and lithe, he sometimes attracts female attention without meaning too, giving the others something to tease him about.

Next is the dark elf, called Boneyard due to his habit of scouring junkyards, or "mechanical boneyards" as he calls them, for parts. While most dark elves love plotting and intrigue more than food and drink, he prefers to study the workings of engineering and alchemical processes, looking to find newer, more efficient ways to entrap criminals and bring them to justice. (Rumors state that he hung out with a group of svirfneblin, or deep gnomes, when he was young.) While very brusque and short with people, his time with the team has helped to improve his people skills to the point where he no longer sends prospective clients storming off in a huff. To the Mundane, he resembles a tall, lanky African-American, who tends to wear sunglasses to shield his light-sensitive eyes.

The minotaur, known far and wide as "Rampage" is not only the team's muscle, as most minotaurs are for their employers, but also a gifted tactician, displaying an intelligence and a knack for working with other Shadows that very few of his race demonstrate. He uses his name as a misnomer, and acts the part until it no longer helps him throw his opponents off their game. To a Mundane observer, he appears to be a broad-shouldered, heavily muscled Hispanic man, well proportioned and even somewhat ruggedly handsome.

And finally, the rakshasa. Somewhat jokingly called "Tigerpaw" at first, the moniker stuck. And out of all four misfits, he is probably the oddest. Born of a race that is known for hating humans, and called demons by them at times, he not only does not share this hatred, he married a human, and has had children with her, two daughters. A powerful wizard, he specializes in spells involving ice and metal. Fiercely protective of his family and friends, he's demonstrated that he's not only a sorcerer of noteworthy talent, but also a dab hand with human firearms, utilizing a first generation Glock 17 that he keeps hidden at the small of his back. (He has a permit to carry a concealed weapon.)

**  
Story Ideas:** The Mavericks operate out of New York City, and are well known to the local Shadow community as trustworthy and congenial. While not an official ally of the Shadowchasers, they are more than willing to lend a hand should a case they're working on intersect with one of theirs. And since they're so well known in the local community, they've got an extensive intelligence network that a Shadowchaser might wish to take advantage of.

**  
Deck Ideas:** Tempest tends to gravitate towards decks focusing on multiple Attributes, most likely Elemental Heroes. Boneyard uses Machines with a vehicular theme, such as Vehicroids or Gradius Monsters. Rampage would tend towards Beast Down type decks, but put in a selection of cards to enable him to attack a bit more sneakily. And Tigerpaw favors ice-themed decks, possibly Ice Barrier Monsters.

_The Mavericks were a creation of fanfic author Metal Dragoon._


	21. Dragon's Rage

_I'd like to make a few things clear, due to the promptings of a reader. _

_As you know, a lot of this fic takes elements from the Dungeons & Dragons RPG. I never brought this up, but another RPG that it is based on is _Urban Arcana, _a lesser known game, also created by Wizards of the Coast. (Which is basically the same game in a modern setting.)_

_Now, I am doing nothing wrong by using this material. I am still working within the guidelines set forth by Wizards of the Coast's Open Gaming License. But for sake of completeness, I thought I'd give everything its due credit._

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL TWENTY-ONE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Dragon's Rage**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

One hour later, Hebi-Na sulked as she sat on the front of the altar, leaning her head on her hand.

"Guard her?" she grumbled. "I don't even like her... And I'm bored!

"She could have at least put a TV in this temple or something..."

She looked at Taramanda, who was still in her trance. She had to admit, she was tempted...

But Taramanda had a valid point. Where would she go if her empress died? She could run, but not forever. The Shadowchasers would likely offer a big reward for anyone who turned her in, and she was just starting to realize that this might be the way to avoid the grim fate that was waiting for her if she had been convicted.

Besides, what was she going to do? Taramanda was immune to the poison of other ophidia... The only thing Hebi-Na might be able to try right now was try to strangle her... But Taramanda was incredibly strong. She could well snap out of the trance before the job was done, and she would stop her. Hebi-Na had narrowly escaped being devoured that first time, and she didn't want to tempt fate again.

She sighed...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Once again, we must take into account the nine-hour time difference between Great Britain and Japan. Where it was six PM in Neo Domino, it was 9 AM in London.

Jalal was sitting in his dining room, a half-eaten breakfast of bagels and cream cheese to his side. He was less interested in that than he was in the old books he was looking through. The recent developments had required him to do quite a bit of research... First the Dark Synchros, and now this new development with the card Shichiro had received...

With the latter, he was having very little luck. He had studied magic for over a millennium, had studied the runic magic of Celtic tribes, the enchantments of the fey world, had read arcane works in Gaelic, Welsh, Old English, Latin, and dozens of other dead languages...

But while he was so learned in magic, the details of cosmic power left him drawing a blank. He knew as little about it as Dr. Who likely knew about magic.

"Grand convergence of 1748..." he muttered, reading. "Founding of the Star Seeds... Sighting of..."

He sighed, and closed the book.

"No, that doesn't fit," he said.

"The biggest hole here... The Titans seem to be attracted to Earth somehow by the Dark Synchros, and maybe by the Earthbound Gods...

"But how in the world could they have ever come into conflict with the Earthbound Gods? Those demons were imprisoned in the great battle with the Crimson Dragon five-thousand years ago, before these four individuals were even born!"

He sighed.

"As much as I don't like it..." he said, "I may have to go to the Black Library again and deal with Xvartnar... That is, if he still has his job... That's always a bloody pain..."

Then he was startled as an alarm went off.

He quickly got up, and moved to a speaker phone.

"McEwen, report!" he shouted.

"I'm here, boss," said a voice, over the speaker. "Guess who's back?"

"Figures," said Jalal. "I knew it would come back... You're sticking with the plan, right?"

"Yeah, boss," said the voice, "but something is different this time... It's not smashing through our defenses like it did before... It seems to be carefully avoiding them. It seems more focused than last time, like it had a more specific goal...

"And, it's not going anywhere near the legal sector this time. It's... uhm..."

There was a long pause.

"McEwen?" asked Jalal.

"Boss, get out of that manor house!" screamed McEwen. "Get out of there, now!"

Jalal didn't wait for an explanation. He ran over to a cabinet, and tapped a drawer twice. It slid open.

He took out a short, wooden rod, and tucked it in the back of his belt.

Then he turned around, just as the wall to his dining room was torn down, and the bloodsilver golem stormed in.

Jalal glared at it, and the golem glared back.

"Hello, Jalal," it said, in Taramanda's voice. "I've wanted to meet you for quite some time..."

"So, you can talk now, huh?" asked Jalal.

He looked, and saw that several of his troops were surrounding the place with heavy-duty weaponry.

"I'm guessing that not even the Primals could have given a golem sentience... Clearly, I'm speaking to someone who's controlling it by remote control."

"You may call me Empress," said Taramanda.

"Empress?" asked Jalal, in a sarcastic tone. "If I had known I would be entertaining royalty, I would have dressed appropriately."

His eyes narrowed.

"You realize then, that by attacking my compound, twice now, whatever empire you rule has now committed terrorist acts."

"Well..." said Taramanda. "I'm not about to tell you where my center of government is."

"You come here by remote control," said Jalal, "not willing to face me directly, not willing to show your face, not willing to give your name... Seems like the mark of a coward."

"You dare insult me when I control a golem this powerful?" asked Taramanda.

Jalal sighed.

"Look," he said, "threatening me is not going to do anything. If the idea was to break into here to kill me, take a number. You may be the first one who's broken into this house, but regardless, if a week doesn't go by without at least one attempt on my life, I think something is seriously wrong."

Taramanda stopped short.

"It happens _that_ often?" she asked.

"I just don't understand why they never learn," asked Jalal. "I ask, why can't they see the fates of their numerous predecessors, who failed miserably and are either dead or in jail?"

"I know that you can't be killed, Jalal," she replied. "You're immortal, and have a supernatural healing factor. If I broke every bone in your body with this thing, you'd be back on your feet in a day.

"But the same can't be said for any of your men who are now surrounding this house. I wouldn't lose any sleep if I broke some of their necks before you enacted whatever plan you have to destroy this golem."

Jalal grit his teeth.

"However…" she continued, "I'm willing to fight you as your Treaty outlines if you tell your men to keep their distance…"

"Why?" asked Jalal.

"Why do you think?" asked Taramanda, with a hint of bile in her voice. "To humiliate you! To beat you at your own game! It will be the first step towards dealing you a more permanent defeat."

"Well…" said Jalal. "Since that's the best deal you'll give me…"

He clicked on a communication device.

"Everyone, fall back," he said.

"You sure boss?" asked McEwen's voice.

"Positive," said Jalal. "I'll handle this on my own..."

He held up his arm, and his own special Duel Disk appeared on it. It was gold plated, the tray shaped like a dragon's wing, and the deck holder shaped like the head of a gold wyrm, holding the deck in its mouth.

The golem's chest cavity opened, and it took the Duel Disk from there. It used a special attachment to plug it into a port in its left arm.

"I've been waiting a long time for this..." said Taramanda.

**(Jalal: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Taramanda: 8,000)**

"I make one draw," said Jalal, drawing a card.

He looked over his six cards.

"I set two cards, and then summon Mirage Dragon."

Two facedown cards appeared on the field, and then a small, wingless, oriental-style Dragon appeared in front of them. It was translucent, and seemed to be sculpted out of pure light. (1,600 ATK)

"And I conclude my turn."

"Then, I draw," said Taramanda, making a draw.

"I play a Spell Card called Dark Shuffle," she said, as a Spell appeared in front of the golem. "This lets me take five Dark-Attribute Monsters from my deck, and put them on top in any order."

"That may be true," said Jalal, closing his eyes, "but when you actually draw them, you aren't allowed to use them."

"You'll see the point soon," said Taramanda, as she placed five cards on the top of her deck. "Moving on, I set three cards facedown, and then defend with a Monster."

Three reversed cards and a reversed Monster appeared in five flashes of light.

"I end MY turn," she said.

"Then I draw!" said Jalal, making a draw.

"I sacrifice Mirage Dragon..."

Mirage Dragon turned into a globe of light.

"...to summon Des Volstgalph!"

With a loud roar, a much bigger, winged Dragon appeared. It was covered by an armored, serrated carapace, the edges accented by sharp horns. (2,200 ATK)

"Next," he said, as one of his facedown cards lifted up, "I activate Call of the Haunted, to bring back Mirage Dragon."

Mirage Dragon appeared in another blast of light. (1,600 ATK)

"If you're thinking of springing those Traps on me, forget it. Mirage Dragon prevents you from using them during the Battle Phase.

"Des Volstgalph, destroy her Monster!"

The huge Dragon blasted a beam of intense energy from its jaws, incinerating the hidden Monster in a loud blast.

"And when Des Volstgalph destroys a Monster, you lose 500 Life Points."

"Maybe so..." said Taramanda, "but the Monster you just destroyed was my Morphing Jar, so now we must discard our hands and make five draws."

Jalal raised an eyebrow. He discarded his three cards, Sangan, Luster Dragon #2, and Divine Dragon Ragnarok, and made five draws. Taramanda discarded one card, Mystic Tomato, and drew five.

"I hope you realize..." said Jalal, looking at his cards, "those five cards you have count as drawn... So you now have a hand of five cards that you aren't allowed to use due to your Dark Shuffle...

"But anyway... Mirage Dragon, attack directly with spectrum blast!"

Mirage Dragon blasted a stream of multicolored light at the golem's metal torso, and it glanced off.

"Doesn't hurt," said Taramanda. "My real body is a world away, after all, and this one is made of metal. Your attacks can't hurt me in the least...

"But I know that pain is one thing _you_ aren't immune to."

"If you're quite done telling me things I already know," said Jalal, "it's your move..."

**(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 5,900)**

"I make one draw," said Taramanda.

She looked at the card she had drawn.

"Then, I activate this..."

One of her facedown cards lifted.

"The Spell Card, Card Destruction! Now we must both fold all our cards, and draw an equal number."

Jalal frowned. They both discarded their hands. Jalal made five draws, and Taramanda made six.

"Next, part two," said Taramanda, as another facedown card lifted. "The Trap Card, Disgraceful Charity!"

A winged female form flew out of the card and over the room. Jalal recognized her as Marie the Fallen One, a fiendish woman with black feathered wings and golden crosses branded on the backs of her hands. She gestured, and both Duel Disks glowed.

"This Trap Card lets us recover all the cards we discarded this round," continued Taramanda.

Jalal's eyes opened wide as the five cards he had just discarded slipped out of his discard slot. He took them...

Then he looked, as his opponent took the six cards she discarded.

"You sent them to the Graveyard and then recovered them from it..." he said softly.

"Which means I'm free to use them!" laughed Taramanda. "And I'm going to summon one of them right now...

"Meet the one and only Don Zaloog."

She played the card, and in an aura of dark energy, a familiar Warrior appeared. A tall bandit wearing an eyepatch, dressed in leather armor and an ammunition belt bandoleer. He carried two old-fashioned pistols. (1,400 ATK)

"I'm not scared of him," said Jalal.

"Then maybe you'll be scared of this," said Taramanda, as she played a Spell Card.

Jalal stepped back in surprise. His opponent's strategy now became perfectly clear...

"I play Mustering of the Dark Scorpions!" shouted Taramanda. "With Don Zaloog on the field, I can Special Summon all four members of his team from my hand.

"First, I'll summon the team's intellectual, the dashing and always reliable Cliff the Trap Remover."

In another aura of dark energy, another Warrior appeared, dressed in armor similar to Don's, wearing spectacles, and holding a long knife. (1,200 ATK)

"Then there's the strong arm of the group, the strong and usually silent Gorg the Strong..."

A much more muscular and taller Warrior appeared, this one completely bald with a pug nose. He held an iron mace. (1,800 ATK)

"Then there's the group's obligatory female, the lovely yet lethal Meanae the Thorn..."

A female Warrior appeared, dressed in a feminine version of the same outfit, holding a barbed whip. (1,000 ATK)

"And finally, the guy who's likely there to come up with bad ideas so that others can come up with good ones... Chick the Yellow."

The final member of the Dark Scorpions appeared, a young teenager with a mop of blonde hair, holding a wooden hammer. (1,000 ATK)

The five Dark Scorpions looked at Jalal and grinned...

He really hadn't needed an introduction. There was a member of his organization's group in Rome who used these Warriors... But he never dreamed he'd be facing them.

He took a deep breath. He knew right away what the next move was going to be...

Taramanda's final facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Dark Scorpion Combination!" she exclaimed.

Jalal sighed. He was right.

"Now all five Scorpions can attack directly," she said, "but only doing 400 points of damage per strike.

"GO!"

The five bandits leapt at Jalal. Cliff made a slash with his knife, Chick jammed him with his hammer, Gorg clubbed with his mace, Meanae cracked her whip, and Don fired four rounds with his pistols.

Jalal managed to maintain his footing, but he held his side and sweat poured down his face.

**(J: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 5,900)**

"I rarely say this about humans, Jalal," said Taramanda, "but the Dark Scorpions are my kind of crooks. They fight really dirty."

"You don't say," grumbled Jalal.

"Yes," continued Taramanda, "especially since each one has two effects, and I can activate one of them each time one of them inflicts damage.

"Let's start with Chick. His effect returns one of your Monsters back to your hand."

Mirage Dragon vanished, its card appearing back in Jalal's hand.

"Then there's Gorg. He sends one of your Monsters back to the top of your deck."

Des Volstgalph vanished, appearing on top of Jalal's deck.

"Next, let's use Cliff's effect. I think I'll use the one that lets me destroy one Spell or Trap Card."

Jalal's facedown My Body as a Shield shattered.

"Then we move to Don. He sends one card in your hand to the Graveyard."

The Sphere of Chaos in Jalal's hand vanished.

"Finally," said Taramanda, "Meanae's effect lets me take any card with the words 'Dark Scorpion' in its name from my deck or Graveyard..."

Dark Scorpion Combination slipped out of the Disk's discard slot, and the golem took it.

"Heh, heh..." she said. "I'll end my turn with two facedown cards..."

Two reversed cards appeared.

"...and it's your move..."

Jalal frowned and made a draw. Naturally, it was Des Volstgalph.

"I take it you intend to activate Dark Scorpion Combination next round too..." he said. "Trust me, that's a pipe dream..."

"What do you..." asked Taramanda.

Then she stopped short. She realized now that there was a major flaw in her initial plan. Sure, it had let her summon all five of the Dark Scorpions at once with relative ease, but both Card Destruction and Disgraceful Charity had applied to Jalal as well. This now gave him access to a hand of eleven cards.

To make things worse, she knew that almost all of his Monsters were stronger than hers. That was the major weakness of the Dark Scorpions. Her two set cards were Dark Scorpion Combination and a Trap that was no good at stopping an attack – she had set it for another purpose...

Still... Jalal didn't know that the Dark Scorpions were only a prelude to something much bigger...

"I summon the Lord of Dragons!" exclaimed Jalal.

He played the card, and a Spellcaster wearing a dark robe, a cape with a high collar, and a helmet shaped like a dragon's jaw appeared. (1,200 ATK)

"Next," he said, playing a Spell Card, "I play Dragon's Mirror."

"Dragon's Mirror?" said Taramanda. "That means that one of the cards you tossed when my Morphing Jar was flipped..."

"Was Divine Dragon Ragnarok..." said Jalal, closing his eyes.

Then wispy, cloudy Dragon appeared next to Lord of Dragons.

"So I can fuse both of them together..." he continued.

Both Monsters swirled into an orb of multicolored light.

"...to summon King Dragun!"

In an explosion of flames, a new Dragon appeared. From the waist up, it was Lord of Dragons, holding a staff that looked like the Flute of Summoning Dragon. From the waist down, he was a golden, serpentine Dragon. (2,400 ATK)

"So long as King Dragun is on the field," said Jalal, "all my Dragons cannot be targeted by any card effects.

"I'm also allowed to Special Summon a Dragon from my hand every round. So I summon the mighty Tyrant Dragon!"

In another explosion of flames, a much larger, even meaner-looking Dragon appeared. It resembled a classic Dragon, and was twice as tall as King Dragun.

It looked at the golem and the five now-terrified Dark Scorpions, and growled, smoke seeping from its tooth-filled maw... (2,900 ATK)

"Well..." said Taramanda, "before it's too late..."

Her facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Gift of the Mystical Elf! Now, I gain 300 Life Points for every Monster on the field. I count seven."

The golem glowed with energy.

**(J: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 8,000)**

"Time to pay your Scorpions back with interest," said Jalal. "King Dragun, attack Don Zaloog with Twilight Burn!"

King Dragun blasted flames from his staff, and the bandit leader went up in smoke.

"Tyrant Dragon, attack Chick the Yellow with Imperial Inferno!"

The huge Dragon belched a super-hot stream of flames, and the golem shielded itself as Chick was obliterated.

"Now I use Tyrant Dragon's effect," said Jalal, "to attack a second Monster!"

Tyrant Dragon breathed again, eradicating Meanae, and knocking the golem on its seat.

Cliff the Trap Remover and Gorg the Strong were holding each other and shivering...

"Oh, cut it out, you two!" demanded Taramanda, getting up.

"All right, whoever you are," said Jalal. "I'm ending my turn... And since I'm doing so with a hand of eight cards, I have to discard two of them..."

He discarded Des Volstgalph and Super Rejuvenation.

**(J: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 3,200)**

"Heh, heh, heh..." said Taramanda, as the golem got up.

"I knew the stories about you weren't exaggerations…"

"Really?" asked Jalal. "Most folks think they are."

"I have more sense," said Taramanda.

She made a draw.

"I figure, this guy has been leading the Shadowchasers for one-thousand years, he must be doing something right...

"Still... I brought a little surprise...

"I sacrifice both Cliff and Gorg..."

The two Dark Scorpions breathed a sigh of relief just before they vanished.

"...in order to summon Dark Tuner Nightmare Hand!"

The creature that appeared was hard to describe. It looked like a vaguely humanoid statue made of black and purple plastic, with blocky features, oversized hands and feet, and a head shaped like an inverted triangle with a concave top. Where the face would be was instead a symbol that looked like three circles inside each other, surrounded by a fourth circle made of a jagged line. (0 ATK)

"A Dark Tuner??" exclaimed Jalal. "So... _You're _the one behind these Dark Synchros?"

"That's right, Jalal..." said Taramanda. "But as one human once said, you ain't seen nothing yet. The three that appeared in Neo Domino were trial runs. I saved a good one for this duel.

"Nightmare Hand's effect now lets me Special Summon a Level 2 or lower Monster from my hand or Graveyard. So I'll summon The Bewitching Phantom Thief."

A new Monster appeared next to the Dark Tuner. It was a gentleman burglar, dressed in a tuxedo, cloak, and top hat, holding a long cane. (700 ATK)

Then he suddenly looked nervous as Nightmare Hand glowed with eerie energy.

The Dark Tuner turned into a dark cloud, with ten glowing stars around it. The Phantom Thief started to panic as he was engulfed by the cloud, and the ten stars turned into eight black stars.

Taramanda laughed...

"_When the Shadows are devoured by even darker Shadows, the curtain is pulled back to reveal… a world without light!"_

Even Jalal was nervous as the dark cloud started to glow.

_Level –8?_ he thought. _Oh no... It couldn't be..._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Outside the manor house, the heavily-armed squad of Shadowchasers was still ready to move in when Jalal gave the word.

One member was paying close attention to a series of monitors.

"Commander!" he shouted.

Another member of the squad ran up to him.

"Commander McEwen," he repeated. "Something's happening in there... Something is generating an intense aura of dark magic!"

"How intense?" asked McEwen.

"I don't know!" replied the first soldier. "It's higher than this instrument is capable of reading!"

"Sanders!" shouted McEwen to a female soldier. "I want a visual of what's happening in that manor house."

"Sir," said the female officer, "Jalal told us that we were to access the security cameras in his private quarters only if he was in danger."

"I have the authority to discern if he is in danger," replied McEwen, "and I believe that he is..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At first, Jalal only saw the dark cloud.

Then he saw _eyes_. He saw dozens of glaring, glowing, demon eyes, peering out of the cloud.

The cloud quickly formed into a more coherent shape, that of a Dragon just as big as Tyrant Dragon. It had skin the color of a bruise, and was covered from head to toe with those eyes, horrid, glowing eyes that were all looking at him.

"Meet One-Hundred Eyes Dragon," said Taramanda.

(3,000 ATK)

"That's not a Dragon..." growled Jalal. "That's more like something out of a dragon's nightmare..."

"Say what you will," said Taramanda. "One-Hundred Eyes Dragon, attack King Dragun with Infernal Sight-Stream!"

The Dark Synchro roared, and blasted a bolt of pure, black energy at the Fusion Monster. King Dragun screamed as he erupted into dark flames, and then he burst into an explosion of pixels.

"ERGH!" gasped Jalal, clutching his chest.

_Felt that one..._ he thought.

**(J: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 3,200)**

"With King Dragun gone," said Taramanda, "your Tyrant Dragon is fully vulnerable to my Dragon's effect.

"Or should I say effects, plural? You see, One-Hundred Eyes Dragon can assimilate the powers of all Dark-Attribute Monsters in my Graveyard.

"All five of the Dark Scorpions are in my Graveyard... All five of them are Dark... My Dragon is a one-Monster army!"

The eye on the evil Dragon's chest closed, and then opened. Chick the Yellow appeared in it.

"So, let's start with Chick's effect, shall we?"

Tyrant Dragon vanished, it's card appearing back in Jalal's hand.

The eye closed again, and then opened again. Cliff appeared in it.

"You have no Spells or Traps on the field, so I'll use his other effect, sending two cards from your deck to the Graveyard."

Two cards flew off of Jalal's deck, and vanished.

The eye closed, and then opened, revealing Gorg.

"And now you lose another one, thanks to this effect!"

A third card vanished from his deck.

The eye opened again, and Don appeared in the pupil.

The Tyrant Dragon in Jalal's hand vanished.

The eye closed and opened one more time, and Meanae's image appeared in it. A card slipped out of the golem's deck, and it took it.

_My second copy of Cliff might come in handy later_, thought Taramanda.

"So..." said Taramanda. "How do you like that, wyrm-waste?"

Jalal looked at her, and his eyes narrowed.

"Excuse me..." he said. "Did you just call me 'wyrm-waste'?"

"Oh, I'm sorry..." said Taramanda, sarcastically. "Did I offend you?"

Jalal put his hand on his hip.

"No..." he said. "Frankly you didn't. I've been called that name several times, and so was my father...

"Thing is, every single time, it was by the same species of Shadowkind. It seems to be a derogatory term used only by them when referring to dragons and their kin.

"Isn't that right, snake?"

Taramanda was startled, not just by the fact that she had been discovered, but by the fact that she had let such a mistake slip.

"The ophidia are behind the Dark Synchros..." muttered Jalal. "Now isn't _that_ a surprise...

"So tell me... Empress... Am I facing an ophidia abomination? Or one of their legendary anathema? Or perhaps I'm speaking to none other than 'Tiffany Lords', the pseudonym of the female ophidia who seduced and married Prince Percival, the third in line to the throne of Monaco? If that is indeed who I'm speaking to you, I'll remind you that we are vigilantly protecting his parents and brothers."

"She's a spoiled brat who we disowned years ago!" shouted Taramanda.

"I see," said Jalal, crossing his arms. "So, just how far does your empire reach, one continent or several?"

"That's for me to know, and you to find out," said Taramanda. "It's still my move..."

A facedown card appeared behind the demon.

"I'll end with that..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

McEwen was watching the duel closely on a monitor.

"See if you can find a file on that Dragon his opponent is using," he said to someone at a console. "Cross-reference 'Dragon' with 'Dark' and '3,000 ATK'."

"I'm on it," said the technician. "You certain that thing is Dark?"

"I'd count on it..." replied McEwen.

The computer did a quick scan.

"We got four matches here..." he said. "The first is Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End..."

"No, that's not it," said McEwen.

"The second is Dark Horus," continued the technician.

"The third?" asked McEwen.

"Red Dragon Archfiend..." continued the technician.

"Definitely not..." said McEwen.

"Wait..." said the technician.

He moved to the last match, which was clearly One-Hundred Eyes Dragon.

"That's the one..." said McEwen.

He read the card text.

"Good lord!" he shouted. "I've seen broken cards before, but this one takes the cake!"

He read the file.

"This was used by one of the Dark Signers? What the..."

He turned on his communicator.

"Boss, are you certain you don't need assistance?" he said into it.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"I'm more that certain," replied Jalal, as he made a draw. "You stay where you are until I say otherwise.

"Okay, snake, I'm Special Summoning Vice Dragon in Attack Mode..."

A large, ugly Dragon standing on its hind legs appeared in front of him. (2,000 ATK)

"But because you Special Summoned it," said Taramanda, "its scores are cut in half."

(1,000 ATK)

"That's why I'm going to sacrifice it..." continued Jalal.

Vice Dragon turned into a globe of light.

"...to summon Strong Wind Dragon!"

A fierce wind erupted in the room, and a large, humanoid, muscular Dragon with green scales and leathery wings appeared. (2,400 ATK)

"Since I summoned Strong Wind Dragon by sacrificing another Dragon, it gains Attack Points equal to half of that Dragon's Attack Points."

(3,400 ATK)

"Attack that abomination!" he shouted. "Strong hurricane!"

Strong Wind Dragon took a deep breath...

"You triggered my Trap!" shouted Taramanda.

Her facedown card shot up.

"Hallowed Life Barrier! I toss one card, and Battle Damage to me this round is reduced to zero."

The golem quickly discarded a card. Strong Wind Dragon unleashed a blast of wind at the demon, but it glanced off its chest.

"What?" said Jalal. "Hallowed Life Barrier shouldn't have protected your Monster..."

"But the card I discarded did," replied Taramanda.

One-Hundred Eyes Dragon's central eye closed, and then opened. Dark Resonator appeared inside it.

"Since I discarded Dark Resonator, my Dragon is now able to assimilate its effect as well, and resist being destroyed by battle once per turn.

"So tell me, Jalal... Can you launch a successful attack against it _twice_?"

Jalal frowned. He set two cards in his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared in two flashes of light.

"Make your move..." he said.

The golem made a draw, and then played a card.

"I summon my Des Feral Imp..." said Taramanda.

In a surge of energy, an ugly, fiendish-looking gremlin appeared next to the Dragon. (1,600 ATK)

"Next," she said, as a Spell Card appeared, "my Gift of the Martyr. By sacrificing my Imp, my Dragon gains Attack Points equal to its Attack Points..."

Des Feral Imp vanished, and the Dark Synchro roared... (4,600 ATK)

"Annihilate his Strong Wind Dragon!" shouted Taramanda.

"I activate... Forbidden Chalice!" shouted Jalal, as the demon prepared to attack.

His facedown Quickplay Spell flipped up.

"This Spell increases the Attack Score of one Monster on the field by 400..."

"Pathetic!" laughed Taramanda. "That won't make your Dragon even _close_ to being able to defeat mine."

"I'm not using it on my Monster," replied Jalal. "I'm using it on yours."

"Wha?" said Taramanda.

One-Hundred Eyes Dragon glowed even more intently... (5,000 ATK)

It blasted its Infernal Sight-Stream, and Strong Wind Dragon was blown to pieces. Jalal held his chest.

**(J: 3,800) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 3,200)**

"I have no idea why you did that, Jalal..." said Taramanda, "but..."

"Take a look at your Dragon," said Jalal.

The golem turned its head towards the Dragon. Its hundred eyes were _closed_.

"Forbidden Chalice also prevents your Monster from using its effect," he said. "So I'm safe from the all the effects you would have activated by inflicting Battle Damage. I'd say that was worth an extra 400 Life Points."

Taramanda glared at him.

She fit a card into her Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

"I end my turn!" she shouted.

"Then I draw!" exclaimed Jalal.

He made a draw.

"I play... Cards of Consonance!" he shouted, as he played a Spell Card. "To play this card, I first have to discard a Dragon-Type Tuner Monster with 1,000 Attack Points or less...

"So I'll get rid of Debris Dragon..."

He discarded the card.

"...then I get two draws..."

He drew two cards.

"I'll set a Monster and one more card facedown, and end my turn!"

Two more reversed cards, a Monster and a Spell or Trap, appeared in front of him.

"My move..." said Taramanda.

She made a draw.

Her facedown card lifted up, revealing Call of the Haunted. Des Feral Imp appeared in an aura of energy. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, I sacrifice it once again..."

The Imp disappeared into a globe of light...

"...to summon Mefist the Infernal General!"

With the whiney of a horse, a demonic rider rode onto the field. Both he and his horse were dressed in blackened armor, and he held a large pole-axe. (1,800 ATK)

"Defending is worthless against Mefist, due to his trampling effect," said Taramanda. "Combined with my Dragon, this is gonna take you down!

"Mefist, attack!"

The Infernal General charged...

But his horse was spooked, as a huge Dragon made of rock appeared to block its path. (2,000 DEF)

"My Golem Dragon says otherwise, snake," said Jalal.

"You are starting to try my patience, you half-breed!" said Taramanda with a scowl.

Jalal shielded himself as Golem Dragon was blown to shards by One-Hundred Eyes Dragon's blast.

"Just move already..."

**(J: 3,800) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 3,000)**

Jalal made a draw.

"I summon Masked Dragon!" he shouted.

He played the card, and the metallic Dragon wearing a mask appeared in front of him. (1,400 ATK)

"Then," he said, as one of his facedown cards lifted up, "the Trap Card, Immortal Dragon, which I'll use to summon Debris Dragon back from the Graveyard."

In a flash of light, another small Dragon appeared, one with silvery scales, wings, and a long proboscis. If Yusei Fudo's Stardust Dragon ever had a son, this might be what it would look like. (1,000 ATK)

"Now... I Tune Debris Dragon with Masked Dragon..."

The two Monsters dissolved into seven glowing stars, and flew towards the ceiling... Jalal chanted:

"_Pure force strikes like a hammer on the anvil of victory! A mighty blow devastating all who dares stand in its way! Appear before me..._

"_Exploder Dragonwing!"_

With a mighty roar, a bulky, humanoid Dragon with a hunched back and mottled, black scales, with large wings materialized in front of Jalal.

It looked at the evil Dragon, and growled... (2,400 ATK)

"When Exploder Dragonwing attacks a Monster with less Attack Points, damage calculation is ignored, the Monster is destroyed automatically, and you lose Life Points equal to that Monster's Attack Points."

"Then attack Mefist," replied Taramanda. "Next round, my Dragon will be able to use his effect too."

"Mefist?" asked Jalal. "You think he's the one I'm aiming for?"

His last facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Synchro Strike!" he shouted. "This boosts my Synchro Monster's Attack Score by 500 for each Monster I Tuned to summon it!"

(3,400 ATK)

"But that means..." said Taramanda.

"It's all over..." said Jalal. "Exploder Dragonwing, destroy One-Hundred Eyes Dragon with max blast!"

Exploder Dragonwing shot a beam of pure force at the horrid thing, and it screamed. The golem toppled over, as the Dark Synchro exploded into chunks of dark residue.

**(J: 3,800) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 0)**

Jalal glared at the golem.

"It's all over, your highness," he said, sarcastically. "I'll use every clause afforded to me in the Treaty to make certain that every ophidia in the world is held responsible for these attacks, until one of them decides to tell us who you are and where you are hiding."

"And what makes you think they even know?" asked Taramanda, as the golem got up. "Human rulers are egomaniacs who never leave the public eye for a second... I stay in the shadows. My subjects receive their orders through multiple layers of intermediaries.

"You'll never find me...

"As for you, I'm retreating to my real body right now, but not before I initiate one final feature of this golem that the Primals installed... One that allows it to release all its energy in a retributive strike if it's ever in danger of being subdued."

"WHAT?" shouted Jalal.

"You'd better tell your men to start running, and tell them to run fast," said Taramanda, "because in thirty seconds, everything within a thousand-foot radius of this spot is going to be reduced to a smoldering crater."

The golem's eyes faded, and it started to glow with an aura of fiery energy.

_Not if I can help it, you sore loser,_ thought Jalal.

He rushed up to the construct, and pulled the rod out of the back of his belt. It didn't react, so he jammed it into the center of its torso.

A loud groan came from the golem, as the fiery aura merged with a cold blue aura, and the metal automaton shivered...

Then, both auras faded, and steam poured from the metal husk. Its left arm fell off, then its right, then its head. What remained collapsed in a heap.

Jalal took a deep breath.

As he looked at the now-inert wreck, a squad of soldiers rushed into the room.

"At ease..." he said. "Everything's secured..."

"Sir..." said McEwen. "That's a Rod of Cancellation..."

Jalal looked at the now burned-out rod in his hand. A Rod of Cancellation was a powerful and rare device, able to drain even the most powerful magical items of their enchantments, rendering them inert with a single touch... But it could only be used once.

"Yeah..." he said. "It's something I took out of cold storage after the first golem attack."

He tossed it on the floor.

"So you could have destroyed that golem any time you wanted to?" asked McEwen.

"I could have," replied Jalal, "but by waiting, I gained something very valuable...

"Knowledge..."

He looked at the smoldering heap again.

"The second thing I want you to do at this point is take this wreck to forensics. Bring in a forklift or something. We probably won't find any fingerprints or fibers, but we should still check."

"And the first thing?" asked McEwen.

"Inform every head of every facility we are in charge of," said Jalal. "Any ophidia on the premises are to be detained immediately. If they are there on diplomatic business, inform them that their business has been cancelled."

"Uh, on what charge?" asked McEwen.

"Charges are pending for now," said Jalal. "I'm calling an emergency session of the courts. Given what has happened here, I believe I will only need two hours to put the ophidia on Section 11 status."

"Section 11..." said McEwen. "But that's..."

"...the status of outlaw race," replied Jalal. "They seem to be united under one leader, and have declared war...

"But it may well be more far-reaching this time than it was with Saramanda..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Ergh..." grunted Taramanda, as she slowly sat up on the altar. "My head..."

"So..." said Hebi-Na. "How'd it go?"

"We'll see soon..." grumbled Taramanda, getting off the altar.

"All we have to do is find a British news channel on the satellite television. If there are any reports of mysterious explosions in Yorkshire, I was able to accomplish something...

"Otherwise... I'm just going to write this day off as a big flop, take an aspirin, and go to bed."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Neo Domino City was quiet. A crescent moon rose in a sky full of twinkling stars.

As it did, a falling star shot across the sky. A second one, similar to the first that had fallen last night.

And no sooner had it vanished, a third one streaked across the sky, seemingly on a different path.

But after the third one had faded, all was silent. If there was a fourth one, it was unable to come...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ONE-HUNDRED EYES DRAGON (Monster Card, anime version)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Dark Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** -8  
**ATK:** 3,000  
**DEF:** 2,500

**Card Description:** _1 non-Tuner Monster – 1 Dark Tuner Monster_

To Special Summon this card, subtract the Level of the Dark Tuner Monster used as Synchro Material from the Level of the non-Tuner Monster used. The value must equal the Level of this card. When this card is face-up on the field, it gains the effects of every DARK Monster in your Graveyard. When this card is destroyed, select one card from your deck and add it to your hand.

_Note: This is the Dark Synchro version of "One-Hundred Eyes Dragon" which was used by Kiryu in the anime. The card has been released as a true Synchro Monster for the OCG and TCG with a less powerful effect._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK TUNER NIGHTMARE HAND (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Dark Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 10  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** When this card is successfully Normal Summoned, you can Special Summon a Level 2 or lower Monster from your hand or Graveyard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**IMMORTAL DRAGON (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A dark, shadowy dragon rising out of the ground.

**Card Description:** Select and activate one of the following effects:

* Special Summon 1 Dragon-Type Monster from your Graveyard.

* Special Summon 1 of your Dragon-Type Monsters that has been removed from play.

_Note: "Immortal Dragon" was first used by Manjyome in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" manga. Creative credit goes to the writers._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DISGRACEFUL CHARITY (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Marie the Fallen One holding a glowing card between her hands.

**Card Description:** Both players add to their hands all cards that they discarded to the Graveyard this round by card effects.

_Note: "Disgraceful Charity" was first used by Yugi in the original anime episode "Clash in the Coliseum (Part 3)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK SHUFFLE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **Similar to "Card Shuffle", but with a winged demon as the shuffler.

**Card Description:** Select five DARK Monsters from your deck, shuffle your deck, and place the selected Monsters on the top of your deck in any order. When these cards are drawn, they cannot be Summoned or set.

_Note: "Dark Shuffle" was created by fanfic author Ruin, Queen of Oblivion. Used with permission._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Shichiro: This strange Warrior on this card... What are you trying to tell me? I hear your faint whispers, but I can't form them into clear words...**

**If we are to oppose the ophidia in this manner, I'll need all the help I can get... And when an innocent Shadow is robbed of a precious possession, an opportunity comes that may add a piece to this puzzle...**

"**Hero Signal" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Albert Hoon, Cosmetic Surgeon of Shadow**

While normally, illithids do not possess talents in magic, every once in a while an illithid is born with the power to wield the arcane arts. Such individuals are often frowned upon in illithid society and are usually shunned. Most illithids who go down the path of wizardry often become alhoons, a type of illithid lich, to cement their power and existence. By doing so, they buy themselves an eternity to study and grow more powerful. Alhoons are hated by their former fellows, mostly because of illithids' hatred of undead beings (one of the few types of creatures that psionic powers cannot harm) and illithid hunting parties are often formed to destroy them. Illithids who take the step to become alhoons become much more powerful and much more dangerous. They combine powerful magic with powerful psionic abilities to defeat their foes. The Shadow who now calls himself Albert Hoon was one such illithid who took the steps to become a lich.

Albert did not arrive on Earth via the usual method that Shadows come to this world, which is the likely reason why he retains his memories of his previous life. Before he came to Earth, he was already an alhoon and he had already made several enemies. On his home world he had conspired to destroy both a duergar and dark elf city by pitting the two against each other. With the fall of one, or both, his undead army could sweep in and make him master of both cities and the treasures left behind. Unfortunately, he was discovered, his physical body was destroyed, and both factions sent hunting parties after him. To make matters worse, his former fellow illithids had also caught wind of him. Thus, after a quick reconstitution, he set about moving his lair and his phylactery just as his pursuers began their attack. Besieged on three sides he was forced take what he could carry (which was significant, considering how many Bags of Holding he had) and activate his Cubic Gate to flee to another dimension. But his haste caused it to malfunction, and it shunted him to a completely random location.

Upon arriving upon Earth, and unable to go back (not that he planned to) he found that he was no longer in the same dimension and that wherever he was had been dominated by humans. After adjusting himself and doing some research he found out about the veil, the technology of Earth, and the fact that most Shadows had completely forgotten their lives on the other world. With this knowledge and the items he brought with him, he quickly set up a new lair where he hides his phylactery. From there he traveled to Los Angeles, used mind control and trickery to forge a medical license, and set himself as the premier cosmetic surgeon in the city, taking the name Albert Hoon as a play on the fact that he is an alhoon.

Using magic and mundane surgery techniques, he is able to perform all manner of procedures. He caters to all kinds, from celebrities to crime lords and convicts to average Joes; provided they can pay for his services. Thanks to his magic he is able to keep his identity a secret and he always makes sure to never let anyone with the ability to see the truth close.

While his services may seem relatively benign at first, Albert uses the time that they are sedated to apply his special psionic cocktail, a type of implanted psionic spell that, when applied in conjunction with a second spell he can cast later, will give the alhoon the power to not only read the victim's mind at any time but force him into a trance-like state that leaves him open to any of his suggestions. The trance can be activated at any time so long as the target is within telepathic range and modifies the target's body, enhancing the victim beyond the normal limits of his abilities. Over time, Albert has implanted the cocktail in many powerful and influential personalities, and has gained a great deal of information from the process.

**Story Ideas:** Albert only values two things, knowledge and power. He knows that his chances of raising an undead army or amassing legions of slaves is unlikely now, but he is very good at taking advantage of any situation that he can. With the secrets he can learn from his patients, his plans may include blackmailing members of government, espionage, or simply schemes to cheat powerful individuals on a large scale. He is unlikely to make any alliances, although the Sons of Kyuss might appeal to him, and he'll try his best to avoid any living illithids he finds out about. He could probably dispose of them without any problem (no large communities of illithids exist in this world, as they did in his previous homeworld) but he does not wish to draw undo attention to himself; after all, he is both an illithid and a lich, and neither creature has many admirers.

**Deck Suggestions:** Although he doesn't like the game of Duel Monsters all that much, since he believes it distracts him from his goals, he understands the practicality of having a deck in a world that places so much emphasis on such it. Albert's decks generally don't follow the themes that most in his position would. He uses neither Psychics nor Zombies. Instead, he prefers straightforward decks with a lot of power to stomp his opponents quickly and efficiently, but will occasionally try something different. Thus he might use an Ancient Gears (with the focus on Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem), Beast Decks, Lightsworns, or even a deck that focuses on The Sanctuary in the Sky.

_Albert Hoon was a creation of fanfic author Xoroth._


	22. Hero Signal

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL TWENTY-TWO**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Hero Signal**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Three hours later, the Shadowchasers who were currently awake would receive a message that appeared on the television sets in their headquarters. Jalal appeared on the screen, sitting at his desk in his main office, folding his hands in front of him.

"Attention all members of the pristine organization of the Shadowchasers," he said, in a grave tone. "A delicate matter of utmost importance has come up, one which requires special attention from a worldwide point of view.

"Today, at nine AM British time, a female ophidia referring to herself by the title of 'empress' launched an unprovoked attack on Shadowchaser Headquarters and on me personally.

"Now, fear not, I am unhurt, as are all other Shadowchasers stationed here. But for this and other diabolic crimes, the ophidia have now been given the label of an outlaw race.

"For all new members who have not dealt with outlaw races before, I will elaborate. You now have the authority for unconditional searches of all ophidia compounds and any ophidia that are suspected of suspicious activity, which at this point, is all of them. Any that refuse to cooperate are to be arrested. Do not listen to excuses or attempted alibis. The Fair Fight Clause as it applies to them is suspended until further notice.

"Do not bother using Duel Monsters unless you have no choice. This is of particular importance because the ophidia are in possession of incredibly powerful cursed magical cards called Dark Synchros. A duel where one of these cards is present can become a Shadow Duel very quickly.

"If you have any reason at all to suspect any ophidia of wrongdoing or of an alliance with a central leader, take them into custody. Attempt to take all ophidia alive if possible, but if it is not possible, lethal force is authorized. Confiscate any belongings found on their person and in any sanctuaries that are located.

"The status of outlaw race will remain until further notice. And above all, do not forget…

"This status is only given to the most dangerous and wicked of Shadowkind. Do not show mercy to these creatures, because you will get none in return."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Of course, the Neo Domino Shadowchasers didn't get the message until the next morning.

"When Jalal gets angry..." muttered Jinx.

Ember looked out a window.

"She's out there..." she said.

"Yeah, Ember, we all know Hebi-Na is out there," said Gears. "But she seems to be only one cog in a bigger machine now..."

"Maybe we should set up a stakeout," said Jinx. "You know, watch some place where ophidia are bound to show up."

"That bar where Ember met Hebi-Na last time has likely been abandoned," replied Shichiro.

"How about Gloria's shop?" asked Ember.

They all knew what Ember meant.

Gloria was a gorgon who owned a small liquor store in downtown Neo Domino, one that her mother had bought with money she had scraped together after arriving from beyond Shadow. Her shop was popular among reptilian Shadowkind like herself, because she was the only merchant in town with a license to legally sell viperwine.

Viperwine was a whiskey made from the venom of the Indian viper. Reptilian Shadows adored it, but it was a deadly poison to anyone else, so you needed a license to sell it, which was hard to get.

Gloria had the license, so she could sell it far cheaper than the black market did. Ophidia were known to come to her store now and then. Why did she deal with such creatures? Her philosophy was, if the biggest boss in _Yakuza_ walked into a deli and ordered a cheese sandwich, and the clerk gave it to him, would that make the clerk a bad man? Everyone has to eat, and everyone has the right to buy liquor, so long as they're the legal age.

"That's a good idea..." said Gears. "We can..."

"People, people..." said Shichiro. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Don't forget, there's protocol when organizing a stakeout. If you want to do surveillance of a legitimate business, you first have to get the owner's permission. Then you have to get her to sign a lot of forms, agree to a lot of terms…"

"Then let's get started," said Jinx. "Let's go down there and ask permission. I'll go with you..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The store was seemingly no different than any other store that sold wine and spirits. But Shichiro and Jinx noticed something amiss as soon as they walked in.

The woman behind the counter had her head down, and was sobbing hard.

"Gloria?" asked Shichiro.

To a Mundane, Gloria would look like a woman with richly tanned skin, with blonde hair tied in thick braids. Awares could see, however, that her skin was scaly and reptilian, and her 'hair' was actually a mass of snakes.

"What's wrong?" asked Jinx.

Gloria slowly lifted her head. Shichiro and Jinx quickly covered their eyes.

"Glasses!" exclaimed Shichiro.

"Sorry..." said Gloria.

She picked up a pair of sunglasses and put them on. Everyone knew the infamous power of the gorgon, whose eyes could turn a victim to stone. Truth be told, gorgons had little control over this. Other than expensive surgery, dark lenses were the only way a gorgon could protect others from the notorious curse.

"Why are you crying?" asked Shichiro.

"I was going over my deck..." sobbed Gloria. "Then an ophidia came in here..."

"An ophidia?" asked Shichiro.

"She looked too young to drink," sobbed Gloria. "But before I asked what she was doing here, she asked if she could see the deck...

"Then I made the stupidest mistake... I let her see it. She grabbed it and ran off!"

Shichiro opened his eyes wide.

"Were the cards valuable?" he asked.

"It was my mother's deck!" cried Gloria. "It took her a year to scrape it together, build it one card at a time... She was never all too rich..."

Then she stopped as the phone rang.

Gloria answered it.

"H-Hello?" she said.

"Look outside?"

They all looked outside, and saw a female ophidia standing on the other side of the street. She was completely humanoid, despite having fine scales instead of skin, with long black hair that fell down to her waist, and was dressed in a school girl's uniform.

"It's her!" shouted Gloria.

Gloria and the two Shadowchasers rushed out of the shop, and saw that the ophidia was standing next to a trash can in which a fire had been lit.

"Looking for this?" asked the ophidia, holding up a deck of cards.

Shichiro pulled his sword out of its sheath.

"Give it back, snake," he demanded.

"Or you'll do what?" she replied.

She held the deck over the trash can.

"Put the sword away, or the cards go up in flames."

"NO!" screamed Gloria. "PLEASE!"

Shichiro slowly lowered the sword.

"Okay, what do you want?" asked Shichiro.

"I realize that you aren't willing to duel me now..." said the ophidia. "But you will anyway if you want me to return this deck.

"Here's the deal... We duel. You win, I'll gladly return it.

"I win, you will convince your superiors to release the ophidia who was arrested yesterday for illegally entering an interdicted area."

"That guy who was trespassing in the B.A.D.?" asked Jinx. "What is he, your boyfriend?"

The ophidia responded by hissing loudly and baring her fangs.

"I'll take that as a yes..." said Jinx, nervously.

"Okay, okay..." said Shichiro. "Don't blow a fuse now... I'll accept that wager..."

The ophidia placed the deck in the Duel Disk on her arm, and hit the auto-shuffler.

"Why that deck?" asked Shichiro, clearly angry.

"I kind of like it, to tell the truth," replied the ophidia.

"Shichiro, a word?" whispered Jinx.

Shichiro leaned over.

"If you lose, we don't have the authority to have a prisoner released..." she whispered. "That's up to a judge..."

"I know..." replied Shichiro. "But I can't just stand by while this snake steals someone's deck! I mean come on, Jinx, that's something you simply don't do! Need I remind you what happened to Kiryu after they took his deck away from him?"

"Shichiro!" said Gloria. "That deck..."

"Uh, uh, uh!" interrupted the ophidia. "You tell him about how any of these cards work, I just might 'mishandle' a few of them...

"And now that that's all dealt with..."

"So, did you skip school to come here?" asked Shichiro.

"I'm older than I look," said the ophidia. "Mundanes see a young woman in a school uniform, they don't suspect anything. It helps me learn things I'd otherwise miss."

The two Disks activated.

"DUEL!"

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Rhys: 8,000)**

"I draw..." said Shichiro, making his first draw.

_Not bad..._ he thought, looking at it.

"I summon Goblin Attack Force to the field," he said.

Five goblins armed with spiked clubs, dressed in the armor of footsoldiers appeared. (2,300 ATK)

"Try to get by them," he dared.

"Okay," said Rhys, making a draw. "I'll take that challenge...

"Let's change the backdrop, shall we..."

She placed a card into the Field Slot of her Disk.

"I activate Savage Colosseum!"

As she played the card, walls started to form around the two duelists and the two spectators. Shichiro looked around him. It looked like the Roman Colosseum as it might have looked when it was new.

"What's going on?" asked Shichiro. "What sort of deck is this? Gladiator Beasts?"

"Not even close," replied Rhys. "Allow me to explain the features of this Colosseum...

"All Monsters that are in Attack Mode have no choice but to attack if they can. If they _can't_, they're destroyed.

"And now, I summon Reptilianne Gorgon!"

With a screech, a Monster appeared that seemed to be a wild, savage version of Gloria, wearing a purple dress and a crown shaped like a three-headed serpent. (1,400 ATK)

"Real smart..." said Shichiro. "You play a Field Spell that forces your Monsters to attack, and then summon one that's weaker than mine."

"True..." said Rhys, as she fit a Spell Card into her Disk. "But I have an Equip Spell called Molting Escape!"

Reptilianne Gorgon glowed with sickly energy.

"Now, attack!"

Reptilianne Gorgon hissed, and lunged at the five goblins. The lead one swung its club, and knocked her backwards.

"Ugh..." said Rhys. "It cost me a few Life Points, but thanks to my Equip Spell, Reptilianne Gorgon can survive one battle per round. Plus, she gains 300 Attack Points each time it helps her do that."

(1,700 ATK)

"Your goblins... They won't be so lucky..."

The goblins gasped, and then froze into statues of granite.

"They turned to stone!" gasped Shichiro.

(0 ATK)

"They not only have zero Attack Points now," said Rhys, "they can't change their battle position.

"And now, the final effect of Savage Colosseum takes effect. For each attack I make, I gain 300 Life Points.

"I set one card, and it's your move..."

A facedown card appeared with a flash behind Reptilianne Gorgon.

**(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 7,400)**

"I thought you said your mom 'scraped this deck together'," said Jinx. "That she 'built it one card at a time'. This is pretty powerful."

"She knew how to work well with what she had..." said Gloria, softly.

Shichiro hesitated.

_With my Goblin Attack Force at zero Attack Points and unable to move to Defense Mode,_ he thought, _they aren't going to last long..._

He drew a card.

_So I'd best get rid of them..._

"I sacrifice my goblins," he said.

Goblin Attack Force vanished.

"...to Special Summon Turret Warrior!"

Turret Warrior loomed over the field, and struck a pose. (1,200 ATK)

"And Turret Warrior gains Attack Points equal to the base Attack Points of the Warrior I sacrificed."

(3,500 ATK)

"Thirty-five hundred Attack Points?" gasped Rhys.

"Next, I Normal Summon Max Warrior," continued Shichiro.

The mechanical fighter in blocky armor, holding its long tuning fork appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"Max Warrior, attack Reptilianne Gorgon with Swift Thrash!" he shouted.

Max Warrior charged, thrusting its weapon. Its Attack Score rose to 2,200. The Gorgon grunted as it jabbed the fork around her waist. It tried to push, but she shoved him off.

"My Gorgon survived," said Rhys, "thanks to Molting Escape..."

(2,000 ATK)

"But you can only use that card's effect once per turn..." replied Shichiro. "So let's see her survive my Turret Warrior's attack!"

Turret Warrior fired a barrage of burning death, and Reptilianne Gorgon screamed before she was blown to pieces.

Gloria closed her eyes, not wanting to see her Monster defeated under these conditions.

"Easy, Gloria," said Jinx. "You don't have to keep watching if you don't want to."

"I'll be fine..." she said.

"And thanks to your Field Spell," said Shichiro, as he glowed with energy, "I now gain 600 Life Points."

**(S: 8,600) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 5,400)**

"I end my turn..." he said.

"But first, I activate my Trap Card," said Rhys, as her facedown card lifted up. "Shock Draw. Since I lost 2,200 Life Points, I get to make two draws."

She drew two cards.

"Now I'll take my turn..."

She made another draw.

"I play Viper's Rebirth," she said, as she played a Spell Card. "Since I have no Monsters other than Reptiles in my Graveyard, I get to Special Summon one to the field. But it will be destroyed at the end of the turn."

Reptilianne Gorgon reappeared. (1,400 ATK)

"But that won't be an issue, because I'm going to sacrifice her..."

The Gorgon turned into an inky, black orb...

"...to summon Reptilianne Medusa!"

A new reptilian Monster appeared, who seemed to be an older, more heavy-set version of Reptilianne Gorgon. She was dressed in a violet blouse, bracelets, and a tiara. (2,200 ATK)

"Reptilianne Medusa doesn't need to attack to turn a Monster to stone," said Rhys. "She can do it if I simply toss a card..."

She discarded a card, a second Reptilianne Gorgon. Reptilianne Medusa glared at Turret Warrior, and it quivered before turning into a statue. (0 ATK)

"Good lord..." said Shichiro.

"Now, let's see..." said Rhys. "I could attack that big rock... But since it's hardly a threat to me now...

"Medusa, crush his Max Warrior!"

Reptilianne Medusa lashed her tail forward, and it looped around Max Warrior. It squeezed, and the Warrior shattered into shards.

"I throw this facedown," said Rhys, as a reversed card appeared, "and then it's your move..."

**(S: 8,200) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 5,700)**

Shichiro sighed. He made a draw, and looked at it.

"I think I'll activate this Trap Card right now," said Rhys, as her reversed card lifted up.

"Light of Intervention, huh?" said Shichiro. "Well, I can still summon a Monster in Defense Mode..."

He placed a card on his Disk, and Chthonian Soldier appeared, kneeling and holding his sword down. (1,400 DEF)

"Now he's safe from the effect of your arena."

"But your other Monster isn't," said Rhys with a smile.

The petrified Turret Warrior started to shake. Reptilianne Medusa frowned, and flicked her tail forward, smashing it to shards of rock.

"Ergh..." groaned Shichiro. "I have to end my turn..."

**(S: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 5,700)**

"I draw!" said Rhys, drawing a card.

"And I play Allure of Darkness..."

A Spell Card appeared on her side of the field.

"Now I get two more cards..."

She took two cards off the top of her deck.

"...but then I have to remove a Dark Monster in my hand from play, or I lose my whole hand...

"So I'll get rid of this one..."

She pocketed one of her cards.

"Now I'll discard one card to use Medusa's effect on Chthonian Soldier..."

She discarded Gorgon's Eye, and Medusa glared at the Soldier. He gasped, and turned to stone.

"Why'd she do that?" asked Jinx. "Why bother reducing an Attack Score to zero if the Monster is in Defense Mode?"

"With this deck?" asked Gloria. "Lots of reasons..."

"Indeed..." said Rhys, as she played her last card. "I summon Reptilianne Scylla!"

The Reptile that appeared this time was not serpentine like the other two. From the waist up, it was a savage-looking woman with red hair in a black blouse. Below her waist was a reptilian quadruped the size of a bear, with a huge, gaping maw on the front, and smaller sets of jaws on the side. (1,800 ATK)

"Scylla, roast his Chthonian Soldier!" she shouted.

A blast of violet flames shot from Scylla's lower mouth, and the petrified Soldier was reduced to dust.

"And when Scylla destroys a Monster that has zero Attack Points, I get a little bonus..."

Chthonian Soldier reappeared, except now he was on Rhys's side of the field. (1,400 DEF)

"You Special Summoned him to your side of the field??" gasped Shichiro.

"Without his effect, unfortunately," said Rhys. "And I'm not done with you...

"Medusa, give him a big hug!"

Shichiro screamed as Reptilianne Medusa's long tail coiled around him and squeezed.

He fell to his knees as she let go.

**(S: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 6,300)**

"Don't pass out yet," said Rhys with a chuckle. "This is just starting to get fun..."

"Oh, I'm sure it is..." grumbled Shichiro, as he made a draw.

"I summon Spell Striker."

In a flash of energy, the small toy wizard with the horned helmet appeared. (600 ATK)

"You think that scares me?" asked Rhys.

"It may not be very strong," said Shichiro, "but it has the ability to attack directly."

"Eh?" said Rhys.

Then she grunted as the small wizard flew at her and delivered a jolt of magical energy to her torso.

She looked at Shichiro and hissed softly...

**(S: 4,400) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 5,700)**

Shichiro set a card in his Disk, and a reversed card appeared behind Spell Striker.

"Go ahead..." he said with a frown.

Rhys made a draw.

_That's it..._ she thought. _This is just what I need to bring out my big surprise next round... If I even need to..._

"I move Chthonian Soldier to Attack Mode," she said, as the infernal shock troop stood up. (1,200 ATK)

"Then, Scylla attacks Spell Striker!"

Scylla breathed flames out of its lower mouth, and Spell Striker was incinerated.

"Sorry..." said Shichiro. "But due to its other effect, I take no damage when it's destroyed."

Rhys scowled.

"Let's see if _this_ damages you!" she shouted.

Chthonian Soldier charged at Shichiro, and his sword knocked him back three steps.

Then Medusa lashed her tail forward again, and Shichiro screamed again as he was constricted a second time.

Shichiro fell to his knees, panting for breath.

"Shichiro!" shouted Jinx.

"I'll be fine..." said Shichiro. "I... think..."

"I'll throw this facedown, and then you go," said Rhys, as she set the card she had just drawn. "Not looking too good, is it?"

**(S: 1,000) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 6,600)**

_Damn right it's not looking too good,_ thought Shichiro. _My Life Points are way behind, this Field Spell is a big problem, and she has me outnumbered three Monsters to none! _

_I gotta think of something fast..._

He drew a card.

He looked at it and the three other cards in his hand.

He played three of them, and two reversed cards appeared, followed by Little-Winguard in Defense Mode. (1,800 DEF)

"End!" he shouted.

_Three facedown cards... _thought Rhys. _If any of them can stop an attack, I'd be in trouble..._

She made a draw.

_Well, this will do the trick..._

"I activate the Spell Card, Gorgon's Jewel," she said. "I first have to send my Savage Colosseum to the Graveyard."

There was a loud rumble, and the entire structure sank into the ground.

"Good riddance..." said Shichiro.

"Well, I now get to draw one card for each Reptilianne Monster I have," continued Rhys.

She made two draws.

"However, I can't use them until next turn... Assuming there _is_ a next turn...

"Because I'm going to summon something far more terrifying..."

Her facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Escape From the Dark Dimension. I'll summon to the field the Monster I removed from play to activate Allure of Darkness."

"Huh?" said Gloria. "Why didn't you do that and _then_ use Gorgon's Jewel?"

"Because the Monster I removed from play isn't a Reptilianne Monster..." said Rhys, with sinister smile.

"I summon Dark Tuner Echidna!"

In an aura of dark fog, a new reptilian Monster appeared. It looked like a woman with scaly skin and long hair, along with sinister, dark eyebrows, with a long serpentine trunk in place of legs. (0 ATK)

"A Dark Tuner!" exclaimed Jinx.

"THAT was never in my mother's deck!" screamed Gloria.

"No..." said Rhys. "I put it in as a little improvement...

"Now I'll use its effect... I choose one other Reptile on the field, and then increase its Level by that of the Reptile I choose.

"Think I'll choose Reptilianne Medusa. That means my Dark Tuner's Level goes up from 2 to 8.

"Then I'll Tune my Echidna with your Chthonian Soldier to bring out my best Monster..."

Dark Tuner Echidna faded into eight glowing stars. Chthonian Soldier screamed as they burned into his armor...

Then, he burst, and four black stars started to circle around Rhys. She laughed.

"_When the Shadows are devoured by even darker Shadows, the curtain is pulled back to reveal… a world without light!"_

A large spout of lava erupted out of the ground...

"I summon... _Embodiment of Typhoeus!_"

The eruption stopped, and the lava drained away, leaving a nightmare beast in its place. It stood ten feet tall, had a muscular, reptilian torso with bat-like wings, a mass of snakes in place of legs, two other swarms of snakes in place of arms, and a head that was a cross between a dragon and a demonic ram. (2,000 ATK)

"Typhoeus..." said Gloria with a gulp. "The final, most powerful offspring of Mother Earth... Born out of a union between her and Tartarus as a means of enacting revenge upon the Olympian gods. He was rejected by all his brothers, even the other Titans, and so terrifying that the only Olympian who would stand up to him was Zeus himself..."

"I kind of expected something stronger than 2,000 Attack Points..." said Jinx.

"Misty had this card when she was a Dark Signer," said Rhys, "but she never got a chance to use it against Aki. That was a shame, because its effect would have been very useful against Black Rose Dragon.

"You see, it may not top other Dark Synchros in terms of pure power, but so long as Dark Tuner Echidna is in my Graveyard, it can't be destroyed. Not by battle, not by card effects, not by anything..."

Shichiro closed his eyes.

"This is abominable..." he said. "You not only stole this poor woman's deck... You've polluted it by putting that evil thing in it..."

He clenched his fist.

"I won't forgive you..."

"I don't care!" said Rhys. "Especially since I'm going to wipe you out this turn!

"Reptilianne Medusa, destroy Little-Winguard!"

Medusa hissed, and lashed her tail forward...

"I activate... Draining Shield!" shouted Shichiro, as one of his three facedown cards shot up.

Medusa's tail slammed into an invisible shield, and energy flowed into Shichiro.

"You were saying, snake?" he said.

Rhys glared at him, and bore her fangs.

"Typhoeus!" she ordered, "attack with Armageddon explosion!"

The demon opened its maw, and a ball of red, fiery energy formed between its terrible jaws. The ball shot forward, and Shichiro braced himself as Little-Winguard was incinerated.

Then he braced himself again, as Reptilianne Scylla's flame shot at him and knocked him over.

**(S: 1,400) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 6,600)**

"It's your move..." said Rhys.

Shichiro slowly made a draw.

The card he had drawn was Blade Knight. The card he already had was Junk Synchron.

He looked at his two facedown cards.

_I could summon Junk Archer,_ he thought, _It could get rid of that annoying Reptilianne Medusa..._

_But if her Embodiment of Typhoeus truly can't be destroyed, it probably means she's using it to stall until she can bring out something else..._

_What do I..._

He stopped short. He looked at his Disk.

_Of course! Who better to fight a titan than another titan?_

_Hope this works..._

Both of his facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Call of the Haunted, _and_ Limit Reverse!" he exclaimed.

Chthonian Soldier appeared first. (1,200 ATK) Then Spell Striker appeared next to him. (600 ATK)

"Then, I summon Junk Synchron!"

The cute robot Tuner appeared next to the two Warriors. (1,300 ATK)

Then something unexpected happened. The sky turned dark.

"Huh?" said Rhys. "Who turned off the sun?"

"Simple..." said Shichiro.

Junk Synchron pulled the ripcord on its waist, and its motor started to hum.

"I'm summoning the newest member of my team, and it's not your average Synchro Summon..."

The three Warriors flew into the dark sky, and three blazing suns appears overhead, three burning orbs of energy in the darkness. The three Monsters faded into ten stars...

Shichiro chanted, the words suddenly coming to him...

"_Entrusted with the legacy of billions of souls, given incredible strength by the power spawned in the universe's creation! Hero of a deceased race… Three suns aligned, call forth an ancient force… _

"_Synchro Summon, Trymus the Conqueror!"_

The suns vanished, and the light came back, just as the Synchro Monster fell to Earth like a comet. The Warrior stood where the three Monsters had been, a powerful barbarian clad in furs, a serious look on his face, holding his gleaming sword high. His long, blonde hair seemed to flow and whip as if in the wind, even though there was no wind.

He looked at Rhys, and narrowed his eyes... (2,600 ATK)

"Destroy Reptilianne Medusa!" shouted Shichiro. "Blade of the north wind!"

Trymus leapt at the Reptile, and made a savage blow with his weapon. Reptilianne Medusa's eyes nearly bugged out, and she held her chest before she shattered.

"ERGH!" grunted Rhys.

**(S: 1,400) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 6,200)**

She gave an angry look at Shichiro.

"I end my turn..." he said, softly.

Rhys drew a card.

"I can take down your barbarian, Shadowchaser," she said, "and it all starts with this card..."

She flipped one of her three cards around.

"It's a Level 8 Monster called a Grinder Golem... But rather than summon it myself, I'm going to give it to you..."

Shichiro stepped back in shock as a huge Monster appeared on his side of the field. It was a horrible-looking robot made of steel, covered with spikes, barbs, chains, and rotary saws.

It knelt and shielded itself in Defense Mode. (300 DEF)

"Someone should have told your mom that Lava Golem is better," said Jinx.

"Not for this deck," replied Gloria. "With Grinder Golem, you get something you don't get with Lava Golem."

"That's right," said Rhys. "I get two Grinder Tokens."

Two Monsters appeared on Rhys side of the field. They looked like Grinder Golem, only much smaller. (0 ATK x2)

"If your plan is to sacrifice those Tokens to summon a Monster, guess again," said Shichiro. "I happen to know that you aren't allowed to Normal Summon this turn because you summoned Grinder Golem to my field."

"But I can Special Summon," replied Rhys. "And the only way to summon this Monster is to Special Summon it by sacrificing two Monsters with zero Attack Points.

"So, I'll sacrifice my two Grinder Tokens..."

Both Tokens vanished.

"...to summon Reptilianne Vaskii!"

The Reptilianne that appeared this time was a departure from the previous ones. While the other ones were based on monsters from Grecian myth, this one's roots were definitely Indian. It was a beautiful woman with four arms, dressed in a dress studded with gems, wearing a golden headdress with a cobra on the front. She had a long serpentine trunk with black scales in place of legs. She held a red lotus flower in one of her hands. (2,600 ATK)

"Your mom had a weird taste in Monsters…" said Jinx.

"What can I say?" said Gloria. "Some folks just can't stay away from certain motifs…"

"Weird, and useful," said Rhys. "Because once per turn, Vaskii can destroy one Monster, with no cost at all..."

Vaskii glared at Trymus, and her eyes glowed with evil light...

But Trymus simply frowned. He made a backhanded swat, and Vaskii clutched her head in pain, the evil glow fading.

"It didn't work??" shouted Rhys.

"No, it didn't," replied Shichiro. "You see, Trymus here has three effects. The ones he can use depend on how many Life Points I currently have.

"When I have 5,000 or less, he can't be destroyed by card effects that target a specific Monster. Your Vaskii's effect can't harm him."

Rhys frowned.

"Then I'll have to take him down the old-fashioned way..." she said.

She played the last card in her hand.

"I Equip Vaskii with Reptilianne Rage. The first thing this card does is treat the Equipped Monster as a Reptile-Type. Vaskii is already a Reptile, so that effect is moot. But it also boosts her Attack Score by 800."

(3,400 ATK)

"Destroy Trymus the Conqueror!" she shouted.

Vaskii hissed, and her eyes glowed again. She lunged at Trymus...

Trymus held up his arm, and Vaskii's fangs sank into his wrist. But Trymus didn't seem to care. He gave her a kick, knocking her backwards.

"That didn't work either??" shouted Rhys.

"Because when I have 3,000 Life Points or less," replied Shichiro, "his second effect comes into play, and he can't be destroyed by battle."

"But you still take damage..." said Rhys with a snarl. "Typhoeus, attack Grinder Golem!"

Typhoeus launched its burning orb, and the huge Fiend erupted into an explosion of burning debris.

"I move Scylla to Defense Mode, and end my turn," she said.

Reptilianne Scylla sat on her hindquarters and crossed her arms. (1,200 DEF)

**(S: 600) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 6,000)**

"I draw one card..." said Shichiro.

He made a draw.

"I summon Blade Knight..."

He played the card, and a knight in gleaming, shining armor appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, since I only have one card in my hand, Blade Knight gains a little boost..."

(2,000 ATK)

"But I'm going to use that one card to boost it further. The Equip Spell, Jeweled Sword!"

Blade Knight's sword vanished, and a much fancier sword appeared where it had been. (2,300 ATK)

"Now Blade Knight is going to do what not even Odysseus or the Argonauts could do," said Shichiro. "Blade Knight... Slay Scylla!"

Blade Knight leapt at the serpent, and Reptilianne Scylla screamed before shattering into shards.

"It doesn't matter!" shouted Rhys. "My Vaskii will..."

"Get her head handed to her," interrupted Shichiro. "Take a look at Trymus."

Everyone looked at Trymus...

(3,600 ATK)

"HOW?" shouted Rhys.

"Because," said Shichiro, "when your last attack reduced my Life Points to under 1,000, you activated his third effect, granting him 1,000 more Attack Points. So now he's stronger than she is.

"Gloria... If this was your mom's best card, I'm very sorry..."

Trymus charged at Reptilianne Vaskii, who simply bowed her head right before the blade fell, cutting her in twain.

**(S: 600) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 6,000)**

"It's not over yet, Shadowchaser," said Rhys. "That Equip Spell she was Equipped with has one more effect. If it's ever destroyed, I can reduce the Attack Score of one of your Monsters by 800 points.

"I think I'll use that effect on your Blade Knight."

Blade Knight gasped and held his throat... (1,500 ATK)

"It's your move..." said Shichiro.

Rhys drew one card.

"Typhoeus, wipe out Blade Knight!" she shouted.

Shichiro screamed as the Dark Synchro unleashed it powerful blast, and Blade Knight was burned to ashes.

**(S: 100) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 6,000)**

"I activate the effect of Jeweled Sword..." he gasped. "I now get to draw one card..."

He made a draw.

Rhys placed the card she had drawn on her Disk.

"I summon Reptilianne Gardna in Defense Mode," she said.

The Monster that appeared was... a turtle. Really, there was little more to say than that. (2,000 ATK)

"I end my turn..." she said.

_He'll have no problem destroying Reptilianne Gardna,_ she thought. _And when he does, its effect will let me pull any Monster from my deck with the word "Reptilianne" in its name..._

_Like my second Reptilianne Medusa. Then on my turn, I can sacrifice Embodiment of Typhoeus to summon it, and use whatever card I draw to use its effect..._

_I may not be able destroy that Synchro Monster of his with a Monster effect, but I can reduce his Attack Score to zero, and one attack will end this duel..._

Shichiro drew a card.

"All right, snake..." he said. "I'm playing Pot of Avarice..."

He played the card, and took Goblin Attack Force, Max Warrior, Junk Synchron, Chthonian Soldier, and Command Knight from his Graveyard. He added them to his deck, reshuffled, and made two draws.

"I summon Samurai Sword Baron," he said.

He played the card, and a Warrior wearing an old-fashioned green jacket, and white pantaloons, with two katana blades on his back appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"And just what is he gonna do?" asked Rhys.

"He's going to use his effect," replied Shichiro. "Once per round, he can move a Monster to Attack Mode."

Samurai Sword Baron lifted his hand, and Reptilianne Gardna stood up, taking a step forward. (0 ATK)

"Next, I play The Warrior Returning Alive," he continued, playing another Spell Card.

A card slipped out of his discard slot.

"I'll use it to recover Turret Warrior. Remember him? I sacrifice Samurai Sword Baron to Special Summon him."

Samurai Sword Baron vanished, and Turret Warrior reappeared. (1,200 ATK) –) (2,800 ATK)

"Do your worst!" shouted Rhys. "Typhoeus is still invincible!"

"Not quite..." said Shichiro, as he held up his final card. "I may not be able to _destroy_ it... But there are ways to get rid of a Monster that don't involve destroying it..."

He played the card.

"I play De-Synchro! By playing this card, I can send a Synchro Monster back to the owner's Extra Deck.

"If I use it on mine, I get to Special Summon the Monsters I Tuned to summon it. But since I'm using it on yours..."

Embodiment of Typhoeus vanished into nothing.

"...that's that. Turret Warrior, annihilate Reptilianne Gardna!"

Turret Warrior fired a volley of artillery, and the turtle exploded into shards. Rhys screamed in pain.

"Trymus, finish her off!"

Rhys tried to run, but Trymus was too fast for her. She screamed again as his sword cut into her, and she tumbled over and collapsed.

**(S: 100) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 0)**

Shichiro walked up to her. He pulled the Duel Disk off her arm.

"I'm taking this deck back," he said. "I'd look on the bright side if I were you... You'll at least be able to see your boyfriend once you both earn conjugal visits."

He sighed.

_That's one wasted wisecrack..._ he thought. _She probably can't hear anything right now except little birds flying around her head..._

He pointed the gemstone, and Rhys vanished in an aura of light.

"Uh, Shichiro?" said Jinx. "Shouldn't the holograms have all vanished?"

Shichiro looked. Trymus was still there. He had turned semi-transparent, and seemed to be struggling to stay in focus.

Then he actually spoke. The words came out slowly, as if he was having difficulty speaking them.

"Jinx..." he said, in a scratchy voice. "Second Titan... Waiting... Waiting for you..."

"The second Titan?" asked Jinx. "Where?"

"Go... Where Gears... fought Thunder...." said Trymus. "Be... careful... Trueman..."

"Trueman is there?" asked Jinx.

Trymus nodded.

"Electric snail..." he said.

And then he vanished.

Shichiro quickly looked through the recovered deck. It was no good. The Dark Tuner and Dark Synchro were gone.

Shichiro handed the Disk to Gloria.

"Thank..." she started.

"You're welcome," replied Shichiro. "But we can't stay.

"One thing, however... It's really none of our business, but if I were you, I'd rethink my policy about doing business with the ophidia. Things with them have changed for the worse."

"I'll... think that over..." replied Gloria.

"Good..." said Jinx. "Now... We have to find what that guy was talking about before someone else does..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**JEWELED SWORD (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image: **An armored glove holding a sword point-down, glowing with golden energy.

**Card Description:** Equip only to a Warrior-Type Monster. Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 300. If the Equipped Monster is destroyed, draw one card.

_Note: "Jeweled Sword" was first used by Gokaido in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Champion or Chazz-Been". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GORGON'S JEWEL (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** An evil-looking black gemstone with a sinister eye on the front, hovering over Savage Colosseum.

**Card Description:** Send one "Savage Colosseum" you control to the Graveyard. Draw one card for each face-up "Reptilianne" Monster you control. Cards drawn by this effect cannot be summoned, set or activated the turn they are drawn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK TUNER ECHIDNA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Dark Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip Summoned, or Special Summoned, select one face-up Reptile-Type Monster on the field, other than this card. Increase the Level of this card by that of the selected Monster until the End Phase of the turn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**EMBODIMENT OF ****TYPHOEUS**** (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Dark Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Fire  
**Level:** -4  
**ATK:** 2,000  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** _1 or more non-Tuner Monsters – 1 Dark Tuner Monster_

To Special Summon this card, subtract the Level of the Dark Tuner Monster used as Synchro Material from the combined Levels of the non-Tuner Monster(s) used. The value must equal the Level of this card. If you have a "Dark Tuner Echidna" in your Graveyard, this card cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TRYMUS THE CONQUEROR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Wind  
**Level:** 10  
**ATK:** 2,600  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** _"Synchron" Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Warrior-Type Monsters_

This card cannot be Special Summoned except via Synchro Summon. This card gains the following cumulative effects depending on your Life Points score: 5,000 or less: This card cannot be destroyed by Monster effects that target a specific Monster. 3,000 or less: This card cannot be destroyed by battle. 1,000 or less: This card gains 1,000 Attack Points.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Ember: We've arrived at the place where Gears fought Thunder. The only problem is, Thunder is still here, and he wants out. With him holding the key to the old ophidia temple, and Trueman one step ahead of us, I have no choice but to accept his challenge... And Thunder has far more tricks up his sleeve this time around.**

"**Gemini Summoner" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Joyce Mandan, Mistress of Loopholes**

In recent years, the Princeton University School of Law has gained a new professor who has been slowly working her way up the ranks of the college. Joyce Mandan's colleges describe her as a rigid (sometimes cold) woman who seems to exude an aura of formality, and who might be beautiful if she just relaxed her posture for a minute.

Shadowkind recognize Joyce as an aasimar, a type of Shadow-touched human similar to tieflings. Unlike them, aasimar are not descended from demons, but from celestial beings, angels and sanctified creatures from higher realms. In history, some aasimar have become great heroes in their own right, while others have become snobbish aristocrats who think the world owes them everything.

A few folks know that Joyce is also a member of a Shadow-exclusive group known as The Fraternity of Order. Like the Xaositects and the Athar, this group was once powerful in another reality, but had to relocate with only a fraction of its former power. The Fraternity of Order (sometimes informally known as "the Guvners") has a philosophy that is clearly opposite that of the Xaositects – they believe that everything has laws. Mortals have laws, immortal beings have laws, they're even sure that the Abyss has laws (although they'll admit that its laws are hidden carefully).

This view isn't _uncommon_, of course, but there is one thing about Joyce that some people don't like. The Fraternity's detractors often say that the Guvners study laws in order to learn how to break them. Guvners insist this isn't true. They never break laws; such things are simply not done.

The thing is, some Guvners are so good at studying laws, they are able to enact supernatural effects due to discovering loopholes in the laws that define the universe. And no-one is better at doing this than Joyce.

Joyce has used her knowledge of loopholes to aid in her job many times. When her car breaks down, it's a simple matter to create a portal to get to work in an instant. If she has only an hour to finish a project that might take two hours, she can slow down the temporal flow from her point of view, getting it done in time easily. Once, someone even swore she must have been in two places at once.

Folks are worried about this, saying that when loopholes are exploited too often in criminal cases, laws are made to close the loopholes. Indeed, a Guvner cannot use a loophole forever. But Joyce can seemingly discover new ones each week as her old ones become unavailable.

Lately, the Xaositect attorney "Sly" Nye has become a serious thorn in Joyce's side. The Fraternity of Order and the Xaositects don't like each other much (for obvious reasons), and are constantly trying to prove superiority over the other. Nye recently suggested to the Shadow community at large that Joyce's ability to work magic by finding loopholes in universal law is no different than his ability to do so by manipulating chaos. How then, can law be superior? Joyce quickly responded by saying that what she does was not "magic" _per se_, at which point Nye asked her what it was, exactly. Joyce had no response. Both sides are gaining support in this debate, and the Shadowchasers are worried that the two groups may come to blows...

**Story Ideas:** Joyce's conflict with Nye might be a key part in a story. It's possible that both groups could start to become as powerful on Earth as they were before coming here, which may be bad (whatever exiled them in the first place might get involved). If it gets _really_ bad, Jemorille (who will be detailed later) might get involved.

Another issue to explore is the possibility that Joyce's ability is, indeed, not safe. She may not break the laws of the universe by exploiting their loopholes, but as much as she may deny it, she has very little respect for them. The platonics are far better at interpreting the laws of the universe than any mortal, and if they come calling, Joyce may find every escape route cut off as every loophole she knows about is closed before she can use any.

**Deck Suggestions:** If required to duel (which becomes more likely by the day, as her conflict with Nye grows) Joyce is likely to use Lightsworns, beings that are symbolic of Law as a powerful force. She might add Guardian of Order to such a deck as an extra to drive the point home.


	23. Gemini Summoner

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL TWENTY-THREE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Gemini Summoner**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

One hour later, all four Shadowchasers were in the garage at the townhouse, while Gears was trying to program something into his D-Wheel's computer.

"You think you can find the place, Gears?" asked Jinx.

"Jinx," said Gears, "when I had this computer hastily construct a program to find a route back home from that demiplane where I had been forcibly brought to, I had no idea I was going to be using the same program to find a way back _to_ that demiplane."

"In other words," said Ember, "you aren't sure."

"Exactly," replied Gears. "I know that I'm looking for a demiplane somewhere in the Deep Ethereal, but frankly, that's a big place...

"Not the safest place either... You poke around it too long, you might find things that weren't meant to be found... Or even things that don't _want_ to be found..."

"Trymus said something about an 'Electric snail'," said Shichiro. "Maybe that means something..."

"Electric snail?" asked Ember. "That sounds like a contradiction of terms."

Gears rubbed his chin. Then he stopped short.

He picked up a small device, and then compared a reading on it with one on the screen.

"Shichiro, let me see Trymus's card," he said.

Shichiro quickly took the card out of his Disk, and handed it to him. Gears stared intently at the screen, and the device.

"Bingo..." he said.

"You found something?" asked Jinx.

"I found an energy source of some sort coming out of the Deep Ethereal in a region that fits the description of the route the program plotted a course through," said Gears. "I can't identify this energy source...

"But it matches the aura that's emitting from Trymus's card!"

"So it's likely one of the other Titans!" exclaimed Shichiro.

"More than likely," said Gears. "This may be easier than I thought..."

He punched some commands into the console.

"Perfect..." said Gears. "That energy source will lead us there like a beacon.

"Anyone need to use the bathroom before we leave?"

"Nope," said Shichiro.

They all mounted their bikes, and Gears entered another command.

"_Pan dimensional system activated,"_ said the computer. _"Plotting course towards unidentified energy source."_

A countdown started.

"People," said Shichiro. "Don't forget... According to something else Trymus said, once we get there, we have to deal with Trueman again."

"Don't worry," said Jinx. "This time... We'll be ready for him..."

A huge, glowing portal appeared in front of the four D-Wheels. They started up the engines, and drove through it.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The four D-Wheels drove out the other side of the portal, arriving on the desert plain, several hundred feet in front of the abandoned ophidia temple.

They pulled to a stop.

"This isn't even a nice place to visit..." said Ember, ominously.

"Gears..." said Jinx. "Didn't Thunder tell you that this world was the home to a technologically superior race that didn't like visitors?"

Gears typed something into his console.

"Taken care of," said Gears. "With the equipment on my Wheel, I'll be able to detect any large crafts or sizeable battalions of troops from five miles away."

"What if they have a cloaking device?" asked Ember.

"We'll try not to think of such things..." replied Gears.

They slowly drove up to the front of the temple, which was no doubt of ophidia design. The outside was decorated with a snake motif, many of them crumbling and cracked. But one thing that seemed to be in perfect repair was the iron door that seemed to be the only way in.

"Good lord..." said Shichiro. "How the heck do we get past that?"

"You don't," said a voice that seemed pretty annoyed.

They all looked behind them. Thunder was standing there. His kimono was torn, ragged, and filthy, and his face was dirty.

"You've been here this whole time?" asked Gears.

"My D-Wheel didn't survive the backlash your portal created," said Thunder, with his voice full of bile. "I need a way back to Earth, and you folks are my ticket there."

"Then just wait a little while," said Jinx. "We have business in this temple, and..."

"I don't think so," he interrupted. "I've been here for two days. I've had to eat lizards and bugs, and water has been even harder. I don't want to wait any longer to leave!"

Jinx glared at him.

"Well, too bad," she said. "We have stuff to do here, and since we outnumber you four to one, you're just gonna have to wait..."

"And just how did you plan on getting in?" asked Thunder. "The entrance is solid iron, in case you didn't realize it, and it's sealed by magic. Only an ophidia can open it."

Shichiro checked his controls.

"He's right people..." he said. "The door is sealed by some sort of spell..."

"That's why we figure the natives here never tore the temple down," said Thunder. "They're tops in technology, but magic isn't their strong point."

Shichiro looked at him.

"We'll find a way in eventually," he said. "Refusing to help us isn't going to get you back to Earth any quicker."

Thunder rubbed his chin.

"Hmm..." he said. "That's a quandary....

"On one hand, letting humans into this temple might be seen as an act of blasphemy on my part... If any other ophidia found out about it...

"On the other hand, I'm so damn sick of this place, I _really_ don't want to waste time while you try to figure out a way around the wards..."

He lifted a Duel Disk.

"You want me to open that door? Duel me. You defeat me, I'll let you in, and you can do whatever you want. But I win, we leave right away."

"Guys..." said Jinx, "if we leave and come back, we may be too late..."

"Without Thunder's help, we may not be able to get in if we leave and come back," added Shichiro.

"We may not be able to come back at all," said Gears. "Fine, I'll duel him... It's not like I haven't..."

"Oh no, Gears!" shouted Thunder. "I'm not gonna duel _you_ again!

"I think I'd rather duel the redhead..."

"Me?" said Ember.

She frowned. Her Duel Disk disengaged from her D-Wheel, and then clamped onto her gauntlet. She dismounted.

"Bring it on, snake," she said.

Both Duel Disks activated...

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Thunder: 8,000)**

"I draw!" shouted Ember.

She made a draw. She looked at the six cards in her hand.

_Not bad..._ she thought.

"I summon... Molten Zombie," she said.

She played the card, and a shambling, hunched-over zombie shrouded with flames appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"I'll throw two cards facedown for later."

She played two cards, and two reversed cards appeared with flashes of light.

"And that's all for now..."

"Not bad..." said Thunder, making a draw.

"I play... The Continuous Spell Card, Herculean Power."

He fit the card into his Disk, and a Spell Card appeared in front of him.

"This Spell is kind of like Call of the Mummy, but for Gemini Monsters instead of Zombies. It lets me Special Summon a Gemini Monster from my hand, so long as you control a Monster and I don't.

"So I'll use it to Special Summon Dark Valkyria."

The Monster that appeared looked like Dunames Dark Witch at first glance. But this was a Dark counterpart, which made her look like a dark elf version of the more familiar Fairy. (1,800 ATK)

"Now, I use my Normal Summon for the turn to Gemini Summon her..."

Dark Valkyria glowed with dark energy. She smiled evilly at Ember.

"That means I can place one Spell Counter on her... And I can expend that Counter to destroy one Monster."

Molten Zombie shattered into burning embers.

_This is off to a bad start..._ thought Ember.

She grunted as a bolt of dark energy shot from the Dark Fairy and hit her in the stomach.

**(E: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 8,000)**

_This is bad..._ thought Gears. _When I dueled him, it was a Turbo Duel, so he was very limited in terms of what Spell Cards he could use. But in a ground duel, he's no longer under that restriction. It's a whole different duel._

Ember drew a card. She looked at it.

"I set one more card, and then summon Familiar-Possessed Hiita," she said.

A third set card appeared, and then the older version of Hiita appeared, with her fox at her feet. (1,850 ATK)

"Attack!" she shouted. "Fire alchemy!"

Hiita twirled her staff, and shot a blaze of flames at Dark Valkyria. The Fairy cringed, and then shattered.

**(E: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,950)**

"Your move..." said Ember.

Thunder made another draw. He grinned slightly when he saw what it was.

_I'll save that for later..._ he thought, as he chose another one.

"I use Herculean Power to Special Summon Goggle Golem!" he exclaimed.

The ground rumbled, and the deformed ogre burst out of the ground. (1,500 ATK)

"I was hoping you'd do that," said Ember. "Spell Card, activate!"

The set card she had set last turn flipped up.

"Demise of the Land! Since you Special Summoned a Monster, this lets me activate a Field Spell from my deck. Like Molten Destruction!"

With an explosion of magma, a volcano erupted behind her. Lava cascaded down the slope, and covered the whole field. Hiita grinned. (2,350 ATK)

"I see..." said Thunder. "I'll Gemini Summon Goggle Golem anyway, which increases its Attack Score by 600."

(2,100 ATK)

"And I'll end my turn there..."

"My move!" shouted Ember, drawing a card.

Another of her facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Call of the Haunted," she said. "I'll bring back Molten Zombie."

The fiery undead appeared again. (1,600 ATK) –) (2,100 ATK)

"By summoning it from the Graveyard, I get to draw one card..."

She made a draw.

"Then I'll sacrifice it..."

Molten Zombie vanished into a globe of glowing energy.

"...for Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch!"

With a loud roar, a fifteen-foot-tall giant clad in full-plate armor with burning gauntlets loomed over the field. (2,400 ATK) –) (2,900 ATK)

Then Thunder was shocked as his hand of cards glowed, and the images of the four cards appeared in front of him, their backs to Ember.

"Let's see..." said Ember.

She pointed.

"That one."

Thestalos threw a fireball at the card in the middle right, and it exploded into flames.

"Nice..." chuckled Thunder. "But that was Double Summon, so I don't lose any Life Points..."

"You will soon," said Ember. "Hiita, destroy Goggle Golem!"

Hiita cast her fiery whammy, and the Golem exploded into a shower of pebbles.

"Thestalos, attack directly!"

Thestalos conjured up a ball of flames, and threw it at the ophidia. He grunted as he was propelled backwards.

**(E: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 4,800)**

_Maybe I was wrong..._ thought Gears. _Maybe she'll have no problem dealing with this guy..._

"My draw..." said Thunder.

He drew a card.

"As you may know, Gemini Monsters are considered Normal Monsters when in the Graveyard..." he said. "And because I have at least two of them there, I can Special Summon Woodland Archer."

The Monster that appeared looked like a bearded satyr with reptilian skin, dressed in a deerskin, holding an old-fashioned bow. (1,400 ATK)

"Next, I can sacrifice it to take any Gemini Monster I desire from my deck..."

Woodland Archer vanished into grains of light, and a card slipped out of his deck.

"Now, once again, I use Herculean Power. This time, I'm Special Summoning Future Samurai in Defense Mode."

Gears gave a worried look as the space-faring Bushi appeared, shielding herself with her katana. He remembered this Warrior's effect. (1,200 DEF)

"Next," continued Thunder, "I Gemini Summon her...

Future Samurai glowed with an aura of energy.

"...and then use her effect, and remove one Monster in my grave from play to destroy Thestalos!"

Woodland Archer fell out of his discard slot, and Future Samurai made a slash with her sword. Thestalos teetered, and then shattered.

"I end my turn..." he said, as his pocketed the card.

As Ember drew, he stared at her with his reptilian eyes.

_Come on..._ he thought. _Take the bait..._

Ember gave him a hard look.

"I set a Monster..." she said, slowly.

A reversed Monster appeared.

"Then I attack with Hiita!"

Hiita cast her spell again, and Future Samurai went up in flames.

_That's three!_ thought Thunder.

"Make your move..." said Ember.

"Oh, I will..." chuckled the ophidia. "You don't realize how much you just helped me."

He drew a card.

"You see, now that I have _three_ Normal Monsters in my Graveyard, no more, no less, I can remove two of them from play..."

Goggle Golem and Future Samurai slipped out of his discard slot, and he pocketed them.

"...to Special Summon _this_ Monster! I summon Knight of the Red Lotus!"

In a dark explosion, a frightening-looking Warrior strode onto the field. He was dressed in black plate armor, with a mask over the lower part of his face, and had bright red hair. He carried a large, serrated sword. (2,100 ATK)

"That's... very scary..." said Ember. "But Hiita is still stronger..."

"Is she now?" asked Thunder.

The Knight's eyes narrowed... (2,600 ATK)

"How did it get more Attack Points??" shouted Ember.

"Because it's a Fire Monster, fool," replied Thunder. "Playing that Field Spell was a grave error. The most powerful Monsters in my deck are Fire."

"That must be why he wanted to duel Ember instead of Gears this time..." said Shichiro.

"I would have preferred to last time," replied Thunder, "but the one I was working for demanded otherwise.

"Now, I can use Knight of the Red Lotus's special effect, and Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from my Graveyard..."

Dark Valkyria appeared again. (1,800 ATK)

"But she isn't staying a Normal Monster for long..."

Dark Valkyria smiled as she glowed with the shadowy aura again.

"Now, I use her effect..."

Hiita shattered into shards of pixilated remains.

"Ho boy..." said Ember.

"Valkyria!" shouted Thunder, "destroy her Monster!"

Dark Valkyria shot her dark blast at the concealed Monster. UFO Turtle appeared on the card, and exploded into fiery residue.

"I use its effect!" shouted Ember. "Here comes another UFO Turtle!"

A second of the turtles dressed as spaceships appeared. (1,400 ATK) –) (1,900 ATK)

"Then my Knight will attack that one," replied Thunder. "Burning chaos strike!"

Knight of the Red Lotus's sword burned with fiery energy. He made a slash at the Machine, blowing it to scrap.

Ember threw a card on her Disk, and Flamvell Archer appeared, aiming his bow. (1,000 ATK) –) (1,500 ATK)

"My turn is over..." said Thunder.

**(E: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 4,800)**

Ember made a draw.

"All right, reptile," she said, "first I'll move my Archer to Defense Mode..."

Flamvell Archer knelt and shielded himself with his bow. (0 DEF)

"Then I'll play... Fire Back! I'll toss one Fire Monster..."

She discarded Blazing Inpachi.

"...to summon another one from my Graveyard. Remember Thestalos?"

Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch reappeared. (2,400 ATK) –) (2,900 ATK)

"Eh..." grumbled Thunder.

"Attack Knight of the Red Lotus!" shouted Ember.

Thunder braced himself as a ball of fire blew the Warrior to a cloud of fiery ash.

Ember fit a card into her Disk, and a new facedown card appeared next to her other one.

"Mmm!" she said.

**(E: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 4,500)**

"My move!" shouted Thunder, now sounding a little pissed.

He made a draw.

"This time I'm really going to fight fire with fire," he said, "as a human proverb says...

"I summon Tuned Magician!"

In a gust of wind and a flurry of arcane symbols, a sorcerer in a green and gold robe, with peaked wizard's hat and a mask over his eyes, holding a long staff, materialized next to Dark Valkyria. (1,800 ATK)

"Don't worry, Ember!" shouted Gears. "That guy isn't a Tuner until he's been Gemini Summoned."

"There are ways around every rule," said Thunder, as he played a Spell Card. "By playing Unleash Your Power!, my Gemini Monster can use its effect now, but will be changed to set position at the end of the turn.

"But it won't be around then, because its effect, as your friend pointed out, lets it act as a Tuner. And I'm Tuning it along with Dark Valkyria..."

The two Monsters turned into eight glowing stars, and flew into the sky above the lava field...

Then there was a fierce eruption of lava in front of the spot where Thunder was standing.

"I summon Black Brutdrago!" he shouted.

Slowly, a huge Dragon crawled out of the lava. Unlike most Dragons, who were lithe and agile, this one looked rather hulking. It had – naturally – black scales which seemed to be made partially of metal, horns all over its body, and small wings that didn't seem likely to be able to support its huge bulk in flight. (3,000 ATK) –) (3,500 ATK)

"Next, I'll use one of its effects," said Thunder, as he discarded a card. "By sending a Gemini Monster in my hand to the Graveyard, I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card...

"Black Brutdrago... The one on the left!"

The huge Dragon took a deep breath...

"I chain it!" shouted Ember, as it spat a ball of flame at the card.

The Trap Card lifted up, right before it was incinerated.

"It's called Tuner's Barrier. This round, you can't destroy my Archer!"

"Then I'll just have to settle for your Monarch!" replied Thunder. "Black Brutdrago... Attack!"

The huge Dragon made a colossal belch, and sent a cloud of flame towards the Firestorm Monarch...

"I activate Martyr's Flame!" shouted Ember, as her other facedown card shot up. "This turns your attack into a direct attack...

"But, in exchange for taking the hit, I only take half damage!"

She screamed as the cloud of flames covered her.

When the smoke cleared, she was down on one knee, gasping for breath.

"Heh, heh..." chuckled Thunder.

He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Tougher than I thought..."

**(E: 3,750) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 4,500)**

Ember got up.

"I'll show you tough..." she said.

She drew a card.

"I play Pot of Avarice!" she shouted.

She played the card, and Molten Zombie, Familiar-Possessed Hiita, both UFO Turtles, and Blazing Inpachi slipped out of her discard slot. Her Disk shuffled them into her deck, and she made two draws.

"I activate Double Summon," she said, playing another Spell Card. "So I can make two Normal Summons this turn.

"The first one I'll use to set a Monster..."

A set Monster appeared.

"...the second I'll use to summon Guard of Flamvell!"

In a small burst of flame, the small Dragon Tuner appeared. (100 ATK) – (600 ATK)

"Now... I Tune together Guard of Flamvell with Thestalos..."

The two Monsters dissolved into seven glowing stars, and flew into the sky. Ember chanted once again...

"_Fires ignited in the throes of passion, stunning loveliness that can burn with a glimpse! Clustering stars shine your lights upon the one who can use beauty as a weapon!"_

_Synchro Summon... Flamvell Enchantress!"_

A bonfire erupted, and the lovely sorceress stepped out of the flames. She cast a stern look at Thunder and his Dragon. (2,500 ATK) –) (3,000 ATK)

"Heh, heh..." said Thunder. "Not strong enough!"

"Maybe not on her own," replied Ember. "But by sacrificing Flamvell Archer, I can give her 800 more Attack Points for one round."

Archer vanished, and Enchantress burned with energy. (3,800 ATK)

"Uh, people?" said Jinx. "You might want to find something big and heavy and grab hold of it..."

Flamvell Enchantress flew up to Black Brutdrago, burning like a beacon. The huge Dragon let out a bellow as she cast her fiery spell, and both duelists shielded themselves as an explosion ripped through the field.

"Now Enchantress's effect activates!" shouted Ember. "You take damage equal to your destroyed Monster's base Attack Score!"

Thunder screamed as Enchantress pointed her staff at him and roasted him with its flames.

He clutched his chest.

**(E: 3,750) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 1,200)**

"I'm not done yet, Shadowchaser..." he gasped. "You activated its other effect..."

Ember stopped short.

"_Other_ effect?" she said.

"Yes..." replied Thunder. "By destroying it, I now get to Special Summon any Gemini Monster I desire from my Graveyard... And I put a good one there when I activated its first effect...

"And might I add... He's a Fire Monster too..."

"Oh no..." said Gears. "Not _him_ again..."

In a flourish of energy, Phoenix Gearfried loomed over the field, holding his sword high. (2,800 ATK) –) (3,300 ATK)

"Because he was summoned by Brutdrago's effect, he's already considered Gemini Summoned," continued Thunder. "That means if you play a Spell Card, I can Special Summon another Gemini Monster from my Graveyard.

"And before you get any ideas..."

His facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Gemini Booster, and Equip it to Gearfried."

(4,000 ATK)

"It not only gives him 700 more Attack Points, but if you target _any_ Monster on the field with a Spell or Trap Card, I can get rid of it to stop you.

"So... What now?"

"I end my turn..." said Ember.

Thunder made a draw.

It was Grasschopper. Not something he could use right now, but maybe later.

"Gearfried, attack, Flamvell Enchantress!" he shouted.

Gearfried slashed downward with his sword, sending a blade of energy towards the Spellcaster. Enchantress let out a pitiful wail before she burst.

"Ergh..." grunted Ember.

**(E: 2,750) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 1,200)**

"Face it, young one," said Thunder, "you cannot defeat Gearfried."

"Who needs to defeat him?" asked Ember.

She made a draw.

"I'd much rather take him!"

She hit a command on her Disk, and her reversed Monster flipped into Attack Mode...

Hiita the Fire Charmer appeared. (500 ATK) –) (1,000 ATK)

The Fire Charmer cast a hasty incantation, and Gearfried looked confused. Then he walked over to Ember's side of the field.

"You've been rubbing my nose in it this whole duel," said Ember. "About how you have such powerful Fire Monsters, and how you can use them to your benefit against my deck.

"Well, my deck was designed with Fire Monsters in mind, while yours was designed with Gemini Monsters in mind. So I can use Hiita to take control of a Fire Monster, which was something you weren't prepared for.

"So who has the last laugh now? Huh?"

"Ember!" shouted Gears. "We gotta keep him conscious, or we aren't getting into that temple!"

"Hmm, good point..." said Ember. "Okay then...

"I sacrifice Hiita and Gearfried..."

The two Monsters vanished into grains of light.

"...to bring back Familiar-Possessed Hiita once again."

The more grown-up version of Hiita appeared a second time. (1,850 ATK) –) (2,350 ATK)

"Hiita, attack him directly!"

Thunder screamed as a blast of fire from Hiita staff scorched him. He fell to his knees.

**(E: 2,750) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 0)**

"You lose, snake," said Ember. "Now open sesame says me!"

"All right, all right!" cursed Thunder, as he got up.

"You don't have to emphasize it..."

"We have to hurry..." said Jinx. "For all we know, Trueman may already be sneaking around somewhere..."

"Trueman?" asked Thunder. "Is that the guy with the sunglasses?"

Shichiro opened his eyes wide.

"Don't tell me you let him in?" he shouted.

"I most certainly did NOT!" said Thunder. "I don't like humans at the best of times, but _this_ one was downright rude. I figured he knew a way back, so I made the same challenge I made you. But he brushed me off, and called me 'not worth his time'.

"Then he turned into a cloud of black smoke or... something, and just seeped under the door... Since this is the only way out, I assume he's still in there..."

He waved his hand, and the old doors opened with a loud creak. Stale air and a draft wafted out of the dark temple.

The four humans and one ophidia walked in. Deep in the darkness, they heard a noise. It sounded sort of like metal on stone, like a sledgehammer or pickaxe trying to break something.

"He's in there..." said Jinx. "And whatever he's up to, he's hard at work doing it..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his secondary quarters, Jalal was watching the news on a satellite news network.

"In a shocking and unexpected development," said the newscaster, "Tiffany Lords, the young wife of Monaco's Prince Percival, has gone missing. According to sources, the famed debutante apparently withdrew all of her savings from her private account at noon today, and then left Monaco unannounced.

"There has not yet been a statement from Monaco's royal family or a representative thereof... Speculation has..."

Jalal turned it off.

"I tend to doubt it's her..." he sighed. "The one I dueled didn't seem like the type who'd run..."

He rubbed his chin.

"Finding this empress may be a great deal harder than finding Saramanda was... We haven't got much to go on... No name, no description... No reports of random attacks on humans with the ophidia claiming responsibility...

"The typical terrorist group wants people to know who they are, so that they can spread whatever twisted message they want to spread. Saramanda was like that, and that was how we found her. But this is clearly not a typical terrorist group.

"Hebi-Na might know, but she has yet to resurface...

"This isn't going to be easy...

"We're dealing with a snake... But it seems this one has taken some lessons from a chameleon..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MARTYR'S FLAME (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **St. Joan standing between a wounded Fire Sorcerer and a Tyrant Dragon about to attack.

**Card Description:** Activate when your opponent declares an attack against a face-up FIRE Monster you control. The attack becomes a direct attack on your Life Points, and Battle Damage is reduced by half.

_Note: "Martyr's Flame" first appeared in the original "Shadowchasers"_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Jinx: We've arrived just in time to keep the second Titan from falling into Trueman's hands, but he sure isn't going to leave without a fight. I'm forced to duel him, and he now possesses a stronger deck, which hides a secret that may be even deadlier than the F.G.D. Can my X-Sabers stand up to it?**

"**Dark Room of Nightmare" is coming soon...**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**The Sons of Kyuss, Researchers of the Forbidden**

The phrase "there are some things man was not meant to know" is pretty much a cliché these days. But it is a truism to say that some people dedicate their lives to knowing things that they likely shouldn't. Such is the case with the Sons of Kyuss, a loose organization of necromancers, scientists, and madmen who dabble in ways to restore life to the dead, or at least a facsimile of life.

Kyuss, of course, is the denizen of Shadow who is supposedly responsible for drafting Kyuss's Tome, the book of dark magic that is required for the ritual to turn oneself into a worm that walks. Kyuss is less known for the events of his own life than for the impact he has had on the present. The creation of foul undead beings and necromantic constructs that still plague the world today are credited to him. He may well have been the most powerful necromancer who ever lived.

The Sons of Kyuss seek to rediscover the knowledge and techniques of their namesake. A lot of them consider themselves scientists engaged in pure research, but to the rest of the world, they are grave robbers, stealing corpses for unholy experiments. Some of the Sons are interested solely in gaining knowledge never before possessed in the world of Mundanes. But most are motivated by greed, both for material wealth and power. Ironically, while they are obsessed with restoring the dead to life, they seem to have little respect for life that already exists.

Some of the more fanatical members worship Kyuss as if he were a god. It is not known if doing so grants any boon, but as far as is known, no member of the group has yet been seen with access to divine magic.

Not all the Sons are living creatures; a good number of them are liches, and a few are true ghouls (although most true ghouls serve Orcus and care little for Kyuss). These undead spellcasters are held in high regard by some other members.

A solitary and secretive lot, the Sons rarely gather together in groups. They use private web sites, bulletin boards, and coded personal ads to share information with each other. They are just as often to be fierce rivals as they are to be allies, and this is when they can get truly deadly. As any Shadowchaser will tell you, the only thing more dangerous than facing an army created by a Son of Kyuss is to be caught between _two_ zombie armies bent on tearing each other limb from limb.

**Story Ideas:** Zombies, ghouls, flesh golems... All the rotting, gory, grotesque things that give people nightmares are the province of the Sons of Kyuss. Any story that involves undead on a large scale will likely involve them at some point. They are exactly the kind of villains who would unleash plagues of the living dead upon unsuspecting settlements, turning an area into a ghastly war zone.

Storylines could range from trying to prevent them from finding a copy of Kyuss's Tome, or even a more powerful, more notorious book of dark magic, such as the Book of Vile Darkness. Challenges could involve defeating powerful undead creations like famine spirits.

When fighting these villains, one undead creature that often comes into play is a type of zombie called a spawn of Kyuss. These diseased, worm-ridden, walking corpses are created from regular zombies using a spell that Kyuss was said to have invented, and dealing with them is best done from a distance. Their infectious touch and cursed worms make them incredibly dangerous to fight up close.

**Deck Suggestions:** The Sons of Kyuss naturally use Zombies, but they try to be creative about it. They don't use Yokai (which they consider to be demons, rather than actual undead) or Vampires, preferring Zombies that actually look the part. A deck that uses King of the Skull Servants as a weapon is a possibility, as is a deck that uses Normal Monsters, focusing on old-fashioned Zombies like The Snake Hair and Dragon Zombie.

It is rumored that some powerful members of the Sons of Kyuss own a copy of the very rare Spell version of Call of the Haunted once owned by "Ghost" Kotsuzuka. This rumor has yet to be confirmed, and most hope that it is not true.

_Note: The rumor _is_ true, but the card has quite a few conditions, at least for Shadowchasers fanfics. If you want to feature a member of the Sons of Kyuss who uses this card, PM me and I'll give you my version of it._


	24. Dark Room of Nightmare

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL TWENTY-FOUR**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Dark Room of Nightmare**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

"I've got my eye on you, Thunder," said Shichiro. "Don't try anything."

"What do you think I'd try?" asked the ophidia, as he led them into the temple. "You four are my only means back to civilization. I'm not crazy..."

"You do realize," said Gears, "you're under arrest once we get there..."

"It's better than starving to death here!" replied Thunder.

"Uh..." said Ember, nervously. "Did the folks who built this place put any booby traps or temple guards in it?"

Everyone looked around. They'd had nightmares that had taken place in more pleasant locales than this. Even Thunder looked nervous.

The décor naturally had a snake theme, with statues, murals, and sculptures depicting demonic serpents. In front of them was a huge mural depicting Seghulerak herself leading an army of ophidia that was raining death on a legion of Bronze Age-style warriors, with a castle shaped like a cobra ready to strike in the background.

"Uhm, no..." he said. "With the magical wards on the outside, they really didn't count on any intruders breaking in..."

"I don't blame them..." said Shichiro, as they walked into the next room. "This place puts Saramanda's complex to shame..."

"What I don't get is," said Ember, "if the natives couldn't get in here, why didn't the ophidia try to take refuse inside when they attacked?"

Thunder sighed.

"A few of the most faithful of them did," he replied, "including the high priest. They holed up in the inner sanctum, where he told them that their goddess would save them from this threat, and that the ones who ran would be punished for their cowardice.

"At least that's what his journal said when a group of ophidia found it when they were brave enough to send a party back here. Apparently, those creatures have the patience of Job. They laid siege to the temple, and the ones inside starved while waiting for the divine aid their leader promised."

"Uh, people?" said Jinx.

"Right..." said Gears.

They started following the noise they had heard when they came in, down a hallway, and into what looked like a large antechamber, where someone had lit the braziers, filling the place with flickering torchlight...

The "someone" had likely been Trueman. He was standing on an altar, and he was hard at work, striking a stone tablet with a pickaxe.

He didn't seem to be making much progress, however. From what they could see, the tablet didn't appear to be chipped or broken in the slightest. Also, two broken and dulled pickaxes were on the floor, indicating that he had ruined them before using the third.

"Uhm, Trueman?" said Jinx.

No answer. He ignored her.

"Trueman!" she repeated.

Still no response.

"You know, I'm going to take a stab here..." said Jinx. "I don't think you're gonna get anywhere by doing that..."

Trueman stopped. He turned and looked at her.

"Most likely, no," he said.

"This is a special vault made of meteorite ore... It's very hard to damage... The second Titan's card is secured inside. She didn't want my employer getting to her before you did.

"It can be properly opened with an eight-digit combination... But using magic to discern what it is will take some time and resources on my employer's part."

Jinx noticed that there were indeed numbers carved on the tablet, 0 to 9, in three rows.

"...and since I don't have anything better to do while I'm waiting..." said Trueman.

"And you're telling us this because?" asked Shichiro.

"Because I know that none of you know the combination either," replied Trueman. "And my employer will eventually discover it and give it to me.

"I could simply leave, and come back when you're all gone... The vault is far too heavy for you to move, and I know you all won't stay in this place for long..."

"You got that right..." muttered Ember.

Jinx rubbed her chin.

"You're only partially right, Trueman..." she said. "We don't know the combination to that vault...

"But... We do have a clue that someone provided us with... And now that we know that there is a vault with a combination, it may simply be just a matter of filling in the blanks..."

Trueman looked at her. He dropped the pickaxe.

"You do realize then, Ms. Noriko," he said, "that I cannot allow you to live..."

He reached behind him, and yanked a lever downward. Everyone was startled as a slab of rock crashed down in the doorway behind them, blocking off the way they came.

"I studied this temple's mechanisms a little when I came here..." he said.

"Thunder..." said Gears. "How do we open that?"

"I think that lever he used is the only way," replied Thunder. "Unfortunately... We'd need to get past him to get to it..."

Gears drew his sword.

"Easily fixed..." he said.

He started to make a rush at Trueman, but then the eyes of two cobra statues flanking the altar started to glow.

"STOP!" screamed Thunder.

Gears stopped short as two blasts of flame shot from their mouths almost singing his jacket.

"No traps, huh?" asked Shichiro, angrily.

"I just remembered..." said Thunder. "No rank-and-file members of the congregation were allowed to approach the high priest, under penalty of death... And he had a few features built into the altars to make certain that rule was enforced...

"Apparently, Trueman is fooling the enchantments into thinking that he's the high priest."

"You could have told us sooner!" shouted Ember.

"This place was built five-hundred years before I was born!" protested Thunder.

"You folks can't touch me..." said Trueman. "You now have no choice but to duel me, Ms. Noriko... And once I dispose of you, the Titan who resides in the card in this vault will have nowhere to go... Her chosen one will be gone."

_Chosen one?_ thought Jinx.

She stepped up to face Trueman.

"Fine..." she said. "You're on..."

The two duelists activated their Disks...

**(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Trueman: 8,000)**

"I draw one card..." said Jinx, making a draw.

_Okay, looking up..._ she thought, as she chose one.

She set it on her Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"That should do it for now," she said.

"Then I draw," said Trueman.

"I will also set a Monster," he said.

A reversed Monster appeared on his side of the field.

"And then I'll set two facedown cards..."

Two reversed cards appeared behind it.

"And I end my turn..."

Jinx made a draw.

"I flip my Monster into Attack Mode," she said. "Meet Sangan!"

The card flipped up, and the small, furry, three-eyed Fiend appeared. (1,000 ATK)

"Now, I'm bringing out Enraged Battle Ox..."

In a flash of light, the axe-wielding minotaur appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"Attack his Monster!"

The Beast-Warrior lunged at the hidden Monster. A huge rodent appeared on the card, and with one swipe of an axe, was smashed to pieces.

"Giant Rat?" asked Jinx.

"That's right," said Trueman. "I'm sure you know that I now get to Special Summon a weak Earth Monster from my deck..."

"Yeah, but before you do," said Jinx, "you lose 250 Life Points from my Ox's effect."

Trueman simply placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon... Boot-Up Soldier Dread Dynamo!" he exclaimed.

In another burst of energy, a robot made of grey and brown metal, roughly humanoid in shape, with a gear-shaped indentation in its torso appeared. (0 ATK)

"Sorry, Trueman," said Jinx, "but I'm going to trash that thing before you get a chance to use it!

"Sangan, attack!"

The Fiend leapt at Boot-Up Soldier...

"Spell Card, activate!" shouted Trueman, as his facedown card shot up. "Enemy Controller!"

Sangan fell backwards, shielding itself in Defense Mode. (600 DEF)

"I end my turn..." said Jinx.

_At least he only has one Dynamo..._

**(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,750)**

Trueman drew a card.

"I play Machine Duplication," he said, as he played a Spell Card. "Since my Dynamo's Attack Score is less than 500, I get to summon two more from my deck..."

Two more Dynamos appeared.

"And now... I summon Red Gadget."

He played another card, and a cute robot appeared next to the Dynamos. It was red, naturally, with goofy eyes, and a big gear on its back. (1,300 ATK)

"I now get to take Yellow Gadget from my deck..."

A card slipped out of his deck and he took it.

"...but more importantly, with a Gadget on the field, the Attack Scores of my three Dynamos become 2,000."

The three Dynamos glowed with fiery energy. (2,000 ATK x3)

_Good lord..._ thought Jinx.

"Red Gadget, destroy Sangan!" shouted Trueman.

Red Gadget flew at the Fiend, and blew it to pieces with a punch.

"I use Sangan's effect!" exclaimed Jinx.

She paused.

_Better be careful..._ she thought.

She removed her deck from the holder, and looked at the cards.

"I'm waiting, Ms. Noriko..." said Trueman.

"Okay..." said Jinx, nervously.

She chose a card.

"Now let's continue..." said Trueman. "Dynamo number one, destroy Enraged Battle Ox."

The first Dynamo let out a blast of fiery rounds, and the Beast-Warrior groaned before it was blown to pieces.

"Two, three... Attack directly!"

"JINX!" screamed Ember.

The other two Dynamos opened fire, and Jinx screamed as she felt the hot rounds stab into her torso. She tumbled over and winced in pain.

She groaned.

**(J: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,750)**

"You shouldn't have come here..." said Trueman. "I may care little for the ophidia's goddess, but in this unhallowed area, it's easy to make a Shadow Duel even deadlier than usual."

"What does he mean?" asked Ember.

"This temple was dedicated to an evil god..." said Shichiro. "It's a focal point of dark magic.

"It's like how Monsters gain advantages in Field Spells that are designed with them in mind. In a place like this, using dark magic becomes easier, while trying to fight it becomes harder."

"Get up, Jinx!" shouted Ember.

Jinx slowly pulled herself up. She was a mess. Her clothes were torn, and red welts were on her skin. Sweat was pouring down her face.

"It's my move, pal..." she said, softly.

She drew a card.

She threw a card on her Disk, and a defensive Monster appeared.

"And that's my turn..."

Trueman grinned, and drew a card.

"I summon Yellow Gadget," he said.

Another Gadget appeared. This one had no head, but had one eye on its torso, that also had a gear down its center, and half a gear on either side. (1,200 ATK)

"I now get Green Gadget from my deck..."

A card slipped out of his deck.

"And now... First Dynamo, destroy her Monster!"

The first Dynamo opened fire, and XX-Saber Emmersblade appeared on the card, right before it was blown to pieces.

"Now to finish you off! Second Dynamo..."

"Not so fast!" shouted Jinx. "When XX-Saber Emmersblade is destroyed, I get to Special Summon a low-Level X-Saber from my deck. So come on out, X-Saber Passiul!"

In a burst of energy, Passiul appeared, kneeling and crouching behind his sword. (0 DEF)

"He may have zero Defense Points, but he can't be destroyed in battle!"

"In that case..." said Trueman, "I end my turn... But keep in mind, Passiul will cost you 1,000 Life Points during each of my turns."

_He's right..._ thought Jinx. _I gotta do something..._

She looked at his five Monsters.

_Those Dynamos are tough, but they have one obvious weak spot... The Gadgets. If I got rid of them, the Dynamos would fall to zero Attack Points._

_However, each time he summons a Gadget, he gets to pull a new Gadget from his deck. If I simply destroy the Gadgets, he'll summon a new one next turn... And the turn after that..._

_...assuming the duel lasts that long._

_So... I have to find a way to get rid of the Dynamos this turn..._

She drew a card.

_That's the ticket..._

"I play... The One for One Spell Card!" she shouted. "I send one Monster in my hand to the Graveyard..."

She discarded X-Saber Palomlo.

"...and in return, I get to Special Summon a Level 1 Monster from my deck. I choose XX-Saber Reijigra."

The Monster that appeared looked like a humanoid iguana or gecko, dressed in a tunic and a scarlet cape, holding two daggers. It knelt and crossed its arms. (1,000 DEF)

"By summoning Reijigra, I get to recover an X-Saber Monster from my Graveyard..."

A card slipped out of her discard slot.

"Think I'm gonna go with XX-Saber Emmersblade. Next, I'll summon it."

Another X-Saber materialized. This one was a large humanoid mantis or beetle, with sharp forelegs, also wearing a scarlet cape. (1,300 ATK)

"Now, I Tune together Passiul and Emmersblade..."

Passiul lifted his sword, and then he and Emmersblade flew to the ceiling, where they dissolved into five glowing stars.

"Synchro Summon... X-Saber Wayne!"

The cowboy X-Saber leapt onto the field. He drew his weapon, and gave it a dramatic twirl. (2,100 ATK)

"I'm not done..." continued Jinx. "I use his effect... To Special Summon a Warrior from my hand. I summon X-Saber Anabelera!"

The female X-Saber leapt onto the field, lashing her bladed whip. (1,800 ATK)

Jinx took the card she had drawn this turn.

"Now, a Spell Card," she said. "Saber Slash! I can now destroy one card for each X-Saber I have!

"So I choose to destroy both Gadgets and one Boot-Up Soldier Dread Dynamo!"

She played the card, and Trueman stepped back in shock, as three of his Machines were blown to pieces. The Attack Points of the other two plummeted to nothing.

"Now to handle the other two," said Jinx. "Wayne, attack with Saber Six-Shooter!"

Wayne fired four rounds at one of the remaining Dynamos. It sparked from four broken seams, and then exploded into scrap.

"Anabelera, the last one!" shouted Jinx.

Anabelera made a lash with her whip, slicing the robot cleanly in half. The remains shattered into pixels.

**(J: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 3,850)**

Trueman glared at Jinx.

"That just about evens the score..." said Jinx. "It's your move..."

Trueman made a draw.

"Now that you have three Monsters on the field," he said, "I think I'd better activate this..."

The reversed card that he had set on his first turn lifted up.

"Cloak and Dagger. I get to name one Monster, and if you summon it, it's removed from play.

"I'll name Beast King Barbaros.

"Then..."

He placed two more cards in his Disk, and a reversed card and a reversed Monster appeared.

He nodded.

Jinx sighed.

She made a draw.

"Wayne, attack!"

Wayne fired his six-shooter again...

The Monster that appeared on the card was a bulky, solid Machine, made of gears and covered with nasty spikes. The bullets merely glanced off its hull. (2,200 DEF)

"That's Gear Golem the Moving Fortress," said Trueman. "Your gunslinger can't crack it."

"Oh, really?" asked Jinx.

She took two of the cards in her hand.

"I play a facedown, and then summon Bronze Warrior."

A reversed card appeared, and then a new Warrior materialized. He looked like a tribal shaman, with a decorated cape, loincloth, and face paint, holding two double-bladed daggers. (500 ATK)

"Now, I use his effect," she continued, "which lets me pull a Beast-Warrior from my deck every round..."

She took a card from her deck, and looked at it.

_I may not be able to use Barbaros,_ she thought, _but I've got other useful Beast-Warriors. Next round, I should be able to crack that thing's Defense, baring any accidents._

**(J: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 3,850)**

"My move..." said Trueman, making a draw.

He quickly played it.

"I play Burden of the Mighty," he said.

_Ho boy..._ thought Jinx. _First accident..._

"This Spell Card decreases the Attack Scores of your Monsters by 100 for each Level they possess," said Trueman.

Wayne fell to an Attack Score of 1,600, Anabelera to 1,400, and Bronze Warrior to only 100. Reijigra, being in Defense Mode, didn't seem to be affected much.

"Next, I summon Green Gadget," he continued.

The third Gadget appeared. This one, as its name suggested, was green, and seemed to have one big gear for a torso. (1,400 ATK)

Another card, clearly a second Red Gadget, slipped out of Trueman's deck.

"Next, I activate Limit Reverse," he said.

His facedown card flipped up, and one of the three Dynamos appeared. (0 ATK) –) (2,000 ATK)

"This is bad..." said Shichiro.

"Dynamo, destroy X-Saber Wayne!" shouted Trueman.

The Boot-Up Soldier blasted its guns, and Jinx cringed as Wayne was blown to pieces.

"I pay 500 Life Points," she exclaimed, "to Special Summon X-Saber Palomlo from my Graveyard!"

Palomlo appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (300 DEF)

"Well, then..." said Trueman. "Green Gadget, attack her Bronze Warrior!"

Green Gadget made a rush towards the shaman...

...and then it was thrown backwards by an aura of pure force.

Trueman looked at Jinx, who was casually tossing a coin. Her facedown Trap Card had lifted up.

"It's a Trap called Silver Dollar," she said, as her fist closed round it. "It can negate an attack on a Monster with 1,000 Attack Points or less."

"Fine..." said Trueman. "My turn is over..."

**(J: 2,700) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 3,850)**

Jinx made a draw.

"All right, buddy," she said. "I'm using Bronze Warrior's effect to get XX-Saber Gardestrike this time..."

A card slipped out of her deck.

"But I'll save him for later..." she said, as she added it to her hand. "For now, I'm going to summon the guy I searched for last turn. I sacrifice Palomlo..."

Palomlo vanished into an orb of light.

"...to summon Allsword Commander Gatmuz!"

The armored Beast-Warrior strode onto the field, holding his greatsword high. (2,100 ATK)

"Your Commander is Level 6," said Trueman. "Burden of the Mighty deducts 600 points from his score."

"But Bronze Warrior adds 400 to it," replied Jinx. "And Gatmuz adds 400 points to the Scores of all X-Sabers."

Gatmuz rose to an Attack Score of 1,900, while Anabelera rose to 1,800.

"Gatmuz, destroy Green Gadget!" she shouted. "Battle rage!"

Gatmuz roared, and made a deep cut, slicing the robot down the middle. Green Gadget shook and sparked, and then exploded. Dread Dynamo fell to zero Attack Points again.

Anabelera leapt at the Dynamo, and lashed her whip, blowing it to scrap. Trueman winced slightly.

**(J: 2,700) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 1,550)**

"All right!" shouted Ember. "Jinx just took the lead!"

"Don't jinx it..." said Gears. "There's still that Moving Fortress to deal with..."

"I set a facedown," said Jinx, "and then move Bronze Warrior to Defense Mode."

A reversed card appeared, and then Bronze Warrior knelt and crossed his arms. (1,800 DEF)

"I draw..." said Trueman, making a draw.

He looked at the card. Then he smiled a wicked smile...

"I sacrifice Gear Golem..." he said.

Gear Golem the Moving Fortress vanished into a sphere of light.

"...to summon Cyber Dragon!"

"Next..." said Trueman.

He quickly played a Spell Card.

"I play Overload Fusion!"

The whole room started to shake.

"What is he summoning?" shouted Ember.

"I've heard of this Monster..." said Gears. "It's what drove Marufuji Ryo past his breaking point... The card that completed his transformation into Hell Kaiser..."

"I remove Cyber Dragon and all the Machines in my Graveyard from play," said Trueman.

The three Gadgets, the three Boot-Up Soldiers, and Gear Golem the Moving Fortress all appeared behind him. Then they and Cyber Dragon all vanished into nothing.

Then a colossal and terrible Machine burst out of the ground. It was a giant Cyber Dragon with six hideous heads, each with a bladed crest.

"The Chimeratech Overdragon!" gasped Gears.

"By summoning this Monster," said Trueman, "all other cards on my side of the field are destroyed..."

Burden of the Mighty and Cloak and Dagger were blown to pieces.

"...but it hardly matters, because its Attack and Defense Points are each 800 times the number of Monsters I removed from play to summon it."

(6,400 ATK)

"And that's not all... It can attack one Monster per turn for each of those Monsters, meaning it can attack eight Monsters in one turn."

"I'm beginning to see why this card drove Marufuji over the edge," said Shichiro.

"Incidentally, Ms. Noriko," continued Trueman. "I see that facedown card of yours quite clearly... And just in case it's a Trap that can destroy my Monster, I have some insurance..."

He played a card.

"The Equip Spell, Destruction Insurance."

"WHAT?" shouted Jinx. "Where the Hell did you get _that_? You can't just walk into a store and get one of those. Kodo Kinomiya got his copy from Godwin!"

"He was pretty desperate to earn money after the duel where he used it," replied Trueman. "He may have gotten five times his usual salary for that duel, but his hospital bills wiped it out, along with most of his savings. Ironically, his real insurance wouldn't cover his treatment."

"I can't imagine what he put on the claims form..." said Gears.

"Nor did it cover stupidity," continued Trueman. "I mean really, his opponent was a woman with uncontrollable psychic powers, and he spends the whole duel _insulting_ her?

"But anyway... In case you need to be reminded of this card's effect... If you manage to destroy my Monster with a card effect, you take damage equal to half its Attack Points. You can do a simple division problem, can't you?"

_That's 3,200 Life Points..._ thought Jinx. _I'd be wiped out..._

"Chimeratech Overdragon..." ordered Trueman.

The infernal Machine roared from its six mouths...

"Attack X-Saber Anabelera with Evolution Resort Blast!"

"You triggered my Trap!" shouted Jinx, as her facedown card shot up.

"Staunch Defender?" said Trueman, with a frown.

"Now all your Monsters must attack," said Jinx, "but they can only attack the Monster I choose. I choose Bronze Warrior."

Jinx braced herself as Bronze Warrior was atomized in an explosion of fiery death.

She took a deep breath.

_Escaped that one by the skin of my teeth..._ she said.

"It's your move..." said Trueman.

"Yeah, well watch out!" said Jinx.

She drew a card.

It was X-Saber Axel.

_Wonderful..._ she thought. _I'm facing the strongest, nastiest Monster ever, and the one I draw is one of my weakest..._

_Think positive, Kaede... Think of all the times that Kuriboh made a difference for the King of Games... Think of all the times Winged Kuriboh made a difference for Yukai Judai..._

She sighed.

_Maybe I should start looking for a Kuriboh..._

She turned two cards on her Disk. Gatmuz knelt and held his sword down. (1,600 DEF) Anabelera knelt and shielded herself. (1,100 ATK)

"That's all I can do..." she said.

Trueman grinned, and made a draw.

"I summon my second Red Gadget," he said.

Another of the red robots appeared next to the huge abomination. (1,300 ATK)

A second Yellow Gadget slipped out of his deck, and he took it.

"Chimeratech, attack!" shouted Trueman.

Chimeratech Overdragon shot three mighty blasts of flame, and Gatmuz, Anabelera, and Reijigra were incinerated in one big explosion.

"Red Gadget, attack directly!"

Red Gadget flew at Jinx, and socked her in the face. She grunted and fell over.

**(J: 1,500) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 1,550)**

"This isn't a duel anymore," said Shichiro. "It's become more like target practice for that thing."

"And it's just going to get worse," said Trueman, as he played another card. "I'm giving Chimeratech a second Equip Spell.

"Ring of Magnetism. It will decrease its scores by a few points..."

(5,900 ATK)

"...but now it's the only Monster you can attack.

"I end my turn..."

Jinx paused.

She made a draw.

She looked at the card hard.

"I Special Summon XX-Saber Gardestrike!" she shouted.

In a burst of energy, the panther-like Beast-Warrior holding a scimitar appeared. (2,100 ATK)

"Forget so soon?" asked Trueman. "That thing can't attack Red Gadget."

"I didn't forget," said Jinx. "And now I'm Normal Summoning X-Saber Axel."

The played the card, and the rugged, armored barbarian appeared. (400 ATK)

"Jinx, is this some sort of joke?" asked Shichiro. "Because if it is, we aren't laughing..."

Jinx gave him a sly look, and then set the card she had just drawn. It appeared facedown.

"Your move," she said.

"Stupid..." said Thunder. "Doesn't she know that if she destroys that thing with that facedown card, she loses?"

"Dunno..." said Ember. "I think Jinx might have other plans..."

Trueman drew a card.

"Chimeratech..." he started.

"Trap activate..." said Jinx.

The facedown card flipped up.

"It's called A Major Upset," she said. "To use it, I have to sacrifice a Level 2 or lower Monster..."

Axel vanished into grains of light.

"In return for that, all Level 7 or greater Monsters that were Special Summoned are returned to the owners' hands."

Trueman looked shocked.

"But that means..." he said.

"That's right..." said Jinx.

Chimeratech Overdragon roared...

"Bye-bye!" said Jinx.

The huge Machine vanished into a dark vortex, and the two Equip Spells shattered into particles.

"All right!" exclaimed Ember. "Since Jinx didn't 'destroy' it, she's safe from that Equip Spell!"

"So now what?" asked Jinx.

"I set a Monster," said Trueman, quickly. "And then move Red Gadget to Defense Mode..."

Red Gadget knelt and shielded itself (1,500 DEF), and a facedown Monster appeared.

"And that will be all..."

Jinx drew a card.

_The facedown Monster is likely Yellow Gadget,_ she thought, _but I'm not taking any chances..._

"I summon X-Saber Galahad," she said.

In an aura of energy, the toad-like Warrior holding his long spear appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"Fine, attack," said Trueman. "My Monsters are defending, so I'll take no damage."

"Only the first time," said Jinx. "I play the Equip Spell, Sword of Sparkles!"

Galahad's pike vanished, and the shimmering sword appeared in his hand.

"Now, attack Red Gadget!"

Galahad leapt at the defending Gadget, his Attack Score rose to 2,100, and Red Gadget shattered under the impact.

"And when an X-Saber destroys a Monster with the Sword of Sparkles," said Jinx, "I get to destroy another card."

The facedown Monster was blown to bits.

"Time to end this... Gardestrike, attack directly and finish him off!"

Gardestrike snarled and charged at Trueman. The dark herald grunted as the Beast-Warrior's scimitar slammed into him.

**(J: 1,500) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 0)**

"Game over, Trueman," said Jinx. "Now step away from that tablet."

Trueman stepped backwards.

Then he reached into his jacket...

"Look out!" shouted Shichiro.

All four Shadowchasers drew their swords.

"I wasn't going for a weapon, Mr. Osaka," said Trueman. "I'll retreat this time, and leave the second Titan to you...

"But I have to thank you and Ms. Noriko, actually. For while I may have lost the two duels, the power I obtained from F.G.D. and Chimeratech Overdragon, two powerful creatures of darkness, have allowed me to recover something..."

He pulled something out of his jacket. It was a Duel Monsters card, and it was glowing with dark energy.

"Something I lost a long time ago..."

"What card is that?" asked Gears.

"I'd love to make your acquaintance," said Trueman, "but my power is fading, so it will have to wait until next time...

"Until then..."

He then dissolved into a dark cloud, and dissipated.

"That guy is downright creepy," said Thunder. "And coming from an ophidia, that's saying a lot."

Jinx cautiously walked towards the altar. The cobra statues didn't react. She walked up to the tablet.

"So, how are we going to 'fill in the blanks', as you put it?" asked Gears.

"I think Trymus's 'Electric Snail' quip was a clue," said Jinx. "I think now it might have been referencing a Duel Monster."

"Electric Snail?" said Thunder, offhand. "Sounds like a Bolt Escargot."

Everyone looked at him.

"Oh, I collect Thunder-Type Monsters..." he said. "A little hobby of mine..."

He took a deck case off of his belt, and took some cards out.

"Lightning Conger..." he said. "The Immortal of Thunder...

"Here it is, Bolt Escargot... A pretty old card, and a rather useless one at that..."

Jinx looked at the card. It did indeed look pretty useless. It was Level 5, a Normal Monster, with 1,400 Attack Points and 1,500 Defense Points.

"Thunder, I could almost hug you!" shouted Jinx.

She stopped short.

"Almost, that is..."

"So how is that gonna help?" asked Ember.

"The tablet opens with an eight-digit combination," said Jinx. "Duel Monster cards each have an eight-digit ID number.

"I'm willing to bet that Bolt Escargot's ID number is the combination...

"It's worth a shot..."

She took the card, and walked over to the vault. Then she hit the numbers: 12146024.

The tablet started to shake. Then it split open, and in the very center was a card, held in plastic casing.

Jinx took the card and looked at it. This was also a Level 10 Warrior-Type Synchro Monster, but was of the Earth Attribute. And there was no doubt that the Warrior on the card was female.

"Shannalla the Fierce..." said Jinx, softly.

She handed the Bolt Escargot back to Thunder.

"So why didn't Trymus just come right out and tell us the combination?" asked Ember.

"Because he was struggling to finish the message," said Jinx. "He didn't have time to say it, and needed to tell us something that was easier to remember...

"And he didn't say 'Bolt Escargot' because he didn't want Trueman to know. He knew that Trueman has the ability to probe minds. So he left an obscure clue that..."

She looked at Thunder.

"...that someone could help us figure out..."

"And now that I helped you, can we please leave?" asked Thunder.

"I certainly don't want to stay here any more," said Gears.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

They walked out of the temple, to where their D-Wheels were parked.

"People..." said Shichiro. "Do you hear something?"

"Like what?" asked Gears.

Shichiro didn't answer. He started scanning the sky.

Then he saw them. In the distance, several large flying crafts were approaching.

"NO!" shouted Thunder. "Gears! You know those incredibly powerful and incredibly selfish beings who own this world? It's _them_!"

"My instruments didn't detect them!" shouted Gears.

"They _did_ have cloaking devices," said Shichiro. "We'd best get out of here ASA-_now_!"

"Okay, okay," said Gears, as he mounted his bike. "The countdown is initialized..."

The Shadowchasers watched with horror as the airships started to get closer. Clearly, these beings had technology that was several centuries ahead of what humans had.

"Maybe we should try to negotiate with them," said Jinx.

"Not advisable," said Thunder. "When the ophidia settlers tried that, their attempts to talk to these beings were completely ignored. Trying to do so only got several of them killed."

"Yeah, yeah..." said Shichiro.

He shoved a helmet into the ophidia's hands.

"Put that on, get on the back of my bike, and keep quiet!"

"Twenty seconds to portal opening..." said Gears. "Be ready to hit the gas when I say so..."

The four Shadowchasers started their D-Wheels as the airships loomed over the temple.

"Ten seconds..." said Gears.

He started to sweat.

"NOW!" he shouted.

The four D-Wheels sped off, just as the huge crafts seemed to notice them. The shimmering portal opened in front of them, and they heard what sounded like missiles being launched behind them as they sped through.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The four D-Wheels skidded to a stop on the streets of the Topps, and the four drivers and their passenger tumbled off.

"Well..." said Ember. "Any landing you can walk away from is a good one, I guess..."

"I'd like to go to jail now, please," said Thunder, nervously.

"In a minute, Thunder..." said Shichiro.

He caught his breath.

"What do you know about this empress we've been hearing about?"

"Look, I work for her, sometimes," said Thunder, "but I actually know very little. Every time my brothers and I were called to do a job for her, we were told to go somewhere in the Neo Domino area, a different place every time.

"Then a group of ophidia who didn't give their names met us, made us wear blindfolds, and took us on a trip that lasted about an hour. The blindfolds didn't come off until we were actually in her throne room, where she gave us instructions and anything else we needed.

"And then we were always blindfolded again to make the return trip. So I have no idea where she can be found."

Shichiro sighed. He pointed the gemstone at Thunder, and he vanished.

"We don't have many options at this point," he said.

"Maybe someone should go see if Jeager knows something," said Jinx.

"Oh no, not me!" replied Shichiro. "I've dealt with that clown so often in the past three months, I'm starting to develop an allergic reaction to his aftershave."

"We've all been dealing with him a lot lately," said Gears. "With him taking over Godwin's job for now, we've had to make sure he doesn't screw up. As strange as it seems, Godwin was a much better Director than he'll ever be."

"Uhm, I've never gone to talk to him," said Ember.

Shichiro, Gears, and Jinx looked at her. Then Gears looked at Shichiro and Jinx.

"Couldn't hurt..." he said.

"Okay Ember, but be very careful," said Jinx. "Don't forget, Jeager is involved with Yliaster, and you never know what to expect from them..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

One hour later, Jeager was in his unkempt office, talking over the phone.

"The good news is, the Bridge should be open to the public on schedule," he said to the one who was on the other line. "And we're preparing for the Turbo Duels that are going to take place on it and the areas bordering the coast.

"Yes, we're experimenting with a new version of Speed World. This new version will not only create new options for the duels themselves, but generate a recommended riding course for the participants, allowing them to avoid regular traffic and pedestrians easier."

He stopped to listen.

"What should we call it? Oh, I dunno... Speed World 2 or something... Just not as lame..."

He stopped to listen again, and an officer came into the room.

"Look, I'll get back to you..."

He hung up.

"What is it?" he asked.

"There's a Ms. Eiko Michiko here to see you sir," said the officer.

"I don't know anyone named Eiko Michiko..." said Jeager.

"She mentioned the name Jalal," said the officer.

Jeager sighed.

"Send her in..." he said.

Ember walked in, as Jeager took a bottle of aspirin from his deck.

"You're that rookie member of the group, right?" he asked.

"Well, yes..." she said.

"Listen..." he said. "I'm _very_ busy. I still have about a dozen projects to go over and approve of before the day is out, so unless this is also very important..."

"We need information about the ophidia," said Ember.

Jeager looked at her.

"Do sit down!" he said. "Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea? Soda? Juice?"

"Uh, I could use some coffee..." said Ember.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jeager seemed very eager to keep Ember there when she had mentioned the ophidia. He actually started to brew a fresh pot of coffee.

"You know Ms. Eiko," he said. "I never liked dealing with your college Mr. Osaka.

"He always told me that the only reason I got the respect I got was because Godwin was backing me up. I didn't like that.

"But one thing I realized in the past three months is that he was exactly right..."

"Now that Godwin is gone," replied Ember, "you aren't getting much respect?"

"I'm hardly getting any!" replied Jeager. "My own subordinates say things behind my back... The press portrays me as a fool.

"If I see one more editorial with the word 'coulrophobia' in the headline, I'm gonna..."

"Uh, coulrophobia?" asked Ember.

"Fear of clowns," said Jeager. "Something you might find mentioned in a book of useless trivia."

_I didn't know that..._ thought Ember.

"But getting back to the subject at hand," continued Jeager.

He paused for a minute to pour the coffee.

"This job has been incredibly hard for me... They keep saying that a permanent replacement for Godwin is going to come, but nothing is ever finalized...

"And to make my job easier, I've had to look into some things that promised to lighten the work load, both for myself and Security and general...

"To that end, I made a deal with an ophidia salesman who claimed to be working for a technology company out of Hong Kong. He said that there was some law enforcement equipment that I could get my hands on before it was released to other cities, which would make my job a whole lot easier in several areas.

"It all seemed too good to be true... Less bulky breathalyzers, compact fingerprint analyzers, speed clocking devices with double the usual range… He even got me a good deal for a new photocopier, which I jumped on, seeing as the one outside my office was on its last legs."

"But I'm guessing that when something seems too good to be true," said Ember, "it usually isn't."

"It was a scam," replied Jeager. "What I got for my money was a bunch of equipment from this company that had been rejected due to design flaws. None of it worked properly...

"He was a snake-oil salesman who happened to be an actual snake. It would be funny if it hadn't been such an expensive loss."

"Well, why didn't you tell us about this ophidia con artist?" asked Ember.

Jeager sighed.

"I wanted to keep it quiet as long as possible," he said. "When taxpayers find out that the government is throwing their money away, they get mad.

"I read an interesting article a few months ago… Some years ago in New York, the state government was funding an extracurricular class that was supposed to teach junior high-school students about farming on moon colonies. A nice little class.

"Thing is, some folks questioned the educational value of it, and looked into it. They found out that this class, that was still being funded, hadn't met for two years, and one of the teachers, whom the state was still paying a salary for, had been dead for almost as long.

"It caused quite an uproar."

He sipped his coffee.

"I couldn't find the guy who sold the stuff to me... But he had told me that if I needed to contact him, I should find Lime Juice Louie."

"Lime Juice Louie?" asked Ember.

"Turned out he was a two-bit hood in Satellite," replied Jaeger. "The kind of guy who would turn in his own mother for the price of a drink.

"I found him, but he claimed he didn't know what an ophidia was. What was I supposed to do, arrest him and tell a judge that he was in league with snake men? The public already calls me 'dangerously eccentric'. I don't want to go up a notch to 'mad as a hatter'.

"But I knew I was on the right track… He was snakeblooded."

Ember rubbed her chin. Snakeblooded humans were Shadow-touched with traces of ophidia blood in them. Leaders of the ophidia encouraged crossbreeding, as a means of spreading their dark seed far and wide.

"Maybe I'll have more luck," she said. "Where can find this guy?"

"Well, people like Louie are creatures of habit," replied Jeager. "They aren't hard to find..."

"You got any half and half?" asked Ember, holding up her coffee cup.

"Oh, of course," said Jeager.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In Satellite, there was a bar with no name.

That was what people called it when they said they were going there. The Bar With No Name.

It was a backwater bar with a tough clientele, and not all of the patrons were humans.

Ember walked in, and looked around. Several Shadows and humans were around, drinking and engaged in odd activities. Two gnolls were lapping drink out of bowls with their tongues. A bugbear was leaning against the wall, drinking out of a stone mug. Four goblins were on the floor, playing a dice game.

Three orcs were engaged in a game that looked like Rock, Paper, Scissors, except that the loser got punched in the gut. Two other orcs, apparent losers of the game, were sitting against the wall holding their stomachs.

These Shadows were either unaware that Ember was a Shadowchaser, or uncaring.

"Hey, doll-face!" said a voice.

Ember turned and saw an incredibly fat human male in biker clothing with a beard and a purple Mohawk.

"You buying or selling?" asked the punk.

Ember sighed. Not all monsters were Shadows...

She gave the punk a swift kick in the lower leg, which he clearly didn't expect. He cried out in pain, and started hopping up and down as Ember walked away.

Another punk wearing the same gang colors helped him sit down.

"I'm telling you, Bokuru," said the second punk, "one of these days, your big mouth is _really_ gonna get you in trouble..."

Ember walked up to the bartender, who was a half-orc. (Orcs had the habit of crossbreeding with almost any other humanoid race, except elves, with whom they could not. Half-orcs were among the most common Shadow-touched.)

"I'm looking for Lime Juice Louie," she said.

The bartender frowned.

"Over there," he grunted.

Ember looked over at a billiard table, and saw who she was looking for. Lime Juice Louie was dressed typically for a Satellite resident, in an old overcoat and a battered fedora. He had long hair that had likely not seen a comb in months, and two criminal marks on his face. He clenched a cigarette in his teeth.

He was clearly snakeblooded. The sharp features and leathery skin were a giveaway.

He was playing pool with a hobgoblin (and winning).

"Lime Juice Louie, I assume?" asked Ember.

"Depends who's asking," replied the hood.

"I need information on the ophidia," said Ember.

That seemed to startle Louie. As he made his shot, he missed and scratched.

He looked at Ember, and started to chalk up his cue.

"Well, Ms. Shadowchaser..." he said, looking at the mark on her face. "That's pretty heavy information...

"I'd be pretty dumb to give it away for free..."

"Really?" said Ember. "You know... There's a distinctive odor coming from you... And it isn't your body odor or your cigarette breath..."

She grabbed a purse off of Louie's belt.

"Give that back!" he shouted, in a frightened tone.

Ember dumped the contents out on the pool table. A pile of dozens of pink and purple gemstones spilled on the table, and glowed with sparkling light.

The "distinctive odor" had been coming from them. They smelled faintly of cinnamon.

"Zelatarian pleasure crystals..." said Ember. "Mined in the Abyss by demonic drug lords... Incredibly addictive, incredibly _dangerous_ hallucinogens.

"And you've got far more here than you'd need to support a personal habit..."

She grabbed Louie by the collar.

"Know what trouble you could get into for dealing this stuff, Louie?"

"A lot?" he squeaked.

"Tell me what you know about the ophidia..." said Ember.

"Okay, okay..." said Louie. "I'll tell you...

"No, better yet, I'll show you... I know where you have to go...

"But it's not something where I can just draw a map... Follow me, and you'll find out what you need to know..."

"Lead the way..." said Ember.

Louie walked out of the bar, with Ember in tow.

Ember didn't see the wicked glint in his eye. Or maybe she did and didn't see any significance in it.

But one thing Jeager was wrong about... Lime Juice Louie had a little more loyalty to some people than he gave the crook credit for...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the living room of the townhouse, Jinx was simply looking at her new card, while Shichiro was looking at several cards.

His Synchros, along with Trymus, were in one pile, while his Main Deck was in another. The latter had been gutted, and he was now adding more cards to a new base.

"There," he said, finally. "Done at last…"

"What's done?" asked Jinx.

"My new deck," said Shichiro. "Let's face it, Jinx… I was living in the past. I was riding on Yusei's coattails a little too much.

"Well, the Warrior Synchros are still good… But for the actual deck, I finally have something with my own identity. I thing this will do the job pretty well…"

He placed the deck in his Disk, and then placed the Synchros in the chamber for the Extra Deck.

"Ember's been gone a long time," said Jinx. "I hope she isn't getting in trouble."

"You still think of her as if she's an apprentice," said Shichiro. "She isn't, you know…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Louie led Ember into what looked like it had been an old convenience store before Zero Reverse. The building was boarded up, and everything had been cleaned out.

"There's nothing here," said Ember.

"To the casual observer," said Louie. "To someone who works for the empress of the ophidia, you see much more…"

He took something out of his trenchcoat. It was a medallion showing the image of a serpent about to strike.

"This here's a symbol of the ophidia's goddess," he said. "I carry one, not cause I care much for her, but because this is how you get into the palace. You have to say the goddess's name while holding this thing while in this room, and a portal opens.

"The same thing opens the way out. Got it?"

"Got it," said Ember.

She took out her cell phone.

"Who you calling?" asked Louie.

"The other Shadowchasers, of course!" replied Ember. "Do you actually think I'm stupid enough to go into a snake nest alone?"

As she started to dial the number, she heard Louie mutter, "Seghulerak".

Ember was shocked as a glowing portal started to open.

She turned to face Louie, but the thug got the jump on her. Apparently stronger than he looked, he gave her a kick in the stomach, and she fell backwards, through the portal.

Louie watched as the portal closed. He looked down and saw that Ember had dropped her cell phone.

He stepped on it, crushing it to pieces.

Then he turned, and waited.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BRONZE WARRIOR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 500  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** Once per turn, you can search your deck for one Beast-Warrior-Type Monster and add it to your hand. Beast-Warrior-Type Monsters you control gain 400 Attack Points.

_Note: "Bronze Warrior" was first used by Fubuki in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Pop Goes the Duel". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SILVER DOLLAR (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A silver dollar with the tails side up.

**Card Description:** Activate when your opponent declares an attack on a Monster you control with 1,000 ATK or less. Negate the attack.

_Note: "Silver Dollar" was first used by Jonouchi in the original anime episode "Merger of the Big Five (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to __the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DESTRUCTION INSURANCE (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image: **The image on this card was unclear.

**Card Description:** When the Equipped Monster is destroyed by a card effect, the opponent of this card's controller takes damage equal to half the ATK of the Equipped Monster.

_Note: "Destruction Insurance" was first used by __Kinomiya Kodo__ in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "The Profiler". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Hebi-Na: Ember... I never forgot the humiliation you handed me...**

**You think the two of us are linked somehow? That it was because of me that you became a Shadowchaser?**

**Well, maybe, maybe not... But if I was responsible for starting your career as a Shadowchaser, I'm going to end it. I'm going to finish what I started so many months ago. **

"**Recurring Nightmare" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Morgana's Kin, Travelers of the Multiverse**

Quantum Physics states that there is an infinite number of universes, and most of the time these universes are inaccessible by mortal beings, with some exceptions. One of these exceptions is called Morgana's Kin, a group that has an unknown history, possibly dating back to the creation of the multiverse itself.

To join Morgana's Kin, you technically have to fulfill only one single requirement: you have to be a female. This is not because the group is a feminist organization, at least not most of the time. Morgana's Kin seems to have tapped into some power that can only be harnessed by women. In fact, members throughout history that have actually played major roles tended to be accused of witchcraft because of abilities bestowed upon them. Group legend states that the enemy of King Arthur, Morgan le Fey was among their membership.

In truth, there is nothing magical at all about Morgana's Kin, they are scientists by nature, and seem to have figured out a way to induce evolution to a higher form of humanity or whatever species the member is, bestowing them abilities some might consider magical. But the chief ability of every member is the ability to manipulate the Quantum Foam enough so they can travel between worlds and dimensions at will. What exactly their goals are, no one is entirely sure. No one even knows of their exact base of operations, but some who know of their existence claim that it is at the source of the multiverse itself, it such a place exists.

What has been discovered is that Morgana's Kin serves another purpose other than exploration, the apprehension and imprisonment of deities that are considered to be dangerous. To that purpose, it's not much of a surprise that their wanted list includes beings such as Set and Eris, and they seem to have a strong interest of late in the ophidia goddess Seghulerak. (One Shadowkind deity that they hold in very high regard, however, is Fharlanghn, the god of roads.)

You'd probably think that such an organization would have no real interest in the Shadowchasers, but one member in particular had a great interest. Around the time of the signing of the Great Treaty, a woman referring to herself simply as Morgan approached Jalal, although he isn't entirely sure whether she was there on the whims of Morgana's Kin, or if she was there because she was simply interested in the Shadowchasers. Knowing that the potential for the threats covered by the Shadowchasers might spread past their universe, she requested to join the Shadowchasers. While the abilities of a member of Morgana's Kin would have helped her greatly in the trials, she refrained from using such abilities, and then left for whatever universe she called home. But at that point, an alliance was either knowingly or unknowingly formed between the Shadowchasers and Morgana's Kin. Since then there has always been at least one member of Morgana's Kin in the Shadowchasers up until her death, at which point another would join, usually her apprentice.

Morgana's Kin sometimes serves other purposes, like securing humans and Shadows that are in danger, and are too risky to keep in Shadowchasers HQ.

The current representative in the Shadowchasers is named Leslie Garret. It's not the most exciting of jobs, but she does get some action rarely. She is tall with short red hair and freckles, usually wearing a white trench coat, a black tank top and blue jeans.

**Story Ideas:** Morgana's Kin isn't the kind of group that would show up often. They maintain the alliance with the Shadowchasers, but if any threat spreads beyond the terrestrial world, then they will most likely be the first on the scene.

Also, because they have a large amount of data from every known world and dimension (and some known only to them), they would probably be a great help in that instance. The only problem of course is hunting down a member, since the resident Shadowchaser tends to stay in the terrestrial realm. Jalal knows how to contact Leslie, so if anyone would go to meet her, it probably would be him. She would also be helpful if he could get her to come to the group; after all, she's usually got a pretty boring job.

**Deck Ideas:** Leslie, the current Morgana Shadowchaser runs an Allies of Justice deck, but if you want to bring in other members of the organization, then pretty much anything goes. They don't tend to use a specific group of Monsters, and seeing as how they have access to worlds beyond mortal understanding, they might even have cards not native to the Shadowchasers universe.

_Morgana's Kin was a creation of fanfic author Ruin, Queen of Oblivion._


	25. Recurring Nightmare

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL TWENTY-FIVE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Recurring Nightmare**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

The ophidia weren't a people who liked to share. They believed that anything that they had a hand in making was theirs, irrevocably.

This included snakeblooded humans. They fully expected all Shadow-touched with their blood to serve them eventually, and cared little for their opinion of it. It was their purpose, in the ophidia's opinion.

Now, a lot of snakeblooded did not accept this. Those who believed in the existence of free will rarely served the ophidia willingly, especially since the ophidia never did a thing to help them or the other snakeblooded members of their family. If a snakeblooded was offered a better life than what the ophidia offered (and the best the ophidia offered would likely be that of a favored slave) they rejected the ophidia.

But there were snakeblooded who did _not_ have a better option. Criminals and sociopaths who would never have a better life than what the ophidia offered. These snakeblooded were more than willing to serve the ophidia and turn their backs on humanity, in hopes that doing so might at least let them stand apart among the other dregs and riff-raff.

Lime Juice Louie was one of those snakeblooded. An unpopular child growing up on the streets of Satellite, he committed his first murder when he was twelve. He hung out with gangs and criminals, using his Shadow heritage to learn how to obtain not only regular drugs, but Zelatarian pleasure crystals, hallucinogens of demonic origin. He didn't care about the deaths that these incredibly dangerous and incredibly addictive crystals caused, so long as there was a steady of supply of fools willing to try them.

He was just the man the ophidia were looking for. Working for them never got him wealth or power, but he didn't need either. He got what he needed, and that was protection. Working for them ensured that he wasn't bothered by rival pushers or by the crooked Securities who had previously demanded a cut of his profits to let him stay in business. Anyone who bothered him after joining with the ophidia simply disappeared. He had served them so long and so loyally, he had been allowed to serve the Empress personally, and acted as a spy for them on the outside.

But this... This had just been too perfect...

As he stood in the center of the building where Ember had vanished though the portal, Csimith walked in behind him.

"You've done well," said the chamberlain.

"I only expect the promised payment," replied Louie.

To respond to this, Csimith reached into his toga, and took out a deck of cards. He handed it to Louie.

Louie looked at the cards. A grin formed on his face.

"I can tell you're happy," said Csimith. "Now listen... Ember's friends are likely going to come looking for you..."

"And I'll tell them that I never saw her," replied Louie.

"They likely won't believe you," said Csimith. "If they persist, use that deck to teach them a lesson. I take it you know the history behind it. It's very powerful if you use it right."

The ophidia watched as Louie left the building. Csimith took out his mobile.

"It's me," he said into it. "She's in the entrance chamber. And she still has her sword and her Duel Disk."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Roger on that Csimith," said Taramanda.

She was in her throne room, with Hebi-Na, Msskim, and Hssimim standing by, along with her attendants and bodyguards.

She sighed. She had not liked this idea from the start...

"If Ember is smart, she won't leave that chamber," she said, rubbing her chin. "And she's likely waiting to ambush whoever sets foot in there first... This is going to be tricky..."

"Let me handle her," said Hebi-Na. "I'll take her down, and then serve her to you on a silver platter."

Taramanda smiled.

"And just what makes you think you can defeat her this time, Hebi-Na?" she asked. "You haven't even decided on a permanent deck yet... The one you have now isn't tested.

"Or are you going to try to go there and wrestle her into submission? She's become far more powerful since the last time you met."

"I have an idea," said Hssimim. "If I may..."

He took a deck out of his toga.

"She can duel her, and use this..."

Hebi-Na looked at him.

"You think I'm going to accept a deck from you?" she asked.

"No illegal cards in this one," replied Hssimim. "And it has a theme that Ember has a... 'history' with...

"Intimidation is a big part of confrontation... You can use this to your advantage..."

Hebi-Na took the deck and looked at the cards.

"Say..." she said. "This just might work..."

"Hopefully," said Taramanda. "Now..."

"I've got another idea too," said Hssimim. "Once Hebi-Na uses that deck... Wouldn't our goddess look favorably if you granted her a Tithe?"

Taramanda looked at him.

"I'd say she isn't too happy these days..." continued Hssimim.

"Good point..." said Taramanda.

She opened the drawer on her desk, and took out a small vial of red liquid

She held it up to the light and looked at it. Then she handed it to Hebi-Na. Hebi-Na frowned. She uncorked the vial, and quickly drank it.

"YUCK!" she grunted. "That tastes like sour tomato juice!"

"Good," said Taramanda. "That means you know it's working. Now go..."

"You know..." said Hssimim. "I also think we should..."

"Don't press your luck..." hissed Taramanda.

Hssimim backed off, as Hebi-Na slithered out of the room.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the entrance chamber, Ember was standing beside the doorway, with her sword drawn, trying very hard to keep calm.

_Stay focused Ember..._ she thought. _Wait for one of them to come after you, them take him down, then grab his symbol and make tracks out of here..._

_Then you can look Louie up again... And pull the man's intestines out through his nostrils!_

She tensed. Did she hear something?

She slowly looked, and saw Hebi-Na's snake-like eyes peering out of the darkness. She recognized them in an instant...

A split second later, Ember's sword was locked with Hebi-Na's own sword. Hebi-Na hissed angrily, but as Taramanda had said, Ember had gotten pretty strong.

Then Hebi-Na gained the upper hand, and with one swing, disarmed her foe. But as she lifted her weapon for another strike, a kick to the gut from Ember knocked her down and made her drop her own sword.

"Not bad..." panted Hebi-Na. "I guess they taught you a few moves."

"A few," said Ember.

Hebi-Na held up a symbol of Seghulerak.

"You want this, I assume?" she asked. "Well... You're welcome to try to take it from me..."

Ember was a little nervous. Her sword was on the ground, behind Hebi-Na. Without it, Hebi-Na had an advantage in a purely physical fight... Her tail was a potent weapon, and her fangs were even more lethal.

"Tell you what, Ember..." said Hebi-Na.

She put the symbol around her neck, and it shimmered in the torchlight.

"I'm willing to cut you a deal... We still have our Duel Disks... And I'm more than anxious for a rematch.

"You defeat me again, I'll hand over the symbol."

"And if I lose?" asked Ember.

"Then you surrender," replied Hebi-Na.

Ember didn't like the way she said that.

"Fine!" shouted Ember. "I beat you once, I'll do it again!"

Hebi-Na grinned evilly.

"Let me ask you something first..." she asked. "You ever hit rock-bottom, Ember?"

Ember looked at her.

"Can't say that I have..." she replied.

"Oh, I have..." said Hebi-Na. "The only way to hit rock-bottom is to hit with a crash, and it hurts, badly.

"I lost a lot when you beat me in that last duel... I lost the power I had... I lost my standing in the ophidia community...

"And when I was hijacked by that golem...

"No, let me change that... When I was _kidnapped_ by that golem and brought here, I lost the last thing I had, my self-respect. That was when I hit rock-bottom."

She glared at Ember, who was getting a little nervous.

"But..." said Hebi-Na, "if you hit rock-bottom and don't die as a result, there's one good part... You've got nowhere to go but up. I won my self-respect back... I'm slowly gaining back my power and my standing..."

"And why are you telling me this?" asked Ember.

"Because, little girl," said Hebi-Na, "once I finally defeat you, I'll be able to make a very big jump back up the ladder!

"I'll never have to worry about falling back to rock-bottom again...

"So let's begin..."

Both Duel Disks activated.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Hebi-Na: 8,000)**

"I'll make the first move," said Hebi-Na, drawing a card.

She placed a card on her Disk, and a set Monster appeared.

"That ought to do it for now..."

"Defending?" asked Ember, making a draw. "I expected you to come at me with both barrels loaded.

"I summon Flamvell Gurnika!"

The fiery Dragon-man appeared in an aura of flame. He growled angrily at Hebi-Na. (1,700 ATK)

"Seems he doesn't like you very much," said Ember.

"Ophidia have never gotten along very well with dragons," replied Hebi-Na. "Seghulerak once tried making a deal with Tiamat... Their meeting almost started a war."

"Well, Jalal doesn't like Tiamat all too much either..." said Ember. "Gurnika, attack!"

Gurnika blew a steam of flame at the facedown card...

The Monster that appeared was a tall bookshelf, lit up by old-fashioned lamps. The flames merely glanced off. (2,000 DEF)

"Sorry, Ember," said Hebi-Na, "but Royal Magical Library is tougher than you may think."

_Royal Magical Library?_ thought Ember. _Was kind of expecting something more reptilian..._

She took a card from her hand.

"I'll set a facedown, and then end my turn," she said.

A reversed card appeared behind Gurnika.

**(E: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 8,000)**

Hebi-Na drew a card. Then she quickly played it, fitting it into her Field Slot.

"Here's a special card I brought just for you, Ember," she said, "and both you and your Flamvells might remember it...

"Welcome... To Magical Citadel of Endymion!"

Ember stepped back in fear as the backdrop of the room changed, strange buildings of weird architecture rose on all sides, and a huge, mystical tower – the Citadel itself – rose behind Hebi-Na.

One of the lamps on Royal Magical Library lit up.

"Captivating, isn't it?" asked Hebi-Na.

"Sonja played a deck like this!" exclaimed Ember.

"It may even be the same deck," suggested Hebi-Na. "I was working for her, remember?

"Now, while you think of that, I'll play Spell Power Grasp..."

She played a Spell Card.

"This lets me put a Spell Counter on any card that can take one, so I'll put one on my Citadel.

"And my Citadel gains a second Counter, due to a Spell Card being played. Plus, Royal Magical Library gains one as well."

The second lamp on the Library lit up.

"Spell Power Grasp also lets me take a second Spell Power Grasp from my deck..." she continued.

A card slipped out of her deck.

"...but I can't use it until next round.

"Now, I'll summon Breaker the Magical Warrior..."

In a burst of dark energy, the battle-mage in crimson armor, a cape, and a peaked helmet, holding a sword and a shield with a shimmering gem in the center, appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Just by summoning him, he gains one Spell Counter that gives him 300 extra Attack Points."

(1,900 ATK)

"Now, I can expend that Counter to destroy one Spell or Trap Card... But thanks to my Citadel, once per round, whenever I would expend Spell Counters from a card, I can expend them from the Citadel instead."

Breaker's shield glowed, and Ember's facedown Martyr's Flame burst into fragments.

"All right!" shouted Hebi-Na. "Breaker, destroy Flamvell Gurnika with breaking blade."

Breaker rushed at the Dragon, and with one swipe cut it in half.

**(E: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 8,000)**

_Not good..._ thought Ember. _This Citadel is trouble... I should know..._

She made a draw.

_Well, I can get rid of Breaker at least..._

"I summon Evocator Chevalier," she said.

She played the card, and Chevalier appeared with his sword blazing. (1,900 ATK)

"Next, I'll boost his Attack Score with Salamandra."

She played the card, and the Warrior's sword burned fiercer. (2,600 ATK)

"Don't forget," said Ember, "Your Spell Card adds a Counter both to my Library and my Field Spell."

The third lamp on the Library lit.

"I know how Endymion works," said Ember. "Chevalier, toast her Magical Warrior!"

Chevalier slashed his sword downward and a wave of flame shot towards Breaker. He groaned, and shattered into shards.

**(E: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,300)**

"Not bad..." said Hebi-Na. "But since he was destroyed, his one Counter now goes to my Citadel, giving it a total of three.

"You might want to keep track... It's something that will be useful to know."

_I know,_ thought Ember. _If she ever gets six of them, it will be enough to Special Summon Endymion himself. And that would be very bad..._

Hebi-Na drew a card.

"First thing I'm gonna do," she said, "is play my second Spell Power Grasp."

She played the card.

"Now my Citadel gains two more Counters. Plus I get my third Spell Power Grasp."

A card slipped out of her deck.

"Next, I remove the three Counters from my Library to draw one card..."

The Library's three lamps dimmed. She made a draw.

"Now I ditch one of my cards to Special Summon The Tricky."

She discarded her last Spell Power Grasp, and a dark portal opened. A mysterious-looking figure dressed in a yellow and black harlequin outfit with a red question mark on its chest and face floated out. (2,000 ATK)

"Then, I summon Night's End Sorcerer."

A swarm of bats flew out the central tower of the Citadel, and another mysterious individual materialized. It looked like a young boy dressed in leather clothing and a tattered cape, holding a large scythe. (1,300 ATK)

Hebi-Na smiled evilly as she saw the expression on Ember's face.

"I'm guessing you remember that this guy is a Tuner," she said.

Night's End Sorcerer and The Tricky faded, and turned into seven glowing stars.

"Well, here's someone else who's really eager to see you again..."

A light fell from the sky, and a new Spellcaster appeared, this one far more intimidating than the others. He resembled the famous Dark Magician at first glance, but he wore silvery robes, covered with flame-like designs. (400 ATK)

He grinned slightly when he looked at Ember. It seemed he _did_ remember her...

"You probably also remember that Arcanite Magician gains two Spell Counters when he's summoned," said Hebi-Na, "and gains 1,000 Attack Points for each one."

(2,400 ATK)

"And I'm certain you remember that when he's on the field, I can spend a Spell Counter to destroy one of your cards. So I'll expend one from my Citadel, and..."

Ember gasped as Evocator Chevalier burst into pixilated shards.

"Attack directly!" shouted Hebi-Na. "Arcane flames!"

Ember screamed as the Spellcaster cast a burning bolt of fire from his staff, scorching her skin.

**(E: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,300)**

_This is bad..._ thought Ember, as she held her chest. _I gotta do something, or lord knows what's gonna happen..._

She made a draw.

"I remove Evocator Chevalier from play to Special Summon Inferno!" she shouted.

She pocketed the card, and the blazing bonfire with eyes appeared in front of her. (1,100 ATK)

"Next, I summon Magna Drago."

The small, red-scaled Dragon appeared next to the Pyro. (1,400 ATK)

"Now, let's bring them together..."

Magna Drago breathed flames, and the two Monsters flew over the city, fading into six glowing stars...

The ball of flame crashed to the ground, and Flamvell Urquizas emerged with a roar. (2,100 ATK)

"Very dramatic for someone who can't even do the job," said Hebi-Na.

"Not by himself," said Ember, as she played a Spell Card, "but once I play Battle-Tuned, I can remove Magna Drago from play, and give him a boost equal to Drago's Attack Points."

(3,500 ATK)

The two Synchro Monsters glared at each other...

"Attack!" shouted Ember. "Fist of flame!"

Flamvell Urquizas flew at Arcanite Magician, and gave him a sock in the chest. The Spellcaster flew backwards, and exploded against the base of the tower.

"Ergh..." said Hebi-Na.

**(E: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 6,200)**

"Not bad..." said Hebi-Na. "But by playing that Spell Card and destroying Arcanite Magician, three more Counters are added to my Citadel. I count eight right now..."

"I end my turn..." said Ember, slowly.

Urquizas's Attack Score lowered to 2,400.

Hebi-Na drew a card and looked at it.

"I'm guessing from the tone of your voice..." she said. "You obviously know that the number of Counters on my Citadel is past a certain number needed for something to happen..."

"Just move!" shouted Ember.

"Actually..." said Hebi-Na.

She added the card to her hand.

"...I choose to end my turn without making _any_ move. It's your turn."

Ember looked at her.

_She must not have drawn the big guy yet,_ she thought.

She made a draw.

_My only chance is to beat her before she does..._

"I throw a card facedown," she said, "and then summon Flame Ruler."

A facedown card appeared, and the Pyro with the fancy jacket appeared. (1,500 ATK)

"Urquizas, destroy Royal Magical Library!"

Urquizas flew at the large bookshelf and punched it hard, reducing it to a shower of flaming timbers and burning paper.

His Attack Score rose to 2,700.

"Flame Ruler, attack Hebi-Na directly!"

Flame Ruler formed two balls of flames in his hands, and hurled them at the ophidia. She groaned as the fire seared her skin.

**(E: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 4,300)**

"My move..." said Hebi-Na, drawing a card.

She looked at her hand, which consisted of Dark Red Enchanter, Pitch-Black Power Stone, Chaos Command Magician, and the card she had just drawn, Magical Mallet.

She quickly threw Magical Mallet into her Disk, playing it. She took three of her other cards, all of them except Chaos Command Magician, and shuffled them back into her deck.

Then she made three draws.

"Better..." she said.

"I summon Defender the Magical Knight."

In a burst of light, a Spellcaster that looked similar to Breaker, except in blue armor, appeared in front of her. He only carried a small dagger as a weapon, but did carry a very large shield in his other hand. (1,600 DEF)

"But he's not staying for long," continued Hebi-Na. "Just long enough for me to play Magical Dimension!"

She played another Spell Card.

"Since I have a Spellcaster on the field, I can sacrifice a Monster..."

Defender vanished into pixels.

"...to summon a stronger Spellcaster from my hand. Chaos Command Magician!"

In another aura of light, a tall Spellcaster with a peaked hat and a glossy black robe appeared. (2,400 ATK)

"Then, step two of Magical Dimension... I can destroy one Monster."

Ember gasped as Urquizas shattered into shards.

"Now that he's gone... Attack Flame Ruler! Chaos Magic!"

Chaos Command Magician pointed his staff, and fired a blast of multicolored light, blasting the Pyro out of existence. Ember fell on her behind.

**(E: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 4,300)**

"That ought to do it..." said Hebi-Na.

_Focus, Ember, focus!_ thought Ember. _Don't let her get to you! This isn't Sonja you're dealing with! She's just using a similar deck!_

She looked at her own deck.

_And I can cope..._

She drew one card.

She grinned.

"I activate Call of the Haunted!" she shouted.

Her facedown card flipped up, and Flame Ruler appeared again. (1,500 ATK)

"Next, I'll sacrifice him..."

Flame Ruler vanished into an orb of light.

"...to summon Infernal Flame Emperor!"

A bonfire erupted on Ember's side of the field, and the flaming, winged king of Pyros emerged with a bellow. (2,700 ATK)

For the first time, Hebi-Na seemed nervous.

"Attack Chaos Command Magician!" shouted Ember. "Flaming rage!"

The Emperor let loose a super-hot blast of fire and Hebi-Na was knocked down as her Monster was incinerated.

**(E: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 4,000)**

"You think I'm afraid of you, Hebi-Na?" asked Ember. "You think I'm afraid of a bunch of Spellcasters or a silly Field Spell!

"You may be a snake, but you're far from the overwhelming force of evil that your old boss was. All you are is a common crook, and that's all you'll likely ever be.

"You never even took any initiative on your own. All you were ever good for was to do what you were told. You did so when you worked for Sonja, and you're doing it now for whoever is pulling your strings from the inside of this palace.

"You never hit rock-bottom... Doing so would imply that you had some lofty height to fall from, and you never did..."

Hebi-Na looked at Ember intently.

"My move..." she said, softly.

"Maybe you're right... Maybe all I am is a pawn... Maybe I'm seen as expendable even...

"But Ember... You ever hear the expression, 'When life gives you lemons, make lemonade'?"

"Yes," said Ember.

"I say," said Hebi-Na, "when life gives you lemons, take the lemons and throw them at whatever gave them to you.

"I summon Magical Exemplar."

A soft light materialized in front of Hebi-Na, and a new female Spellcaster appeared. She looked like a princess from some RPG game, with a green jacket-dress combination, covered with odd symbols. (1,700 ATK)

"Next..." she said, as she played the card she had just drawn, "I play Mystical Space Typhoon."

A cyclone of wind tore across the field, and Ember's Call of the Haunted shattered to pieces.

"WHAT THE??" shouted Ember. "That Trap Card was serving no purpose after I sacrificed Flame Ruler! Why the heck did you waste your Typhoon to destroy it!"

"Because I needed to play a Spell Card to give Magical Exemplar two Spell Counters," said Hebi-Na. "And now that she has them, I'll expend them to Special Summon a Level 2 Spellcaster from my Graveyard."

Night's End Sorcerer appeared next to Magical Exemplar. (1,300 ATK)

"I don't really need to do this..." she continued, "but just to spite you... I'll use his effect, and remove two cards in your Graveyard from play..."

Flamvell Urquizas and Flamvell Gurnika fell out of Ember's discard slot.

"And you were right, by the way... This isn't Sonja's deck... She did not have the Synchro Monster I'm about to summon. Who knows how your duel with her might have turned out if she had?"

Magical Exemplar and Night's End Sorcerer faded, and then dissolved into six glowing stars...

And then the stars turned into a swarm of bats, and night fell over the Magical Citadel of Endymion as a new Monster started to take form.

She looked like Magical Exemplar, only more serious, wearing a midnight blue dress, holding Night's End Sorcerer's scythe. (2,200 ATK)

"Who's that?" asked Ember.

"Tempest Magician," replied Hebi-Na. "And before you say that she isn't strong enough to beat your Monster, I know, she isn't. But that's not what she's going to do.

"You see, with her on the field, I can remove every Spell Counter from every card on the field, and dish-out 500 points of damage for each one. Counting the one she gained herself when I summoned her, there are thirteen right now."

Ember stopped short.

"Mmm..." said Hebi-Na. "You did strike me as someone who was pretty good at math!"

Tempest Magician lifted her scythe over her head and chanted a great command. Ember screamed at the top of her lungs as lightning fell from the sky, striking her.

**(E: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 4,000)**

Ember was panting hard. She slowly got up.

She coughed, and spit up blood...

Then, to her surprise, something forced her to her knees. Something was making her kneel.

"What's happening?" she groaned.

"You're surrendering," said Hebi-Na, as she slithered up to her. "The Empress put a geas on you at the beginning of the duel to make sure you didn't go back on the wager.

"I'll admit that I was a little misleading when I said you had to surrender if you lost. I didn't specifically say you had to surrender to me."

"How?" moaned Ember. "Your Empress wasn't dueling..."

"I drank something before coming here that makes me her proxy," replied Hebi-Na. "A conduit of sorts. For as long as it lasts, she can see through my eyes, hear through my ears, and even cast spells through me from a distance.

"Like the one she's about to cast... On you. Hold still..."

Ember felt like something was crawling all over her. Then she saw what it was. Some sort of silk was looping around her.

She tried to scream, but she suddenly felt incredibly sleepy.

"Just relax, Ember..." she heard Hebi-Na's voice say, as she slowly drifted into unconsciousness. "I'd be lying if said this was going to be pleasant... But how much it will hurt you depends entirely on how much you fight it..."

As the silk formed into a tight cocoon, Ember fell into a deep slumber...

Hebi-Na took a deep breath as she looked at her deck.

"To think..." she said. "Hssimim actually had a good idea..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Back at the townhouse, worry turned to fear when a call to Ember's mobile revealed the line to be dead.

"People," said Gears, who was looking at his computer. "There's no signal from her D-Wheel either... Something bad has happened."

"I'm on it," said Shichiro, as he turned on the video phone.

After a few ring tones, Jeager appeared on it, working on his own computer.

"What is it, Osaka?" he asked. "I thought you people would be out hunting snakes by now."

"Is that where Ember went?" asked Shichiro. "Where did you tell her to go?"

"Eh?" said Jeager. "She didn't tell you? I told her to look up some two-bit hood called Lime Juice Louie."

Gears rubbed his chin. He quickly turned to his computer and accessed the criminal pseudonyms file.

"He's a snakeblooded human who probably works for the ophidia," continued Jeager. "But I never figured he was a big player."

Louie's mug shot came up on Gears's screen, along with his real name, Louis Telford Porter.

_No wonder he uses a nickname,_ he thought.

"Hey, Jeager!" called Gears. "Does this guy know enough about computers to hack a system?"

"Oh, please," replied Jeager. "I doubt this guy could comprehend a slide rule on his own."

"Thanks, Jeager, we owe you one," said Shichiro.

"You owe me twelve, but who's counting?" asked Jeager.

He hung up.

"Why'd you want to know if this guy could use a computer?" asked Jinx.

"He has two criminal marks," replied Gears. "We all know that those things are pointless if put on someone who has even moderate hacking skills.

"But if this Louie person has none, the equipment on my D-Wheel should lead us to him as well as any Security can."

The three of them rushed out to the garage, and mounted their rides.

Gears entered some information on his console quickly.

"Bingo," he said. "Those two marks are making him stick out like a sore thumb.

"They're coming from the slums of Satellite... Time to go find out just what's going on."

"We'd best hurry," said Jinx. "I have a feeling that Ember got far more than what she bargained for..."

The three D-Wheels sped off, as the sun started to set. Gabriel was flying after them.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Trueman walked into the underground chamber with the pool.

He watched as the being slowly rose to the surface.

"Yes, my lord?" he asked.

"_It seems those snakes have finally done something right," _said the being. _"Nevertheless, I want to make sure that they finish what they start."_

A deck appeared on the pedestal in the center of the room.

"_I used the card you supplied, and constructed this deck to your specifications. Many of the cards were hard to get... But on the other hand, many of them were very easy to get. _

"_When the typical duelist doesn't know about the capabilities of some of the rarest cards, you can find incredibly powerful accessories in a discount bin."_

Trueman picked up the deck.

"So what do I do now?" he asked.

"_Go to Satellite and trail the three others,"_ said the being. _"They will likely seek out the one called Lime Juice Louie. They will find him incredibly formidable, and even if he is defeated, the one who defeats him will likely be exhausted from the effort. _

"_You will then deal with one of those who remain..._

"_But above all else, keep them from getting too close to the ophidia's compound. Ember will have to work harder than the others to receive the Titan who has chosen her, because that Titan cannot come to her. Thus, if Ember is disposed of, they will have lost something irreplaceable."_

Trueman bowed, and then exited the chamber.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Jinx: There are many levels of evil. The Earthbound Gods were evil unlike any that mortal man could comprehend. And they channeled their power through people like Rudger Godwin, who was also evil, but on a lesser scale.**

**And then there were other evils, who didn't seek to destroy the world like the Dark Signers did, but simply sought power, and who were willing to selfishly and callously manipulate others in their mad quest to acquire such.**

**I'm now facing Lime Juice Louie, and the scope of his evil doesn't even come close to men like that... But the deck he's using once belonged to someone far more evil than he. And strangely, the more a person digresses into darkness, the mote powerful he becomes... The deck I'm facing has power that Louie could only have dreamed of having previously. **

**What have I gotten into?**

"**Chaos Greed" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Bubonis, Spawn of the Plague**

Not all Shadowkind are native to the homeworld of Shadow. The arcane golems are one example of a species that is native to Earth. Another, far more dangerous species is one that is hated by all fey – the foulspawn.

Foulspawn are created when vile and unpleasant events of the natural world are combined with large amounts of supernatural energy. In a sense, while fey represent the wonder and majesty of nature, foulspawn represent all that is ugly and unpleasant about it. Where filth, decay, and disgusting things occur in nature, the foulspawn may be created. The fey hate foulspawn with a passion, and the feeling is mutual.

Bubonis is the most powerful foulspawn on Earth, as well as the one who has survived the longest (they don't die naturally, but most die from violence eventually). He is the living embodiment of the plague that he is named after, and was created at the height of the Black Death in Europe in the Fourteenth Century. To those who can see his true form, Bubonis has lumpy, hairless skin the color of a bruise, with slime and foul liquid seeping from his pores. He wears a white military uniform, which oddly enough, is always impeccably clean, despite his disgusting perspiration.

Bubonis's history and his conflicts with the fey races is a very long story. Since he has survived this long, one gets the feeling that his age has given him both intelligence and wisdom. It is known that he cannot spread disease via his own personal power, and in recent years, he has been studying diseases in many forms, making deals with several individuals to get samples and set up shop at various locations.

Of course, getting samples of smallpox, anthrax, and rabies is not easy, and getting them legally is pretty much impossible. His contacts are always criminals of considerable power, and he is even rumored to be allied with Red Shroud. The Shadowchasers have raided his labs numerous times, confiscating his experiments and arresting several lesser foulspawn. However, they have not yet caught Bubonis, who always manages to flee with his most important journals before they get there.

With the threat of germ warfare very real, Bubonis is considered a dangerous criminal by the Shadowchasers. Bubonis, however, is likely in no hurry to finish his plans – when you've been around for as long as he has, you learn to be patient.

**Story Ideas:** Bubonis's ultimate plan likely involves a strike against fey communities in one way or another. Foulspawn rarely make any long-term goals that don't involve striking against their hated enemies. The race's ultimate goal is to invade the Feywild and conquer it, but none of them likely believe this will ever be accomplished.

Exactly what Bubonis is planning to do with the germs he obtains is anyone's guess. A plot he might orchestrate could involve creating a new strain of smallpox that was especially potent against the fey races, or mutating it into a new disease entirely. There's also the frightening possibility that he could convert curses like lycanthropy into viral form, making them easier to spread.

Shadowchasers who hear news of this Shadow's activities should take nothing for granted and follow every lead as far as it will go. There are Shadows more powerful than Bubonis, but very few have the potential to be more dangerous.

**Deck Suggestions:** Bubonis has never had to duel in order to escape the Shadowchasers, but he has prepared a deck in case he has to. His deck, as befits him, is a Simochi Deck, which converts Life Point gain into burn damage. In addition to using Bad Reaction to Simochi to achieve this goal, he uses Nurse Reficule the Fallen One – a Monster whose irony has not escaped him (a nurse who does the opposite of what a nurse is supposed to do). The fact that Reficule is a fallen angel pleases him as well; Bubonis is himself a corrupted being, so using another one seems to fit.


	26. Chaos Greed

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL TWENTY-SIX**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chaos Greed**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Hebi-Na carried the cocoon into Taramanda's throne room, and set it down before Taramanda. As she did so, Csimith walked in behind her.

"There!" said Hebi-Na. "One Shadowchaser, gift wrapped."

"Whoa..." said one of Taramanda's bodyguards. "Does this mean she's gonna turn into a butterfly?"

"No, stupid!" said the bodyguard next to him, knocking him on the head. "The cocoon keeps her asleep while her mind is trapped in the Venomous Tarns."

"Indeed," said Taramanda, getting off her throne. "Let's see how Ember is progressing..."

She prodded the cocoon and concentrated.

"Hmm..." she said. "Seems her resistance is rather high..."

"Should we be worried about that?" asked Csimith.

"Hardly," said Taramanda. "No-one can escape from this without the aid of a third party."

She sat back down.

"And that's not going to happen. No-one's getting in on our end...

"And I doubt that the Venomous Tarns will be getting any unexpected visitors. The Ship of Chaos is due to reappear any day now, which means the armies of Demogorgon, Orcus, _and_ Graz'zt will be patrolling every nexus in the Abyss. Only the suicidal would travel there, and all demons not allied with one of them know enough to stay at home.

"As for Ember, no-one's resistance can hold out forever. The record is five hours.

"Just to be safe... Msskim, take it to the Temple, and have someone watch it."

"Yes, my queen," said Msskim.

He lifted up the cocoon.

"Just to be _extra_ safe," continued Taramanda. "Csimith, give someone else one of my special crossbows and tell him to guard the entrance chamber. Tell him to shoot anyone who comes in without my express permission."

"I'm on it," said the chamberlain.

"Be sure that you are," said Taramanda. "I don't want any screw-ups this time..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Shichiro, Jinx, and Gears walked down the street in Satellite towards the Bar With No Name, with Gabriel following close behind.

"What was this Lime Juice Louie arrested for to earn him those marks anyway?" asked Jinx.

"Possession of a controlled substance," replied Gears. "He was also arrested once for dealing the stuff, which could have gotten him put away for a long time... But the charges were dropped for lack of evidence."

"Be on your toes, people," said Shichiro. "We don't know what to expect."

The bar was even more crowded than last time, seeing as it was now six o'clock. Louie was sitting at a table, with his arm around a woman with blue hair in a revealing outfit (who didn't seem very happy to be with him, actually) drinking from a mug. He wasn't drunk, yet, but would likely be so soon.

Jinx slammed her hand down on the table.

"Excuse me," said Louie, "this is a private gathering..."

"We're inviting ourselves to it," said Jinx. "We're looking for someone named Eiko Michiko, a tall, red-haired young woman, nineteen years old. We know she was looking for you."

"Sorry..." said Louie. "Haven't seen her..."

"What are you talking about, Louie?" said the half-orc bartender. "She was the one who you were with two hours ago... The one you led out of here, remember?"

"Hey..." said Louie.

Before he could do anything else, Jinx grabbed him by the collar.

"You damn snitch, Fred!" shouted Louie.

"I warned you that there'd be consequences for not paying your bar tab and then getting your pals to threaten to burn this place down if I stopped serving you," said the bartender.

"Pals?" shouted Jinx. "Who are these pals?"

"The ophidia," said an orc at the next table. "This lowlife owes me three million yen, but a gang of them told me to 'forget' about it if I didn't want to end up like my idiot brother. He lost an arm dealing with them."

"Yeah, and they have pictures of me that they threatened to post on the internet," said the woman, standing up. "I only hang out with this cockroach because it's the only way I'll ever get the negatives."

"This is probably why the drug dealing charges against him were dropped," said Gears. "The judge was likely bought... Or even more likely, blackmailed..."

"Louie," said the woman, "when they let you make your one phone call, don't call me."

She got up and walked out.

"Looks like you don't have many friends here, Louie..." said Jinx. "Of course, if you really are working for the ophidia, that isn't surprising.

"Now tell us where Ember is or I'll rip your lungs out."

"You rip my lungs out," said Louie, "Ember is as good as dead.

"Still... There is one way you might loosen my lips..."

He tapped the Duel Disk on his left arm.

"Jinx..." said Gears. "Every minute counts..."

"Tough crumbs," said Louie. "I'm not talking unless we duel, fair and square. You win, I'll sing.

"I win, I want a half-hour head start."

"You drive a hard bargain..." said Jinx.

She let him go.

"Clear the floor!" shouted the bartender.

Everyone moved the tables aside, forming a wide, open space.

"Two-thousand yen says the Shadowchaser cleans his clock," said another orc to a bugbear.

"You certain?" asked the bugbear. "Louie's been bragging that he has a better deck now…"

"That's right…" said Louie, with a sinister expression. "You're gonna regret coming here. I may be the kind of guy that rich folks in the city call Satellite Scum...

"But this new deck I have... It's one that used to belong to one of those rich folks who called me a Satellite Scum! I'll wipe the floor with you."

"We'll soon see..." said Jinx.

Both Disks activated.

**(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Louie: 8,000)**

"I'll make the first move..." said Louie, making a draw.

He looked at the card.

He set it on his Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"I'll leave it at that," he said.

"Then it's my move..." said Jinx, making a draw.

"I play Gaia Power!"

She fit the card into her Field Slot, and the bar quickly turned into a lush, green forest.

"Next, I'll summon X-Saber Galahad."

In a flash of light, the toad-like Warrior in bronze armor appeared. (1,800 ATK) –) (2,300 ATK)

"Attack his Monster!" she shouted.

Galahad charged at the Monster, his Attack Score rising to 2,600. A weird Monster appeared on the card. It looked like a nutty professor with a big head, dressed in a lab coat and a helmet covered with light bulbs.

Galahad stabbed it, and it shattered.

"You just destroyed Doctor Cranium," said Louie, with a grin. "And when that happens, I can drop 800 Life Points to take any Psychic Monster I want from my deck."

A card slipped out of his deck, and he took it.

"Psychic Monsters?" said Gears.

"Not exactly what I was expecting either..." said Shichiro.

**(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 7,200)**

"My move..." said Louie.

He drew a card.

"I summon Krebons."

There was a burst of digital ones and zeroes, and a new Monster started to take form. It looked like a harlequin in basic shape, its clothing covered with circuitry, and the symbols for "greater than/less than or equal to" instead of eyes. Its limbs were not actually connected to its torso. (1,200 ATK)

"It's your move..."

Jinx drew a card.

"I set a Monster and two facedown cards," she said.

Two reversed cards and a reversed Monster appeared.

"...and then I attack with Galahad!"

Galahad lunged at Krebons...

"Not so fast!" shouted Louie. "When Krebons is attacked, I can spend 800 Life Points to stop the attack cold!"

Krebons cackled, and a dome of energy blocked Galahad's advance.

**(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 6,400)**

"Oh, this is rich!" laughed Gabriel. "At this rate, Jinx won't even need to inflict damage... Louie will do himself in with his Monster's effects!"

"Psychic Monsters have incredibly powerful effects," said Gears. "But the thing is, most of them require Life Point payments to use. These cards are not for beginners."

"Maybe so..." said Louie.

He made a draw.

"But now it's time to show you how an expert uses them..."

He opened his Field Slot and placed a card in it.

"I play Brain Research Lab."

The thick forest melted away, and a vastly different backdrop surrounded the duelists. They were now in a dark, ominous laboratory, surrounded by computers and scientific paraphernalia. Most shocking was the cylindrical tank of liquid behind Louie, which held a human brain floating inside it, hooked up to electrodes.

Jinx nervously looked at the brain. She could tell it was not only alive, but sentient. It seemed to be looking at her...

"I'm not exactly sure who's brain that is," said Louie, "but this Field Spell has two benefits for anyone who uses Psychic Monsters.

"First, each duelist can put a Counter on the card to make a second Normal Summon each turn, so long as he uses the second one to summon a Psychic Monster.

"Second, if I ever have to pay Life Points to use the effect of a Psychic Monster, I just put a Counter on the card, and I don't have to pay it!"

"Oh, come on!" said Jinx. "A Field Spell that powerful has to have a catch of some sort..."

"Well, yes... It has a catch..." said Louie. "If the Field Spell itself is ever destroyed, bounced, spun, displaced, or otherwise done away with, I take 1,000 points of damage per Counter.

"So, to be on the safe side..."

He fit a Spell Card into his Disk.

"I play Field Barrier! Now you _can't_ destroy my Lab unless you destroy this Spell Card first!

"Now, let's continue... I summon Psychic Snail!"

In an aura of eerie energy, a weird-looking humanoid mollusk with arms and a snail's shell on its back, with horns on its head appeared. (1,900 ATK)

"Then, I'll put one Counter on my Field Spell to also summon Psychic Commander."

Another bizarre creature appeared. From the waist up, it was a robot dressed in a military uniform, with a metal grill for a face. From the waist down, it was a cross between a tank and a hovercraft. (1,400 ATK)

"Next, I use Psychic Snail's effect..." said Louie. "It can give any other Psychic I control the ability to attack twice for this round.

"Usually, that costs 800 Life Points per use, but with my Lab footing the bill, I'll use the effect twice!"

Both Krebons and Psychic Commander glowed with powerful energy.

"Commander, you're up first!" he shouted.

The Psychic fired a blast from its cannon at Galahad, and his Attack Score fell to 1,300. Galahad groaned before exploding into shards.

Then the Commander fired again, blowing X-Saber Palomlo to bits.

"Krebons, attack directly!" shouted Louie.

Krebons laughed, and prepared to fire a bolt of energy.

"Go, Dimensional Prison!" shouted Jinx, as her facedown card shot up.

"Eh?" said Louie.

He gasped as Krebons was vaporized.

"Oh, very tricky..." growled Louie.

"I realized that Krebons was an invincible wall with your Lab," said Jinx. "And I also knew that your Snail can't attack because it used its effect."

Louie set a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Then it's your move..." he said.

**(J: 7,900) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 6,400)**

Jinx made a draw.

"Because I have two X-Sabers in my Graveyard…" she said, "I can Special Summon XX-Saber Gardestrike!"

With a fierce howl, the scarlet-caped Beast-Warrior appeared. (2,100 ATK)

"Next, Call of the Haunted!" she shouted, as her other facedown card shot up.

In a flash of light, Galahad appeared again. (1,800 ATK)

"Next, I'll summon X-Saber Airbellum."

In another flash, the wild X-Saber appeared, baring his claws.

"Now, I Tune together Galahad and Airbellum…"

The two X-Sabers faded into seven glowing stars…

"…to Synchro Summon X-Saber Urbellum!"

With a roar, the barbarian lord appeared, drawing his two longswords. (2,200 ATK)

She stopped to think for a minute.

_When I attack his Psychics,_ she thought, _he can use his Commander's effect, and pay up to 500 Life Points to weaken the attacking Monster by the same amount._

_So I'd best deal with that first…_

"Urbellum, destroy Psychic Commander!"

Urbellum made a slash at the android with one blade. The Commander grunted, and then exploded into shards of metal.

"Gardestrike, smash that Snail! Scimitar slash!"

Gardestrike made a charge, rushing past Psychic Snail on his follow-through. The mollusk held its stomach, and then shattered.

"Ergh…" said Louie.

**(J: 7,900) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 5,400)**

Jinx fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Your move, Louie," she said.

"Tell me, Shadowchaser…" said Louie, cheerfully, as he made a draw. "You're likely wondering where this deck of mine came from."

"No!" shouted Jinx. "I'm not! Just move!"

"Oh?" replied Louie. "It belonged to Divine."

"Divine??" gasped Shichiro.

"The guy was _swallowed_ by Ccarayhua," said Gears, "and his deck survived??

Louie nodded.

"As you know..." he said, "when Aki dueled Misty in their final battle, Divine started messing with Aki's mind, and did all he could to keep Yusei away. But Yusei outsmarted him, and got him to confess that he was the true person responsible for the death of Misty's brother, making sure Misty could hear.

"Then Divine did something really dumb. He insulted Misty's brother, calling him weak. He apparently forgot about his last encounter with an Earthbound God. For some unknown reason, Ccarayhua chose to physically devour him, rather than absorb his essence the way Earthbound Gods did with most mortals.

"Misty was about to surrender the duel, but Ccarayhua didn't allow it, and forced her to continue. But Aki won in the end...

"But anyway, no-one, not Aki, not Yusei, not Divine, not even Misty knew about the additional spectators to whole encounter. Five ophidia were watching, from safely outside the edge of the Lizard Geoglyph. They didn't have anything sinister in mind... To reptilian Shadowkind, seeing the ancient Lizard God was like seeing a celebrity arrive in town.

"Anyway, when Aki defeated her Dark Signer counterpart, and everyone had left, the ophidia looked around, hoping to find a souvenir. What they found was a deck case with this deck. Maybe Divine had dropped it right before Ccarayhua grabbed him. Who knows?

"The ophidia had no use for it... But they agreed to give it to me as payment if I ever helped them do something truly important. Seems delivering Ember to them fit the bill..."

Jinx glared at him.

"Make... your... move..." she snarled.

"Gladly," said Louie.

"I summon Power Injector!"

The Monster that appeared looked like Frankenstein's Monster in a blue jacket, with two tanks full of red liquid covering its arms. (1,300 ATK)

"Next, I'll place a Counter on my Field Spell to make a second Normal Summon… This Monster is Level 6, but seeing as I already have a Psychic on the field, I'm allowed to summon it without a sacrifice.

"Meet Armored Axon Kicker!"

There was a burbling, bubbling sound, and a weird creature dressed in what appeared to be a cross between the trappings of an astronaut and those of a deep sea diver, colored green, with tubes all over, materialized next to Power Injector. (2,200 ATK)

"Next, I'll place another Counter on the Field Spell to use Power Injector's effect, and raise the Attack Scores of all my Psychics by 500 points for this round."

Power Injector rose to a score of 1,800, while Armored Axon Kicker rose to 2,700.

"This guy sure is being careless with that Field Spell," said Gabriel. "One Giant Trunade, and he is dead meat."

"I don't recall Jinx ever using Giant Trunade…" said Gears, nervously.

"Ain't that a shame," said Louie,

Armored Axon Kicker formed a ball of energy in its hand, and hurled it at Urbellum. He groaned, and exploded into shards of light.

"Of course, Armored Axon Kicker has a side effect that my Field Spell _can't_ absorb," continued Louie. "When it destroys a Monster, I take damage equal to half that Monster's Attack Points.

"BUT… I'm also allowed to summon a Psychic from my Graveyard with an Attack Score equal to or less than the damage I took. There's only one that fits the bill…"

Doctor Cranium appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (100 DEF)

"Yeah?" said Jinx. "Well, I'm paying 500 Life Points to summon X-Saber Palomlo to the field."

Palomlo appeared, kneeling and crouching behind his spear. (300 DEF)

"Now, I use my Trap Card," said Louie, as his facedown card lifted up. "Psychic Rejuvenation. I now gain 1,000 Life Points for each Psychic I have."

He glowed with energy as his Life Points went up.

"And that's all for now…"

**(J: 6,900) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 7,300)**

Jinx quickly made a draw.

"I activate Gatmuz's Urgent Orders!" she shouted, as her facedown card lifted up.

In twin auras of light Urbellum. (2,200 ATK) and Galahad (1,800 ATK) reappeared in front of her.

"Next, I'll Tune together Galahad and Palomlo…"

The two X-Sabers faded into five glowing stars.

"To Synchro Summon X-Saber Wayne!"

There was a galloping of hooves, and the rugged cowboy leapt onto the field. He and Urbellum glanced at each other, and the two X-Sabers nodded before turning to Louie and his mob of Psychics. (2,100 ATK)

"Next, the Equip Spell, Sword of Sparkles," said Jinx.

Urbellum stashed his two blades on his back. Then the legendary blade of the X-Sabers appeared in his hand.

"Urbellum, destroy Power Injector!"

The barbarian grunted, and lunged at the foul thing, swinging the sacred blade. Power Injector's eyes bugged out, and then exploded into a blast of foul slime and fluid.

"Now, I use the effect of Sword of Sparkles," said Jinx, "to also destroy Armored Axon Kicker."

Urbellum made another slash, and the Psychic in the weird suit shuddered for a second before shattering into pieces.

"Wayne, the last one! Saber Six-Shooter!"

Wayne fired his weapon, blowing Doctor Cranium to pieces.

"You remember Doctor Cranium's effect, right?" asked Louie. "I now get to take any Psychic I want from my deck… Only this time, I can place a Counter on my Lab to avoid paying the cost."

"Enough with the Field Spell, we get it!" shouted Gears.

A card slipped out of Louie's deck, and he took it.

_Next round…_ he thought, _this duel begins in earnest…_

"Gardestrike, attack him directly!" shouted Jinx.

The Beast-Warrior leapt at Louie, and hit him hard with his scimitar. Louie screamed and fell over. The bar patrons cheered and threw coins.

"Not bad," said Jinx. "Maybe I'll have him do an encore later… I end my turn…"

**(J: 6,900) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 4,400)**

Louie got up, with a foul look on his face. His snakeblooded heritage was starting to show through more prominently now… His canine teeth were now clearly fangs.

"I've got a question for you, Shadowchaser…" he hissed.

He made a draw.

"A few rounds ago, I had Psychic Commander, who was a Level 3 Tuner, plus Psychic Snail, a Level 4 non-Tuner… Did you ever wonder why I didn't summon Psychic Lifetrancer when I had the chance?"

"No, I…" started Jinx.

She stopped short.

"Come to think of it, that was kinda dumb…"

"Well, the thing is, this deck didn't come with any Synchros," replied Louie. "I'd love to summon Magical Android, or Thought Ruler Archfiend…

"But the ophidia who found this deck didn't find Divine's Synchros. As you know, Synchros are kept in the part of the Duel Disk that contains the Extra Deck, and that was never recovered.

"But… If wishes were fishes, as they say… Divine still had some powerful cards that weren't Synchros. Take the Level 8 Monster I'm about to summon."

"Level 8?" said Shichiro. "Even with the Field Spell, you'd need to swap two Monsters to summon it."

"Not if I use this Spell Card," said Louie.

He played a card, and a Continuous Spell Card appeared.

"It's called Teleport. With this card on the field, if you have Monsters and I don't, I can pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon a Psychic from my hand, no matter how powerful it is.

"And the Monster I'm about to summon is the second-most powerful Psychic that you'd ever see in the Main Deck. The only Psychic that's stronger which isn't a Synchro or a Fusion is the incredibly rare Hyper Psychic Blaster/Assault Mode."

He quickly played a card.

"Come forth… _Master Gig_!"

In an aura of eerie energy, a large, frightening-looking creature appeared in the center of the lab. It looked like a huge egg made of black metal, with upward-pointing horns surrounding the circumference, and a small head on top. (2,600 ATK)

"Uh…" said Jinx.

"Now I use its effect!" shouted Louie. "By paying 1,000 Life Points, which I can get around by placing a Counter on my Lab, I can destroy one Monster for each Psychic I have."

The air started to ripple, and Urbellum screamed. He exploded into shards.

"Just wait until you see his regular attack," continued Louie. "Attack X-Saber Wayne with psionic storm!"

The name of the attack fit it completely. A storm of psychic energy ripped through the whole Lab, forming a virtual hurricane. Wayne let out a holler, and then exploded.

Jinx looked dumbfounded, and Wayne's hat fluttered to the ground, and then disintegrated.

"I pay 500 Life Points to Special Summon Palomlo!" she shouted.

Palomlo appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (300 DEF)

Louie set his last card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"I end my turn…" he said.

**(J: 5,900) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 3,600)**

Jinx slowly drew a card.

_One Seriousness…_ she thought.

She set it in her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

_He'll probably __destroy Palomlo with Master Gig's effect,_ she thought. _If he were to choose to destroy Gardestrike, he wouldn't do any damage when he attacked, because Palomlo is in Defense Mode. If he does, I can activate One Seriousness, and defeat Master Gig. It's my only chance… And since Louie has no cards in his hand, it just might work._

Louie made a draw.

"How fortunate..." he said. "I summon Destructotron!"

In a burst of energy, another mechanical Psychic appeared. It looked more like a Machine than any other Type of Monster, with four spindly legs, robotic arms, and a computer screen for a head, with a sinister face on it. (1,600 ATK)

"And wait until you see what he can do," said Louie. "By paying 1,000 Life Points, he can destroy one facedown Spell or Trap Card.

"Man, I love this Field Spell!"

Destructotron fired a beam of energy from its screen, and blew One Seriousness to particles.

"Plus, since I now have two Psychics, Master Gig's effect works on two Monsters!"

The air started to warp and bend again, and XX-Saber Gardestrike and X-Saber Palomlo shattered into particles.

"Jinx, no!" screamed Gabriel.

"Now I've got something for you..." said Louie.

Destructotron's screen flashed, and lightning bolts shot from it. Jinx screamed as electricity coursed through her.

Then she screamed even louder as Master Gig's psionic storm struck, with her at the center, lifting her off her feet and buffeting her with its savage winds.

Then she was dumped on the floor, hardly knowing which end was up, and feeling like her internal organs had been rearranged somehow.

**(J: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 3,600)**

Then she felt something strange. Drops of water were splashing on her face…

She looked up, and saw that Gabriel was perched over her, and was crying. The tears that were falling on her were causing energy to flow though her…

"Get that bird out of there!" shouted Louie.

Jinx stood up and took a deep breath. Gabriel flew back to Gears and Shichiro.

"Too late, Louie," she said, "I'm back in this… And I'm gonna clean your clock…"

She looked at her deck.

_I just wish I knew how…_ she thought. _Divine was scum, but his deck was clearly one of the most powerful in the city! I have no cards in my hand, none on the field… If my next draw isn't a miracle…_

She drew a card.

It was Bronze Warrior.

_No…__ This guy isn't gonna do it…_

She set it on her Disk, and it appeared reversed. She closed her eyes, and a tear fell down her face.

_I'm sorry Ember…_she thought. _I tried…_

"My move…" said Louie.

He drew a card.

"Destructotron, wipe out her Monster!"

"HUH?" said Jinx, opening her eyes wide.

Destructotron blasted its lightning, but it merely glanced off of Bronze Warrior. (1,800 DEF)

"Eighteen-hundred Defense Points??" shouted Louie.

"Why didn't you use Master Gig's effect?" asked Jinx.

"Didn't want to…" muttered Louie.

The psionic storm blew again, and Bronze Warrior was blown to pieces.

"Didn't want to?" said Jinx.

"Wait… wait!" said Gears. "Master Gig has a weakness, and I think I figured it out. It can destroy a number of Monsters equal to the number of Psychic Monsters you have. No more, and no less either. Since Louie had two Psychic Monsters, it could only destroy two. It couldn't destroy one. And it can only destroy opposing Monsters, not your own."

"Yeah, you hit the nail on the head," said Louie. "But just try to defeat it anyway."

"My draw!" said Jinx, drawing a card.

She quickly played it, and a reversed card appeared.

"You think that scares me?" said Louie, as he made a draw. "Did you forget what Destructotron can do to Spells and Traps?

"Destructotron, wipe out that card!"

"Not if I activate it before it can do so!" shouted Jinx, as it shot up. "The Trap Card, Reinforce Truth!

"I have to skip my Battle Phase to activate this card, but since it's your turn, that doesn't matter. I now get to Special Summon a Level 2 or lower Warrior from my deck.

"X-Saber Passiul, appear!"

Passiul materialized, crouching behind his sword. (0 DEF)

"And he can't be destroyed by battle. Since your Master Gig can't destroy it with its effect, he'll make an effective shield."

Louie growled.

"I'll just augment my forces, then..." he said. "I summon Pandaborg..."

He played a card, and a large panda covered with cybernetics materialized next to the other two Psychics. (1,700 ATK)

"...and I end my turn."

Jinx paused.

_Passiul will only protect me for one more turn,_ she thought. _Due to his effect, if two of his Standby Phases go by, I lose..._

She drew a card.

She smiled slightly.

"Summoning Pandaborg was a mistake," she said.

"That's your opinion," said Louie.

"No, I mean it," said Jinx.

She played the Spell Card she had just drawn.

"I can only play Urbellum's Urgent Request when I control an X-Saber, and he's outnumbered by at least three to one. I now get to make two draws.

"The catch is, I have to discard any Monsters that I draw."

She drew two cards.

"Look at that!" she said, turning them forward. "Two Spell Cards!

"First I'll play one... The Warrior Returning Alive."

She played the card, and Bronze Warrior slipped out of her discard slot.

"Now, I'll summon him."

Bronze Warrior appeared again. (500 ATK)

"Next, I'll use his effect, to add a Beast-Warrior to my hand."

A card slipped out of her deck, and she took it.

"But I'll save him for later..."

She quickly played the other Spell Card.

"Now, I play Level Mirroring! It works as follows. I choose one of your Monsters, and I think I'll choose... Let's see... Master Gig!

"Then, the Level of one of my Monsters, like Bronze Warrior, becomes the Level of your Monster."

"I know what you're trying to do," sneered Louie. "You're trying to Synchro Summon XX-Saber Gatmuz. Well, you failed! You made the mistake of thinking that Master Gig is Level 7. Well guess what? It's Level 8! So your two Monsters now overshoot the Level requirements by one!"

"I was well-aware that Master Gig was Level 8," said Jinx. "Gatmuz is not the Synchro Monster I intend to summon."

"Wait…" said Louie. "That means you're going to Synchro Summon a… _Level 10_ Monster??"

Then the computers and the sinister brain vanished. The sky turned dark, and the three blazing suns that had appeared when Shichiro summoned Trymus appeared again.

Passiul and Bronze Warrior nodded to each other, and flew into the sky... Jinx started to chant...

"_Strength of legend, beauty beyond compare, entrusted by billions to carry their heritage, given the power unleashed at the moment of Creation! Mighty champion of a deceased race… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force… Synchro Summon, Shannalla the Fierce!"_

The two Monsters dissolved into ten stars, and as the three suns vanished, a female Warrior leapt down onto the floor of the lab. She was dressed like an Amazoness, in a scanty fur bikini top, loincloth, and cloak, with long, chestnut hair down to her waist. She had richly tanned skin, and war paint on her torso and limbs that looked like the stripes of a tiger. She carried a nasty-looking scimitar. (2,600 ATK)

A lot of catcalls came from the spectators, and she seemed a little annoyed.

"A fat lot of good that bimbo will do you," said Louie. "Her Attack Score is the same as Master Gig's."

"Not for long," said Jinx.

X-Saber Urbellum's card slipped out of her discard slot, and she pocketed it.

"By removing from play a Warrior or Beast-Warrior in my Graveyard, Shannalla's Attack Score increases by the Attack Score of the removed Monster."

(4,800 ATK)

The catcalls suddenly stopped.

"Attack Master Gig!" shouted Jinx. "Pouncing tiger rage!"

Shannalla made a great leap across the room, bringing her blade down on the huge Psychic, and smashing it to pieces with a blow so solid that Louie was knocked off his feet. He screamed.

"My Master Gig!" he wailed. "Blown to bits..."

"I end my turn..." said Jinx. "And by the way... That bonus to Shannalla's score won't wear off until the end of your next turn."

The three suns faded, and the creepy laboratory returned to view.

**(J: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 1,400)**

Louie snarled, and made a draw. He looked at it and the other card in his hand.

Pandaborg knelt, and shielded itself in Defense Mode. (1,400 DEF) Destructotron crouched down, and its screen shut off. (400 DEF)

"It's your move..." he said, as Shanalla's Attack Score fell back down to 2,600.

Jinx drew a card.

She looked at the two cards in her hand. One of them was the Monster she had searched for with Bronze Warrior's effect.

She was about to summon it, but then she changed her mind. She didn't know what Pandaborg could do yet, and Louie still had his facedown card.

"I hate to do this to an endangered species..." she said, "but... Shannalla, destroy Pandaborg!"

Shannalla made a slash with her blade, and the cyborg panda burst into shards.

"I activate Pandaborg's effect!" shouted Louie. "When it gets totaled, I get to Special Summon a low-Level Psychic from my deck.

"So, I'll summon Telekinetic Shocker in Defense Mode."

In a burst of lightning, a new Psychic appeared. It looked like a man in a red spandex shirt and black pants, with a lightning bolt symbol on the front. A helmet shaped like a silver sphere covered its head completely.

It knelt, and shielded itself. (700 DEF)

"I end my turn," said Jinx.

"Then I draw..." said Louie.

He made a draw.

"Aw, I pass, I can't do anything!" he shouted.

"Then I'll move!" said Jinx, drawing a card.

_A Trap Card..._ she thought, looking at it.

She looked at the Monster in her hand.

_Now's the time, fellah..._

"I summon Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei!" she shouted.

With a growl, the hulking Beast-Warrior with the upper body of a muscular man, and the lower body of a bull appeared in front of her. (2,300 ATK)

"Feelin' frisky, Lei Lei?" she asked.

Lei Lei growled its approval.

"Then take out that Destructotron!" she shouted.

The Indomitable Fighter dropped to all fours, and pounced on the robotic Psychic, blowing it into a mass of scrap metal.

"Now, Shannalla will finish your last one!" shouted Jinx.

The Titan made a swipe with her sword, and Telekinetic Shocker burst into an explosion of sparks.

Lei Lei slumped down, moving into Defense Mode. (0 DEF)

"I set a card facedown," said Jinx, as a reversed card appeared, "and that will be all."

Louie frowned, and made a draw.

He grinned an evil grin.

"I use the effect of Teleport again," he said. "I pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon Psychic Emperor!"

In an eerie aura of purple energy, a strange old man with a great, white beard appeared. He wore an orange toga, and a cybernetic helmet with wires and tubes connected to it. (2,400 ATK)

"Psychic Emperor's effect doesn't make me lose Life Points," said Louie. "It lets me gain them. When he's summoned, I gain 500 Life Points for every Psychic in my Graveyard."

The ghostly images of Doctor Cranium, Psychic Commander, Psychic Snail, Armored Axon Kicker, Power Injector, Master Gig, Destructotron, Pandaborg, and Telekinetic Shocker appeared behind Louie, and he glowed with the same eerie energy.

**(J: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 5,100)**

"Now, my Trap Card," he said, as his facedown card finally lifted. "Psychic Overload. I take three Psychic Monsters from my Graveyard..."

Master Gig, Psychic Commander, and Power Injector slipped out of his discard slot.

"...then shuffle them into my deck..."

He shuffled his deck.

"...and then make two draws..."

He drew two cards.

"Now to take care of that whore," he said.

Both Jinx and Shannalla gave him a dirty look.

"Oh, sure," he said, "we'll see how defiant you both are once I play Solidarity!"

He played a Continuous Spell card, and Psychic Emperor suddenly started to burn with rage.

"Solidarity lets my Monsters gain power from their fallen comrades, so long as they only consist of one Type of Monster," explained Louie. "In other words, since my Graveyard only contains Psychics, the ones on the field all gain 800 Attack Points."

(3,200 ATK)

"Psychic Emperor, attack Shannalla the Fierce with brain wave!"

The Emperor's helmet glowed with mental energy...

"Not so fast, Louie!" shouted Jinx. "I have a Trap..."

Her facedown card shot up.

"Baton of the Hero! Now, I can choose the target of your Emperor's attack! So instead of attacking Shannalla..."

The Emperor's bolt blasted forth, hitting Lei Lei and vaporizing him.

"Thank you, Lei Lei..." said Jinx.

She turned to Louie.

"Your Emperor is dead meat on my turn," she said. "When I use Shannalla's effect..."

"Not if she can't attack," replied Louie. "I haven't Normal Summoned yet.

"I'll move to my second Main Phase, and summon Grapple Blocker."

A new Psychic appeared. This one looked like a professional wrestler with a purple jersey and mask, with four octopus tentacles on its back. (1,200 ATK) –) (2,000 ATK)

Shannalla looked stunned as it glowed with green energy, and the glow covered her.

"I have to pay 500 Life Points per round to keep this guy," said Louie, "but so long as I do, one Monster I choose can't attack. And I choose her.

"And it's still my turn..."

He took another card.

"You see, Shadowchaser," he said, "since I played my Brain Research Lab, is has accumulated… Let's see… uhm… Well, it has accumulated a lot of Counters. I'm pretty certain I would lose if I got rid of it no matter how many Life Points I could gain.

"So, I'll drop 500 Life Points to pay Counter Cleaner."

He played the card, and a large industrial size vacuum cleaner shaped like the Pot of Greed appeared. It turned on, and started sucking dust and grime though its nose.

"Now, all Counters are removed from the Field Spell."

The appliance vanished.

"I end my turn, and pay 500 Life Points to keep Grapple Blocker."

**(J: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 4,100)**

Jinx made a draw.

_I could trick him with this..._ she thought. _But what if he manages to bring back Destructotron? I'd be risking Shannalla!_

Shannalla turned to Jinx. She nodded slightly.

_Okay..._ said Jinx, _if you say so..._

She fit the card in her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"Your move..." she said.

Louie chuckled as he made a draw.

"You aren't gonna fool me," he said. "That card is nothing but a big bluff..."

He paused.

"Still... uh... I'll move Grapple Blocker to Defense Mode... Just in case..."

Grapple Blocker knelt, and covered itself with its tentacles. (2,000 DEF)

"Then I think I'll set a Monster..."

A reversed Monster appeared.

"Then I attack with Psychic Emperor!"

Psychic Emperor's brain wave started again...

"Sorry, Louie," said Jinx, "you thought I was bluffing, and that's gonna cost you!"

Her facedown card shot up.

"I activate Klein's Labyrinth! It causes your Emperor's Attack Score and Defense Score to switch!

"Sure, he'll gain some more Attack Points due to Solidarity..."

(1,000 ATK) –) (1,800 ATK)

"...but it won't be enough..."

Shannalla swung her sword, and Psychic Emperor groaned, before exploding into particles.

"Looks like your Emperor just blew a gasket," said Jinx.

"I end my turn!" shouted Louie. "And I'll pay 500 Life Points to keep Grapple Blocker again..."

**(J: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 3,000)**

He looked at the last card in his hand, and at his reversed Monster.

_All I need to do,_ he thought, _is wait for her to attack my second Doctor Cranium. Then I can__ search for Master Gig again. Then, I can use this card, Psi-Impulse. It will let her exchange the one card in her hand for three, but it will get rid of Grapple Blocker, and I'll be able to use Teleport to bring back Master Gig, this time with 800 more Attack Points._

Jinx made a draw.

She quickly set it in her Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

"Mmm!" she said.

_Damn,_ thought Louie, as he made a draw.

"I think I'll pad my points even more," he said. "I play Emergency Provisions."

He played the card, and Field Barrier and the entire Field Spell vanished into nothing.

Jinx sighed in relief. She was _very_ glad to see that creepy brain leave.

"That's all for now..." said Louie. "I'll end my turn, and once again, I'll pay 500 Life Points to keep Grapple Blocker."

**(J: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 4,500)**

"My move..." said Jinx.

She drew a card.

"Now, it's time to end this, Louie," she said. "I'm activating Shannalla's effect again, and this time, I'm removing Lei Lei from play."

Lei Lei's card slipped out of her discard slot, and she placed it with Urbellum. Shannalla glowed with a second aura. (4,900 ATK)

"Big deal," said Louie. "My Grapple Blocker still has her in a grapple, remember?"

"We'll see about that," said Jinx. "I activate Limit Reverse."

Her facedown card lifted up, and Bronze Warrior appeared again. (500 ATK)

"You see, Louie," said Jinx, "I have a pretty good idea what the facedown Monster is, seeing as you didn't get rid of Teleport when you used Emergency Provisions. If I'm right, its Defense is so weak, even Bronze Warrior can defeat it.

"But first, I'm using Bronze Warrior's effect to bring out someone who'll get rid of Grapple Blocker..."

A card slipped out of her discard slot. She played it quickly.

"I summon Rampaging Rhynos!"

With a snort and a bellow, a new Beast-Warrior appeared. This one looked like a humanoid rhinoceros, wearing armor and holding a battleaxe. (1,500 ATK)

"What are you talking about?" said Louie. "That thing is too weak to beat Grapple Blocker's Defense."

"But Bronze Warrior's effect gives it 400 more Attack Points," replied Jinx.

(1,900 ATK)

"Still not strong enough!" laughed Louie.

"But it has an effect of its own," said Jinx. "See, when a Monster is in the space in your Monster Zone that's exactly in front of the space in my Monster Zone that Rampaging Rhynos is in, which Grapple Blocker is, Rampaging Rhynos gains 500 more Attack Points when attacking it."

"Hey, wait a minute!" shouted Louie.

"CHARGE!" shouted Jinx.

Rampaging Rhynos ran at full speed towards the Psychic, and its Attack Score rose to 2,400. Grapple Blocker was blown to bits. Shannalla lifted her arms as the sickly aura around her vanished.

"Now, let's see if I was right," continued Jinx. "Bronze Warrior, attack!"

Bronze Warrior charged at the reversed Monster, daggers flashing. Doctor Cranium appeared on the card, and shattered into bits.

Louie turned and tried to run. However, the half-orc bartender, two orcs, and a bugbear were waiting behind him in case he tried to do so. The bugbear grabbed him and shoved him back towards Jinx.

"You finish this duel," growled the bartender, "or we'll tell whoever they report to that you threatened them with a gun."

"Thanks for the support, people," said Jinx. "Shannalla... End this!"

Louie let out an unearthly scream as Shannalla the Fierce struck him hard with her sword, knocking him over.

**(J: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 0)**

Jinx grabbed Louie by the collar, lifting him up.

"On your feet!" she ordered.

"I surrender!" shouted Louie.

"Where's Ember?" demanded Jinx.

"I said I surrender!" repeated Louie. "Arrest me!"

Jinx slapped him, hard.

"Not interested!" she said. "Where's Ember?"

"But I surrendered!" gasped Louie. "This isn't right!"

"What _is_ right, Louie?" shouted Jinx. "Selling poison to kids? Luring Ember into a trap so you could get this... this deck of cards?"

She ripped the deck out of his Duel Disk, and threw the cards away.

"HEY!" screamed Louie.

"I know why you wanted those cards, Louie," said Shichiro. "You thought they'd make you a successful criminal like Divine was.

"Well, let me tell you something... Divine was no more successful than you are. Sure, he had more money. He had influence. He had a whole organization at his beck and call...

"But the instant a criminal is caught and has to pay for everything he's done, he's no longer successful. Divine was caught, and he paid dearly for all his crimes."

"Now tell me where Ember is," said Jinx, "or so help me, I'm sending you to Hell to meet him..."

"All right! All right!" screamed Louie. "I'll sing! Taramanda's palace..."

Then he gagged. He clutched his throat.

He heard Taramanda's voice in his head.

_Foolish human..._ she said. _I told you when you swore loyalty to me that I wouldn't tolerate betrayal. You've outlived your usefulness, Louie..._

Then he went limp.

Gears ran up and felt his pulse.

"He's dead, people..." he said.

He lifted up Louie's hand. His fingernails were discolored.

"Some sort of poison... It seems that the Empress is pretty adamant about keeping the location of her palace a secret..."

They didn't say anything for a minute.

"Now what??" shouted Jinx. "He was our only lead!

"For all we know, Ember may be dying... Maybe..."

"Don't give up hope yet," said a deep voice.

Everyone turned, and saw Trymus, more in focus than he was last time, not struggling as much as he was when he delivered the last message.

"Trymus?" exclaimed Shichiro. "You can speak clearly now!"

"For a few minutes at least," replied Trymus. "My power has grown now that Shannalla is here. Jetta has gotten a message to me. Ember's situation is dire, but hope still remains."

"Jetta?" said Gears. "She would be..."

"The Titan who is trying to bond to Ember," said Trymus. "She is in prison, so she cannot leave physically, but sometimes, when her jailers let their guard down, she can send her consciousness via the Astral Plane."

"So what do we do?" asked Jinx.

"Jetta wants to try something..." said Trymus. "All that the rest of us can do while she does is hope...

"...and pray..."

None of them knew that Trueman was hiding in the shadows outside, waiting for the right moment to strike...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Temple, as it was called, was another shrine in Taramanda's palace. It was where she held more social rituals. It was much larger, and not as decorated as her private one.

The cocoon that held Ember prisoner was on the altar. Taramanda had chosen to put it here, hoping that this site would further enhance the divine magic of the spell.

Sitting in the front pew, holding his sword down and leaning his head on his hand was the soldier whom Msskim had told to watch it, a young, low-ranking name Gsmith. As a new recruit to Taramanda's staff, he tended to get guard duty more often. He was getting awfully bored.

_Good grief..._ he thought. _I always get the worst jobs... If this thing is really escape-proof, why bother guarding it?_

He sighed. He hoped this thing did its job soon...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**LEVEL MIRRORING (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **Five golden stars on a sky-blue background above five dark stars on a black background.

**Card Description:** Select one face-up Monster you control, and one face-up Monster your opponent controls. The Monster you control becomes the Level of the Monster your opponent controls until the End Phase of the turn.

_Note: "Level Mirroring" was first used by Rua in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Mark of the Monkey (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BATON OF THE HERO (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Freed the Brave Wanderer at the forefront a battalion of soldiers, who include Marauding Captain, Gaia the Fierce Knight, and Warrior Lady of the Wasteland.

**Card Description:** Activate only during your opponent's Battle Phase when your opponent declares an attack. Select one Monster you control. The selected Monster becomes the target of that attack.

_Note: "Baton of the Hero" was first used by Yusei in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "A Score to Settle (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. _

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**URBELLUM'S URGENT REQUEST (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **X-Saber Urbellum handing a sealed scroll to XX-Saber Fulhelmknight, who is astride a white horse. Both are on a battlefield under a cloudy sky.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when you control at least one "X-Saber" Monster and your opponent controls at least two more Monsters than you do. Draw two cards from your deck. Discard any Monsters drawn via this effect to the Graveyard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SHANNALLA THE FIERCE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 10  
**ATK:** 2,600  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** _EARTH Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Warrior-Type or Beast-Warrior-Type Monsters_

This card cannot be Special Summoned except via Synchro Summon. Once per turn, you may remove from play one Warrior or Beast-Warrior-Type Monster in your Graveyard. Increase the ATK of this card by the base ATK of the removed Monster. This increase lasts until your opponent's next End Phase. When this card attacks, your opponent cannot activate set Spell or Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Ember: The snakes... Thousands of them! I can't get away!**

**Help! Someone, please!**

**Hebi-Na: No-one can help you now, little girl. Your fate is in our hands... You...**

**Voice: Don't listen to her, Michiko! Someone can help, there is someone who can get to you!**

**In this deepest darkness, there is a light that can defeat the demons... But I can't do it alone... Reach to me, and I'll help...**

"**Vanquishing Light" is coming soon. I hope it's **_**very**_** soon, for Michiko's sake...**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Mulgo, Hobgoblin Visionary**

Okay, now _here's_ a stretch. Everyone knows that hobgoblins and bugbears are related to goblins in some way. Most people think of hobgoblins as simply bigger, smarter versions of regular goblins, and bugbears as even bigger versions with a lot more hair.

But there is a legend that some hobgoblin shamans and witch doctors sometimes speak of that seems kind of farfetched. They say that countless ages ago, on the homeworld of Shadow, hobgoblins were the only goblins, and they had a grand empire. The story said that they were much smarter too, and had mighty sorcerers. These sorcerers experimented on their race, eventually creating two servitor races – the ones that would become common goblins, who were created to act as foot soldiers, and the ones that would become bugbears, who were created to be elite shock troops and bodyguards.

But something happened, and this great empire collapsed. Maybe it was due to internal strife or interference from an otherworldly source (probably the fey, a group that goblins are known to despise.) The hobgoblins lost their powerful magic, and the three races grew apart.

This story isn't often believed, not even by most hobgoblins, because it seems so fanciful. But one hobgoblin on Earth named Mulgo is convinced that it is true, and seeks a way to become as powerful as the fabled hobgoblin wizards of old.

Born on Earth and growing up in Chicago, Mulgo has done what most hobgoblins end up doing for a living – working as hired muscle. But the shaman in his clan told the aforementioned legend so many times when he was young, he started to believe it, and thought it possible to achieve such greatness. He has spent a great deal of time trying to find a way to learn actual wizardry. After all, he had heard of Rhul, the orcish battle mage; how hard could it be?

Incredibly hard, in fact. Magic usually has to be learned from an experienced wizard, and very few of them believe that a hobgoblin is worth the time to attempt to teach it. He has yet to find a wizard who doesn't believe that the legend is nonsense, or one who doesn't think that teaching him would be a waste of time.

Mulgo's attempts to learn magic on his own as Rhul did have been laughable at best. He has tried stealing spellbooks, only to find that they are never written in English, or any other language he can translate. He still wonders how Rhul managed. (Rhul's original spellbook came with a talisman that let him read the ancient script. Mulgo doesn't even know how to identify such things.)

Despite this, Mulgo won't give up, and his attempts may pay off sooner than one may think. He has stopped searching among respectable wizards, and started looking among more shady ones. It may well be that a darker wizard might find enough use for him to find it worthwhile.

**Story Ideas:** Mulgo is not main character material, but his quest to learn magic makes him ideal as a henchman for many characters mentioned in previous files. He could work for members of The Beloved, The Rat Lord, or The Sons of Kyuss. He might be convinced to work for Xideous or even Red Shroud, his desire to practice magic is so great.

Of course, Mulgo has no idea what he will do if he ever fulfills his dream of becoming a sorcerer on par with the ones mentioned in the legend. His plans haven't gotten that far yet. Most think that the empire mentioned in the legend is chimerical, and that anyone who actually tries to find any remnants of it is chasing rainbows.

**Deck Suggestions:** It should come as no surprise that Mulgo uses Spellcasters. His particular strategy is a Spellcaster Lock Deck, which uses Secret Village of the Spellcasters along with Royal Decree to create a powerful lock. He dreams of someday owning a copy of Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl, but those incredibly rare cards seem out of his reach.


	27. Vanquishing Light

_The first thing I'd like to do is respond to a certain annoying reviewer. It's odd. At first he criticized me for using the D&D RPG as a model, and now he thinks I'm following it to the letter, which I'm not._

_A geas, which I was going to explain later, is much weaker in this world than it is in the D&D world. It does not allow the caster to give an order that must be obeyed. In this world, it is a spell that makes the target own up to the terms of a verbal agreement via a magical compulsion._

_Next, a quick reminder: This story uses the September 2009 List. I'm bringing this up because the duelist in this chapter uses a deck that would be illegal if the March 2010 List were being used, but is fine with the previous List._

_Just making sure everyone knows that._

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL TWENTY-SEVEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Vanquishing Light**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Dinner time was a very social occasion for the ophidia palace. (At least it was if you were there to dine and not as one of the entrées.)

All the ophidia soldiers in the compound except six, the ones currently on guard duty (including the one guarding the entrance hall and the one guarding Ember) were seated at the long banquet hall. The four members of Taramanda's advisory panel were seated at the end nearest the head of the table. The comfortable chair at the head was reserved for Taramanda herself, of course.

Four serving maids, who were not ophidia, but snakeblooded humans, were standing by the doors to the kitchen, waiting for their instructions. (They, along with the chef, would eat in the kitchen.)

The banquet hall would likely make most humans lose their appetite. Like most important rooms in the complex, it was decorated with a snake theme, and was colored with unpleasant colors like red and purple.

The serving maids were all nervous working here. Previously, their jobs involved washing dishes and scrubbing floors. They had gotten their promotions after their predecessors had wound up on the menu after doing something incredibly stupid.

And Taramanda was about to remind everyone about that right now. The large double doors opened, and she slithered in.

"What is the one transgression I never want to hear mentioned?" she asked.

No-one answered. She sat in her chair.

"What transgression among _all_ transgressions do I never want to hear about?" she asked.

She waited, but no-one answered.

She smirked. They all knew she hated the word so much...

"The transgression is..._ betrayal_..." she said, softly. "That is the one crime against me that is unforgivable...

"It was because of my sister's... You know what... That no less than two dozen ophidia clan leaders are behind bars, and no matter how many hours I spend communing with our goddess, I can't locate her!

"I didn't care about Louie's faults, as numerous as they were... I didn't care about his unpleasant body odor... Or the fact that he was a chain-smoker... Or even that he always stole sandwiches from the refrigerator when he came here..."

Csimith seemed a little angry at this last statement, but he knew better than to interrupt.

"You guys can just sit around in your underwear and drink beer when you're off duty for all I care," continued Taramanda, "so long as you remain loyal to me when you are.

"Learn from Louie's fate... And never do what he almost did, or his fate will be yours..."

There was silence.

Taramanda looked at the two serving maids.

"You may start serving the food," she said, "but nothing for me. I'll be eating later..."

_It won't be long now before our goddess gains her Tithe,_ she thought. _What remains will be mine..._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Deep inside the cocoon, Ember was fast asleep. And she was in the middle of a nightmare. However, all other nightmares she had experienced up to now seemed like birthday parties compared to this one. She was wondering if Hebi-Na hadn't actually killed her after their duel, and she was now in Hell.

She was fleeing through a dark forest or jungle – it was hard to tell which, as she didn't take time to look at the scenery. All she was really aware of were the snakes.

They came at her in waves, dropping from the trees and swarming from the ground. Each time, they sank their fangs into her flesh and tried to knock her down. They hadn't succeeded in doing so yet. Each time she had fought them off and continued running. But before she even got thirty feet, another wave was sure to attack. There seemed to be no end to them.

She didn't know how she was surviving the venom. She recognized some of the snakes as copperheads, coral snakes, and even asps. (This contributed to her belief that she was already dead.) But with each wave of attacks, she grew weaker, and her legs got number.

She couldn't fight them off forever.

Even worse, _she_ was watching. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the shadowy form of Seghulerak watching her run. Now and then, the snake goddess's sinister voice entered her mind, telling her to give up.

She stumbled, and the next wave made its attack, this one more intense than before. She couldn't keep standing this time. She collapsed, with the onslaught of serpents covering her…

"Help!" she screamed, with tears pouring from her eyes. "Someone… anyone! Help!"

One could only imagine her surprise when someone seemed to answer.

A blinding light illuminated the forest, and the snakes covering her were reduced to dust. Ember looked up, and saw a beautiful Dragon, one that looked like it had descended from the lofty heights of Heaven.

She recognized it. She had certainly seen it enough times.

"Gragonith?" she gasped.

The beautiful Dragon started to fade...

"No, don't go!" pleaded Ember.

"Michiko!" shouted a voice. "Here, give me your hand..."

Ember knew that voice... It was a voice she had trusted for a long time...

She took the hand, and a young man, about five years older than she was, with a handsome, boyish face pulled her up and hugged her. Her strength started to come back.

"Akira?" she gasped. "But... But... I thought you were in Hong Kong!"

"You think that would stop me from helping my favorite cousin?" asked Akira.

Ember panted for breath.

"Do you know the way out of here?" she asked.

"That's a little easier said than done, Michiko," replied Akira. "I'm here in spirit form, just like you are, and I don't think you can leave the way I came.

"I can't really explain it, but I was napping in my hotel room, when a strange woman appeared before me. She had flaming red hair and bronze skin. I don't mean bronze as in a really good tan, I mean bronze as in metallic. Anyway, she told me what happened, and asked me to help.

"It was kind of a shock, learning about this whole Shadowchaser thing in five minutes, but she told me that once it was over, everything would be the way it was before. I just hope I can make a difference before then.

"You're in big trouble, and I don't think your three friends are going to find you in time. I can't keep those snakes away forever. My Dragon scared them off, but they'll be back, and in bigger numbers."

"Where is this place?" asked Ember.

"The cocoon has transferred your mind to the Venomous Tarns," replied Akira. "Seghulerak's home realm in the Abyss. She's the unquestioned ruler here."

"So I'm not in Hell?" asked Ember.

"This place is the ophidia version of Heaven, actually," replied Akira. "Most of the time. But it's Hell for anyone else.

"This process you're being treated to is a rare thing called Seghulerak's Tithe. You see, most ophidia simply consume humans that they capture alive. Like snakes do to rats.

"The Empress is a priestess of Seghulerak, so she can do that, but if she does, there's nothing to give her goddess. She can't send the soul of a victim that she devours to Seghulerak, unless it's another ophidia. I don't know why that is.

"Now, if she sacrifices a human to Seghulerak in the usual ceremony, she has the opposite problem. Nothing for her. The ceremony kills the victim, and there's no pleasure gained from devouring a dead human."

"So what is this?" asked Ember. "Some way to share?"

"In a nutshell, yes," said Akira. "Seghulerak is powerful, but one thing that no deity can do is force a mortal to serve her. She's trying to use torture to convince you to do so willingly. Once she does that, the Empress can do whatever she wants to you, and her goddess will have what's left over."

Ember shivered.

"Okay, now that you've explained it..." she said. "Can you get me out of here??"

"I can try…" replied Akira.

A Duel Disk appeared on his arm, and he activated it.

"You sure dueling is gonna help?" asked Ember.

"Well, no…" replied Akira. "Honestly, I'm not sure. What you really need right now is a wizard who can undo the dark curse that's holding you prisoner. But even if I knew where to find one, he'd never get into Taramanda's palace before it was too late.

"But you have a strong will… It was weakened a little when you lost that duel, and the fact that you surrendered made you even weaker."

"I should never have agreed to Hebi-Na's terms..." muttered Ember. "That was probably the dumbest thing I ever did..."

"I won't argue," said Akira. "But we've all done dumb things..."

"Like the time you used Judgment Dragon against the guy who had two Dark Coffins and a Zombie Bed set?" asked Ember.

Akira sighed.

"Well, you haven't lost your wit," he said. "That's good... And maybe if I build it back up along with your will, you can break the cocoon's spell yourself."

"Don't forget, you defeated Seghulerak once before… Very few mortals can ever honestly claim to have bested gods."

Ember moaned.

Akira was the one duelist she had _never_ been able to beat. She had tried so many times... But the cards had never turned out in her favor...

"I guess I have no choice..." she said.

Her own Duel Disk appeared on her arm with a flash of light.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Akira: 8,000)**

"Remember, Michiko," said Akira, as he made his first draw, "I'm not holding anything back... We've dueled for fun so many times... Now it's for real.

"I summon Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior."

In a flash of light, a muscular, yet effeminate-looking male Warrior appeared, wearing a silvery breastplate and leggings, holding a halberd. (1,850 ATK)

"I'll set one card..."

A reversed card appeared.

"...and that will be all for now."

_Okay Ember, deep breaths..._ thought Ember. _Deep, cleansing breaths..._

She made a draw.

"I summon Evocator Chevalier!" she shouted.

In a flash of fire, Chevalier appeared with his blazing sword. (1,900 ATK)

"Got a new one, I see," said Akira.

"That's right," said Ember. "And now he's about to go ballistic on Garoth!"

Chevalier slashed his blade downward, and a wave of flames shot towards Garoth. The Lightsworn Warrior groaned, and shattered.

"First blood to me, coz," said Ember. "It's your move..."

**(E: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 7,950)**

"First blood to you," said Akira.

He made a draw.

"...but still a long way to go."

His Trap Card lifted up.

"I activate Glorious Illusion, which lets me summon a Lightsworn from my Graveyard."

In a flash, Garoth appeared again. (1,850 ATK)

"Next, I'll sacrifice him..."

Garoth turned into a globe of pure light...

"...to summon Celestia, Lightsworn Angel!"

Out of the light came a beautiful, angelic form. She had silvery armor with gold trim, lovely white, feathered wing, and long hair tied in a ponytail. She held a long scepter. (2,300 ATK)

_Terrific,_ thought Ember.

"In case you forgot about her effect, here's a refresher," said Akira. "When she summoned, I send four cards from my deck to the Graveyard..."

He quickly discarded four cards.

"...in order to destroy up to two of yours."

Evocator Chevalier burst into pixilated shards.

"Attack directly! Bolt from above!"

Celestia spread her wings and flew over the field. Ember tried to brace herself as the bolts of pure light slammed into her, but they still knocked her down.

She took a deep breath.

_You'd think I'd be used to that by now..._ she thought.

**(E: 5,700) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 7,950)**

"End turn..." said Akira, as Celestia landed.

"All right... DRAW!" shouted Ember.

_I can do this..._ she thought.

She played a Spell Card.

"I play Fire Back," she said. "So I'll ditch one Fire Monster..."

She discarded Neoflamvell Garuda.

"...to bring Chevalier back."

Evocator Chevalier appeared once again. (1,900 ATK)

"Next, I'll use my Normal Summon to Gemini Summon him..."

Chevalier burned with energy.

"Then, Salamandra!"

She played the Equip, and Chevalier burned even fiercer. (2,600 ATK)

"Not bad..." said Akira. "He's stronger than Celestia now..."

"You don't get off that easily," said Ember. "I use his effect, and send Salamandra to the Graveyard to destroy Celestia!"

Chevalier fell back down to an Attack Score of 1,900, and the Lightsworn Angel shattered into pixels.

"Go!" shouted Ember. "Attack directly!"

Akira grunted as Chevalier made a deep cut across his chest with his blade.

He held his chest.

"You _are_ getting better..." he said.

**(E: 5,700) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 6,050)**

"I believe it's my move..."

He made a draw.

"I summon Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner."

He played the card, and in another flash of light, another female appeared. She had tanned skin and short hair, and was dressed in a pure white halter top and skirt. (1,000 ATK)

"Next, I use her effect, and discard one Lightsworn from my hand..."

He discarded Aurkus, Lightsworn Druid.

"...in order to Special Summon Jain, Lightsworn Paladin from my Graveyard."

Another Warrior appeared, this one looking androgynous, with slightly feminine traits. She was dressed in full plate with the same design as Celestia, with a scarlet cape, and held a longsword and shield. (1,800 ATK)

"And when Jain attacks, she gains 300 extra Attack Points."

Jain made a rush at Evocator Chevalier, her Attack Score increasing to 2,100. She swung her sword, blasting him out of existence.

The Lumina shot two bolts of brilliant energy from her hands, and Ember gasped as they hit her in the stomach.

**(E: 4,500) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 6,050)**

"I'm ending my turn now," said Akira. "Which means I have to pay the costs for my two Lightsworns.

"I send two cards from my deck to my Graveyard for Jain, and three for Lumina."

He discarded five cards.

Ember paused to take a breath.

_Here goes..._ she thought.

She made a draw.

"I summon Flamvell Firedog!" she exclaimed.

She played the card, and the fiery Beast appeared in a roaring bonfire. (1,900 ATK)

"Incinerate his Paladin!" she shouted.

Firedog howled. It breathed a burst of flame, and Jain gasped before she shattered.

"I thought I taught you better," said Akira. "Anyone could have seen that Lumina is the bigger threat."

"I know," replied Ember. "I'll get to her in a second!

"You know how you always taught me how to combo? Well here's one of my favorite combos.

"I use Firedog's effect to Special Summon Flamvell Gurnika!"

In a blast of fire, the flaming Dragon appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"Destroy Lumina!" she shouted.

Gurnika blasted flame from its jaws, and Lumina screamed right before she was burned up.

"Now, you lose 600 more Life Points," said Ember, "200 for each Level that she had."

**(E: 4,500) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 4,650)**

"Then it's my move..." said Akira, softly.

He made a draw.

He played a Spell Card.

_Foolish Burial??_ thought Ember. _Oh no, not this..._

"That's right, Michiko," said Akira. "I'm sending Wulf, Lightsworn Beast from my deck to the Graveyard.

"Which due to his effect, results in him being summoned to the field."

The Monster that appeared looked like a werewolf at first glance, but with a shiny, silvery, beautiful coat, wearing shoulder guards and a kilt of the same design as the rest of the Lightsworns, and carrying a halberd. (2,100 ATK)

"Attack Flamvell Gurnika!"

Wulf growled, and made a fierce chop with his weapon. Gurnika was blasted to shards.

"I set a card facedown, and end my turn," said Akira, as a reversed card appeared.

**(E: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 4,650)**

Ember was very nervous. She was almost certain right now that Akira had enough Lightsworns in his Graveyard to summon... "it". His most powerful Monster, the one she had never been able to dodge.

She drew a card.

_I've got nothing that can beat Wulf..._ she thought. _But maybe UFO Turtle will help me get someone who can..._

She set two cards in her Disk, and a reversed card and a reversed Monster appeared.

She turned the other card on her Disk, and Firedog sat in Defense Mode. (200 DEF)

"It's your move..." she said.

Akira made a draw.

"I play Solar Recharge," he said, playing a Spell Card. "First I send one Lightsworn in my hand to the Graveyard..."

He discarded Rinyan, Lightsworn Rogue.

"...then I draw two cards..."

He made two draws.

"Then I discard two more from my deck..."

He discarded two more cards.

"I summon Ehren, Lightsworn Monk."

He played the card, and another female Warrior appeared. She wasn't clothed in armor; rather, her battle dress looked more designed for a martial artist. She held a long quarterstaff. (1,600 ATK)

"Wulf, destroy Firedog!" he ordered.

Wulf made another chop with his blade, and Firedog was eradicated.

"Ehren, the other one!"

Ehren leapt at the reversed Monster, spinning her weapon above her head. UFO Turtle appeared on the card, right before she clobbered it, and it dissolved into particles of light.

"And when Ehren destroys a Monster that's in Defense Mode," said Akira, "that Monster goes back to your deck instead of going to the Graveyard."

Ember bowed her head. She didn't know how to reply. Akira lifted an eyebrow.

His facedown card lifted.

"I activate Solar Ray," he said.

Ember screamed as a scorching ray of pure light blasted her.

**(E: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 4,650)**

"Thought that would wake you up," said Akira. "Come on, Michiko! You've got to fight back!"

"I don't want to fight back..." sobbed Ember. "I want to give up... No matter how hard I try, you're the one duelist I can never beat..."

"Don't back out now, Michiko!" urged Akira. "If you lose here... We may never duel each other again..."

"That's supposed to encourage me?" asked Ember.

"Michiko..." said Akira. "Remember the ceremony where you were formally inducted into the Shadowchasers? Your parents and I were there, remember? That bigwig who's in charge of the group... What's his name..."

"Jalal," said Ember.

"Right," said Akira. "He told us you were being admitted to some honor society, but we were all proud of you..."

"And now that you know the truth?" asked Ember.

"I'm more proud of you that I ever was!" replied Akira. "You're living a life that people could only dream of."

"And it's about to be cut short..." said Ember. "The most I can hope for now is to be remembered as someone who gave her life for the cause."

"Don't talk like that!" said Akira. "Let me tell you something... They say that dying in the line of duty is honorable.... And maybe it is. A soldier who dies in combat gets a big funeral, gets awarded posthumous medals, and is remembered in engraved inscriptions.

"But Ember... Even better than that is a heroic soldier who survives every trial put before him, and lives to pass on his experiences to future generations of heroes.

"You can call a dead soldier a hero... You can say he made the 'ultimate sacrifice'... You can even call him a martyr if you want... But that won't change the fact that he's dead. And as soon as he's dead, he can't be a hero any more."

Ember looked at him intently.

"Judging by the look on your face," said Akira, "I take it you understand... Now... When we left off, I was just about to end my turn... And I do so by sending three cards from my deck to the Graveyard to pay the cost for Ehren."

He discarded three cards.

"My move..." said Ember.

She made a draw.

_Flamvell Baby!_ she thought. _Maybe I can turn this around!_

"I activate Call of the Haunted!" she shouted.

Her facedown card lifted up, and Firedog appeared again. (1,900 ATK)

"Him again..." said Akira.

"But that's not all," continued Ember. "I'm also summoning Neoflamvell Shaman."

There was a blast of fire, and the flaming, masked witch doctor appeared, twirling his fiery baton. (1,700 ATK)

"Another new one, I see," said Akira.

"You haven't seen anything yet," said Ember. "I'm sending Flamvell Baby to the Graveyard..."

She discarded the Pyro.

"...to increase Firedog's Attack Score by 400 points."

(2,300 ATK)

"Shaman, you first. Attack Ehren with Tiki torch!"

The Shaman blew a stream of flames from the mouthpiece of its mask, and the Lightsworn Monk groan before she blew into shards.

"Perfect!" said Ember. "Now Shaman's effect kicks in. Since I have at least three Flamvell Monsters in my Graveyard, I get to remove one card in your Graveyard from play.

"So... Let's take a look..."

All the cards in Akira's Graveyard, which were a lot at this point, appeared in front of Ember. She noticed that both his copies of Judgment Dragon, the card of his that she was most afraid of, were there.

It was tempting to remove one of them, but she saw a card that could foil her plans even more if she didn't get rid of it right now.

"I'm getting rid of your Necro Gardna, Akira," said Ember, touching the card.

"Smart..." said Akira, with a chuckle.

"Now, let's continue..." said Ember. "Firedog, attack his Lightsworn Beast!"

Firedog roared, and exhaled its wave of flame. Wulf growled, and shattered into pixels.

"Next, I use Firedog's effect to summon Flamvell Archer," said Ember.

Archer appeared, aiming his burning bow. (1,000 ATK)

"Attack directly! Flaming arrow!"

The Archer fired his bow, and Akira gasped as it hit him in the chest.

**(E: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 3,350)**

"I'm not done!" continued Ember. "I Tune together Archer and Shaman..."

The two Monsters faded into six glowing stars. Ember started to chant as they flew into the dark sky of the Venomous Tarns.

"_Born in the fiery core, rage empowered by white hot flames, strength of an erupting volcano! Clustering stars form a spark to light a roaring fire! _

"_Ignite… Flamvell Urquizas!"_

With a roar, Urquizas fell to the playing field, his fists burning with flames. (2,100 ATK)

"Impressive..." said Akira.

Ember took a deep breath.

"It's your move..." she said.

Akira drew a card.

He set a card on his Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

He nodded.

"No Monsters?" asked Ember. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Your move..." said Akira.

Ember quickly made a draw.

_What's this?_ she thought, looking at the card.

She thought for a minute.

Then she recognized it. This Trap was usually in her Side Deck.

How did it get in her Main Deck?

If Akira's facedown card was a bluff, it would hardly matter.

"Urquizas, attack Akira directly with Fist of Flame!"

Flamvell Urquizas lunged at Akira. He lifted his arm as the Synchro punched him with blow so solid that Ember could feel it.

**(E: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 1,250)**

Urquizas's Attack Score went up to 2,400.

_This is it!_ thought Ember. _All I have to do is attack with Firedog, and I'll have beaten Akira!_

"Firedog, finish him off!"

Firedog prepared to attack...

"Sorry, Michiko, but that's all you get!" shouted Akira.

His facedown card lifted up.

"Beckoning Light! This Trap Card lets me send my whole hand to the Graveyard..."

He discarded the three cards in his hand.

"...and in return, recover three Light-Attribute Monsters from it."

Three cards slipped out of his discard slot.

"It won't stop the attack!" shouted Ember.

"Yes it will!" replied Akira. "Because one of the cards I just discarded was my other Necro Gardna!"

Necro Gardna appeared in front of Akira, blocking the blast of fire. Then it vanished into a ripple of light.

Ember sighed. She had been so close!

She took the Trap Card she had drawn, and set it in her Disk. A facedown card appeared.

"It... It's your move..." she said, more nervous than ever.

Akira drew a card.

"Then it's time to test you like never before..." said Akira. "Get ready, Michiko...

"There's more than enough Lightsworn in my Graveyard now..."

Ember started to tremble in fear as a huge creature started to materialize. It was beautiful and terrifying at the same time, a giant Dragon with scales of pure silver, radiating holy light.

She was almost frozen with fear as Judgment Dragon let out a great roar... (3,000 ATK)

"Now, I use Judgment Dragon's effect!" exclaimed Akira. "I give up 1,000 Life Points, and it destroys every card on the field except itself!"

Judgment Dragon started to glow like a beacon. Ember started to panic...

Then she realized something...

Her facedown card shot up...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Gears was sitting on his D-Wheel, entering a program.

"The failsafe is running, people," he said. "If anyone in this city plays a card that Ember has in her deck, it will hone in on it."

"So what do we do in the meantime?" asked Jinx, angrily. "Stay here and watch drunks pass out on the street??"

"Jinx, you have to calm down," said Shichiro. "You seem to think that Ember is still your apprentice, but the truth is, she's a full-fledged Shadowchaser now."

"I know..." said Jinx, with tears in her eyes, "but she's so young... She's like the sister I never had... She..."

Then a strange look crossed her face. She held her chest.

"What?" asked Shichiro. "Something bad?"

"No..." said Jinx. "Something good..."

She paused.

"Like a surge of great power...

"Wherever Ember is... I think she just made a big step towards getting out of it..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember panted for breath. Sweat poured down her forehead.

**(Ember: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (Akira: 250)**

She was safe... Her two Monsters were safe...

Akira's Dragon had not been so lucky. There was nothing left of it but a black, smoldering scorch on the ground.

Had she done it?

"I did it..." she whispered.

"I did it! I beat Judgment Dragon!"

Akira chuckled.

"That you have..." he said.

He took one of his other three cards.

"But this duel is not over yet, coz...

"I summon my second Judgment Dragon!"

With a roar, Judgment Dragon appeared a second time. (3,000 ATK)

"You had your second one??" shouted Ember, starting to panic.

Then she realized something.

"You... You don't have enough Life Points to use its effect!" she said.

"No, I do not," replied Akira. "So it will just have to fight the old-fashioned way.

"Attack! Ultimate divine light!"

Ember braced herself as Judgment Dragon breathed a blast of pure, brilliant energy, vaporizing Flamvell Firedog.

**(E: 2,200) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 250)**

"I haven't Normal Summoned yet," continued Akira, "so I'll set a Monster, and then set one card facedown."

He set his last two cards, and two reversed cards appeared.

"I end my turn, which means I have to discard four cards from my deck due to Judgment Dragon."

He made four discards.

Ember took a deep breath. She looked at the last card in her hand. Big Bang Shot. It could raise Urbellum's Attack Score to 2,800, which was 200 less than what was enough to defeat Judgment Dragon.

She did a quick survey of the situation. She had been keeping track, as she often did with Akira. His deck had forty-five cards in it total, which was not unusual for a Lightsworn deck. If her calculations were correct, he had twelve cards left, so it was unlikely that she could outlast him this time.

She was also pretty certain that his reversed Monster was Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter, who's Flip-Effect could destroy any card. But due to Urquizas's trampling effect, that wouldn't matter.

But there was one problem. Akira knew about Urquizas's effect. He had bought her the card, for pete's sake. So the facedown card was obviously something that would stop her, like his Dimensional Prison.

She looked at her deck.

_Here goes..._ she thought.

She drew one card. She looked at it.

She quickly set it in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Your move, coz," she said.

Akira drew a card.

"Hmm..." he said.

"You lose, coz," said Ember.

"Huh?" said Akira.

Ember's facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Spiritual Fire Art – Kurenai!" shouted Ember. "By sacrificing Urquizas, I can deal damage equal to his base Attack Score!"

Urquizas's eyes burned with fire. He flew at Akira, turning into a ball of flame. Akira braced himself as fire erupted around him.

"Ergh..." he grunted.

**(E: 2,200) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 0)**

"I did it!!" cheered Ember. "I finally beat you! I..."

Then she clutched her stomach...

"Michiko?" asked Akira, as the holograms vanished.

Ember grunted...

Then some shadowy, black globs of pure darkness seemingly oozed out of her body, and faded into vapor.

"Ugh..." said Ember.

"Hey... That feels like a weight was just taken off my shoulders..."

"It was, Michiko!" exclaimed Akira.

He rushed up and hugged her.

"You fought off the dark spell holding you prisoner! You forced it out! You did it!"

She looked at him.

"I can't believe I finally beat you..." she said.

"Oh, you sure did..." he said. "And it was close... Look at the card I drew on my last turn..."

He showed her the card.

"Supremacy Berry?" gasped Ember.

"Which would have increased my Life Points by 2,000 since mine were less than yours," said Akira.

"Letting you use Judgment Dragon's effect..." said Ember.

"But... You won!" replied Akira.

"But the bronze woman who sent you here..." said Ember. "She said she'd make everything the way it was before...

"You won't remember this... You'll never know that I beat you!"

"Don't feel bad, Ember," said Akira. "You'll know. And I'll bet you'll be able to do it again when we duel in a better setting."

"You know coz..." said Ember. "You'd have made a great Shadowchaser..."

"It's nice of you to say that," said Akira. "Now, we'd better flee this awful place. I can go back the way I came. As for you, now that Taramanda's curse is no longer holding you down, you just have to wake up. Then all you have to do after that is escape the palace and make your way to safety.

"It may be easier said than done, but I know you can do it...

"And you'd best hurry, because it seems that Seghulerak is rallying her troops."

Ember turned her head, and saw the horde of snakes approaching, along with a battalion of demonic ophidia.

"But wait!" she shouted. "How do I wake up??"

"Why, you do what anyone does when they realize they're asleep and want to wake up," said Akira, as he started to fade. "You pinch yourself."

Then he vanished.

_Here goes nothing,_ thought Ember.

She gave herself a pinch on the arm.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the Temple, Gsmith was startled as the cocoon started to wobble and shake.

"What in the Abyss?" he said, getting up.

He walked up to it, and prodded it with his finger...

He only had a chance to gasp as Ember's arm burst out, grabbing him by the neck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next: **

**Gears: There's still no sign of Ember, but we have bigger problems. That pest Trueman appears again, and his deck seems stranger this time, with cards that seemingly, no sane duelist would use. What secret is he hiding in this bizarre strategy? If I can beat him, the third Titan may show himself, and another piece of the puzzle may be unraveled. **

"**Grave Lure" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**The Shadowchild**

Legend says that every five centuries, on the night of a blue moon (defined as a second full moon in a single month), a baby girl will be born to Shadowkind parents, who will be marked as the Shadowchild. This Shadowkind will develop incredible magical and martial abilities when she comes of age... But they can be utilized for either Good or Evil. Whether the Shadowchild chooses the Path of Light or Darkness when the time comes is ultimately up to her. Once the choice is made, a champion will be born, who will either become one of the greatest of heroes or one of the foulest of villains.

Some dismiss this legend as merely a legend, but Jalal can attest that it is true. Jalal is a firm believer that sentient beings have free will, and that if fate exists, which he doubts, it is never written in stone. But he cannot deny the existence of the Shadowchild. Five-hundred years ago, the last Shadowchild chose the Path of Darkness, and could not be stopped until he defeated her personally.

But what upset Jalal even more than the fact that she had turned to evil was the fact that she had been coerced and manipulated into making that choice by outside forces so much, that the choice had not truly been hers to make. Jalal has resolved not to let a similar situation arise.

It has been sixteen years since the last blue moon where a Shadowchild would have been born, and because even the Shadowchild herself does not know her identity until the time comes, no-one is certain of who it is. Many priesthoods of Shadowkind deities, both benign ones like St. Cuthbert and Pelor, and sinister ones like Vecna and Tharizdun, are searching diligently for any clues as to the location of the Shadowchild, hoping to influence her decision. Jalal knows he cannot allow this, not by anyone.

Thus, no-one has put more effort into finding her than Jalal. He has even found a very likely suspect: A sixteen-year-old elven girl named Sylvia Strongbreeze, a resident of Orlando. Sylvia was born on the right date, and exhibits many signs of conflict that most casual observers would miss; her slightly Goth-style clothing combined with her golden ankh necklace may seem like the trappings of a rebellious teenager, but it also shows a conflict between symbols of death and life in the same outfit.

For now, Jalal keeps quiet about his suspicions about Sylvia. He wouldn't want her to be the target of every group who is looking for the Shadowchild, and will only act once he is sure his hunch is certain.

For now, Sylvia seems content to simply be a teenager. She just wants to go to school, hang out with friends, eat pizza and do all the things that girls her age usually do. If a conflict arises inside her, it likely will come out of the blue.

**Story Ideas:** If Sylvia truly is the Shadowchild, any story revolving around this plot would _not_ involve trying to recruit her or swaying her decision. As much as Jalal would love having the Shadowchild choose the Path of Light, he knows that the choice must be made by her alone. However, several other groups do not feel the same way, and would do anything to influence the Shadowchild's decision. It is here where the Shadowchasers must step in, and keep that from happening.

Again, this could be incredibly tricky. Fighting off the minions of Wee Jas and Hextor are easy, but dealing with St. Cuthbert's missionaries will be a great deal harder. Negotiation might be a better alternative to fighting in some cases, and the Shadowchasers might well make a few people upset before it is over. But then, no-one ever said it would be easy.

Then there will be the point where the Shadowchild finally does make her choice, at which point everyone will only be able to cross their fingers. Possibly, the choice will depend on just how well the heroes did in keeping outside influences away, and her general outlook towards life.

It is entirely possible that Sylvia might reject _both_ paths, and decide that she doesn't want to be anyone's champion. Jalal has considered this, as he knows that destinies are rarely written in stone. Not everyone has the desire to accomplish great acts, and if Sylvia simply desires to lead a normal life, she might be able to refuse the call entirely.

**Deck Suggestions: **If Sylvia's style of dress is not a clue, the deck that she uses in casual games with her friends may well be. She doesn't use a Disk (yet), but she has been seen using a Sky Scourge Deck in friendly duels, relying on Enrise, Norleras, and Invicil as her aces. In this type of deck, Light Fairies and Dark Fiends struggle for dominance, possibly symbolizing the struggle between Good and Evil that will soon arise within her.


	28. Grave Lure

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL TWENTY-EIGHT**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Grave Lure**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Ten minutes later, Taramanda and her advisory panel were inspecting the ripped-open cocoon, while Gsmith sat in a pew, holding a piece of raw meat against his eye.

"What sort of guard are you?" shouted Msskim. "You were supposed to be watching her!"

"I _was_ watching her!" growled Gsmith, who was just as angry. "I _watched_ as she busted out of the cocoon and grabbed me in a choke hold! Then I _watched_ as she clocked me in the eye, stole my sword and my symbol, and high-tailed it out that way!"

"I thought you said that there was no escape from the Venomous Tarns with the aid of a third party," said Hebi-Na.

"There's no escape from _any_ demon lord's domain without help," replied Taramanda. "Not even the goddess Waukeen was able to escape from Graz'zt's realm on her own. Someone helped Ember, and it will take many hours of communing with our goddess for me to discover who it was.

"In the meantime, we have bigger problems..."

"Don't worry..." said Csimith. "Xssim is guarding the entrance hall. One hit from that crossbow, and it's game over for Ember."

"Uh, Csimith?" said Hssimim. "Didn't you tell him to watch for people coming in?"

"Yeah, so?" asked Csimith.

Taramanda knocked him on the head.

"It means he isn't watching the way out, stupid!" she shouted.

Csimith quickly turned on a communicator he kept on his belt.

"Xssim, come in!" he shouted.

"All clear, chief," said a voice. "No-one's getting in."

"Stop watching the way in!" shouted Csimith. "Start watching the way coming out!"

"Coming out?" said the voice on the end. "Well, I..."

Then his voice was cut short by a scream, and then sounds of a struggle.

"Xssim, come in!" shouted Csimith.

No answer.

"Come in!" he repeated.

"This is Xssim," said the guard's voice, sounding hurt. "I was jumped from behind.

"Uh... I'm afraid that whoever you don't want getting out... Just got out..."

Csimith crushed the device in his hand.

"If she gets to her pals," shouted Hssimim, "we'll have to evacuate this palace!"

"I'm on it..." said Hebi-Na. "Without her D-Wheel, I can move faster than she can."

"Hebi-Na!" snapped Taramanda.

Hebi-Na looked at the Empress.

"No fancy stuff this time..." said Taramanda. "Kill her... Devour her yourself...

"Finish that brat for good..."

Hebi-Na nodded.

She leapt and landed flat on the floor, and rushed along the hallway, moving via undulation, like a true snake. She could move at almost four times her usual speed this way, one of the benefits of having a snake's trunk in place of legs. It took her only two minutes to exit the palace.

Once there, her forked tongue flicked in and out a few times.

She knew the direction the prey had gone. It was all a matter of bringing her down.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was now nine-thirty. The full moon shone in the sky.

The D-Wheels were parked in front of a condemned theater. Shichiro could swear he had seen it somewhere before, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Still not a flicker," said Gears, looking at his D-Wheel's controls.

"Man, this could not get worse..." said Jinx.

"Kaede..." said a voice.

The three Shadowchasers looked up, and saw Shannalla appear, faintly at first, then coming into focus.

"You can talk too?" asked Jinx.

"Our power is growing stronger," replied Shannalla. "Our brother is in the area!"

"Another Titan?" asked Gears, standing up.

"Yes," said Shannalla. "He was drawn to us like a beacon. He has both good news and bad news.

"Jetta's initial plan worked. Michiko is free from the bonds that were holding her.

"But then there comes bad news. As she tries to flee the snake men, one is chasing her, one with murder on her mind.

"Jetta can no longer help. She had to reunite her mind with her body before her jailers realized she was gone."

"Where's Ember?" asked Shichiro. "We can help her! Just point us in the right direction!"

"She's..." started Shannalla.

Then the Titan nervously looked back and forth.

"No..." she said. "Evil draws near... He's become stronger than before..."

Then she vanished.

"Don't go!" shouted Jinx.

A sense of dread all came over them. A cloud covered the moon. Gabriel squawked nervously.

They saw a shadow in front of them on the empty street. The dark form of the man who called himself Trueman walked into the light.

"Trying to save your comrade, Shadowchasers?" he asked. "That isn't going to happen."

Gears angrily got off his bike, and stood up to the man in black.

"I'm getting awfully tired of you, Trueman," he said. "You always show up at the worst possible times.

"So what nightmare do you have in your deck this time? Demise? Ruin? Reign-Beaux?"

"You're just going to have to duel me to find out," said Trueman. "And might I add..."

He snapped his fingers. The street became covered by darkness.

"You don't have a choice in the matter..."

The darkness lifted, and the scenery had taken a turn for the worse. The three humans and the phoenix were now facing Trueman in a derelict cemetery, full of rotting headstones and dead trees, under a grey sky.

"Where are we?" asked Jinx.

"We're in a pocket dimension that serves as a bridge between the mortal world and the Abyssal realm of Thanatos," said Trueman.

"Thanatos..." said Shichiro. "Wait... Jalal mentioned that once..."

"It's the realm ruled by Orcus," said Gabriel, ominously. "One of the mightiest demon lords, and the Prince of Undead. Only Demogorgon is stronger, and Orcus would argue about that."

"The armies of Orcus are patrolling the nexuses of the Abyss," said Trueman, "waiting for any sign of the Ship of Chaos. The armies of Demogorgon and Graz'zt are doing the same thing. He's in a foul mood when a conflict this big happens, so no-one is likely to use this route and interrupt our duel.

"Should you win, you'll end up back in Satellite where we started.

"Of course, you could just take your chances and try to find your way back to the mortal world yourself... But if you take the wrong path, you might wind up in Thanatos proper...

"And like I said, Orcus is in a foul mood right now..."

"People, he has us there," said Gears. "Without my D-Wheel, finding the right way back is gonna be playing with fire."

"Just beat him quickly," said Jinx. "Ember is being chased, remember?"

"All right!" said Gears.

He activated his Duel Disk.

Trueman grinned as he activated his.

**(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Trueman: 8,000)**

"Let's do this," said Trueman. "I'll go first..."

He made a draw.

"Remember that card you helped me recover last time?" he said. "Allow me to introduce you all..."

A shadowy aura of dark energy appeared in front of him.

"...to Dark Archetype!"

None of the three humans had seen the _thing_ that appeared in front of Trueman before, but they knew right away, they didn't like it. Crouching on all fours, it was a bizarre and ugly thing that looked like it had been made of several Fiends stitched together in a haphazard manner. (1,400 ATK)

"Ugh!" said Gears.

Trueman fit another card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"It's your move..." he said.

Gears quickly made a draw.

_That reversed card is probably a Trap,_ he thought. _But I've got to at least try to get rid of that... thing. I don't know what it can do... And I have a feeling I don't wanna know._

"I summon Ally of Justice Garadholg!" he shouted.

In a flash of dark fire, Garadholg appeared, holding its two energy blades. (1,600 ATK)

"Garadholg, destroy that abomination!" he shouted.

Garadholg rushed at Dark Archetype...

"I activate... Zero Gazer!" shouted Trueman as his facedown card shot up.

"Zero Gazer?" asked Jinx.

"I never heard of it either," said Shichiro.

"Zero Gazer reduces the Attack Score of my Monster to zero," said Trueman.

Dark Archetype fell to zero Attack Points. Trueman cringed a little as Garadholg slashed it to ribbons.

"But," continued Trueman, "Zero Gazer also lets me draw one card..."

He made a draw.

**(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 6,400)**

"I'm guessing there's more to this..." said Gears, ominously.

"Indeed..." said Trueman. "When Dark Archetype is destroyed by battle, its effect activates."

He lifted his Disk.

"I choose a Monster in my deck whose Attack Score is the same as the amount of damage I just took.

"Then I send Monsters from my hand to the Graveyard whose combined Levels equal the Level of the Monster I chose.

"So... I'll send Zanki in my hand to the Graveyard..."

He discarded the card.

"In order to Special Summon Crawling Dragon in Defense Mode."

In a flash of light, an elderly, wingless Dragon with earthen-brown scales appeared, curled up in Defense Mode. (1,400 DEF)

"Hold on..." said Gears. "Zanki? Crawling Dragon? Someone actually still uses those old cards?"

Trueman glared at him.

"And why did you summon it in Defense Mode? It's Attack Score is higher."

No answer.

"I uh..." said Gears. "I set a card, and end my turn..."

A facedown card appeared behind Garadholg.

"My move..." said Trueman, making a draw.

"I set a Monster, and one facedown card, and end my turn."

Two set cards appeared, perpendicular to each other.

"All right, here goes," said Gears.

He made a draw.

_This might be useful later,_ he thought, looking at the Monster.

"I summon Mechanicalchaser!" he exclaimed, playing a card.

In another burst of energy, the multi-limbed Machine appeared next to Garadholg. (1,850 ATK)

"Garadholg, destroy Crawling Dragon!" he shouted.

The Ally struck the Dragon with its blade, blasting it to pebbles.

"Now, my Mechanicalchaser attacks your other Monster!"

Mechanicalchaser flew at the reversed Monster, its blades spinning. A fat, ugly clown appeared on the card, crouching in Defense Mode. It was cut in half.

"Crass Clown?" asked Gears. "And you made no attempt to stop me? Don't you know that you have to move that one from Defense Mode to Attack Mode to use its effect?"

Still no answer from Trueman.

"Have it your way," said Gears. "I end my turn..."

"I draw..." said Trueman.

"And now my true strategy can come to light, now that I have Crawling Dragon, Zanki, and Crass Clown in my Graveyard..."

He played a Spell Card.

"What is that?" asked Jinx.

"It... It looks like Call of the Haunted," said Shichiro. "But... It's a Spell Card!"

"This rarer Spell version of Call of the Haunted was around before the more common Trap version," said Trueman. "It isn't used much any more... It only works in certain decks, and since it has the same name as a card that's Limited, you can't use it and the Trap version in the same deck.

"The only duelists who make a habit of collecting the rare copies are the  
Sons of Kyuss. It was very hard to get this one away from its... previous owner...

"But anyway... Now that I've played it... I can remove those three Monsters from play to Special Summon three more."

The ground rumbled, and three hideous, rotting corpses crawled out of the ground. One was a rotting, undead dragon, its ribcage poking out through its decaying skin. (1,600 ATK) Another was a decayed corpse dressed in rusted Samurai armor, pierced with arrows, holding a rusted sword. (1,500 ATK) The third was a rotting, Zombie version of Crass Clown, balanced on a ball and holding a scythe. (1,350 ATK)

"You ditched three useless Monsters to summon three other useless ones?" asked Gears.

As he said that, the three Zombies glared at him, and their eyes glowed with evil light.

"I end my turn," said Trueman.

Gears drew a card, now getting a little nervous.

_Shouldn't be too hard..._ he thought.

"First, I set a Monster," he said, as a reversed Monster appeared.

"Then, I attack with Mechanicalchaser!"

The Machine hunter lunged at Dragon Zombie, ripping it to pieces.

"Ha, that was easy," he said. "Garadholg, destroy Armored Zombie!"

Garadholg swung its energy blade, cutting the undead soldier in two. The remains shattered.

**(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 6,150)**

"Your move, pal," said Gears. "And all I'm getting from this new strategy of yours is a big laugh."

Trueman made a draw.

"Oh?" he said.

Then the ground burst open again. Dragon Zombie leapt out first. (1,760 ATK) Then Armored Zombie followed. (1,650 ATK)

"They came back!" gasped Jinx.

"And they're stronger than they were before!" exclaimed Shichiro.

"That's the true power of my special Call of the Haunted," said Trueman. "You Shadowchasers have fought enough undead beings and necromantic creations to know that killing something is difficult when it's already dead.

"When these three Zombies are destroyed, they rise from the dead again, with ten percent more Attack Points!"

"Hold on..." said Shichiro. "Didn't Katsuya Jonouchi mention something like this in his autobiography?"

_I was thinking the same thing,_ thought Gears.

"Dragon Zombie," ordered Trueman, "attack Ally Garadholg!"

The Zombie took a deep breath...

"I activate... Half or Nothing!" shouted Gears, as his facedown card shot up.

Judge Man appeared, holding his two axes menacingly.

"Make a choice," he said.

"I choose to end my Battle Phase," said Trueman. "And now that the power of my Spell has been released, I play Dust Barrier."

A Continuous Spell Card appeared.

"For as long as this card lasts, your Spell Cards don't work on my Normal Monsters.

"And I end my turn."

Gears made a draw. He looked at it.

"You may be able to bring your Zombies back turn after turn," he said, "but that just means I can chip away at your Life Points by attacking them turn after turn.

"Mechanicalchaser, attack Dragon Zombie again!"

The robot made a slash at the decayed corpse, ripping it to shards.

"Garadholg, attack Clown Zombie!"

The Ally made a slash with its energy blades, cutting the undead jester in two.

"I'll set a card facedown," he continued, "and end my turn."

A reversed card appeared.

**(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 5,810)**

"My move..." said Trueman, with a sinister smile.

He drew a card.

"And once again..."

The ground cracked open. Clown Zombie emerged first. (1,485 ATK)

Then, Dragon Zombie leapt out of the ground... But with its appearance came something Gears didn't expect... (1,936 ATK)

"Now wait just a minute!" shouted Gears. "You're telling me that this Attack Score boosting effect _stacks_??"

"Is this card even legal?" asked Jinx.

"Don't know, don't care," replied Trueman.

He played a Spell Card.

"And for my next move, I'm playing Tribute to the Doomed to destroy your Mechanicalchaser."

He discarded a second Zanki, and Mechanicalchaser sparked with bolts of energy before shattering into pixels.

"Clown Zombie, attack his hidden Monster with acrobatic daggers attack!"

Clown Zombie cackled, and three daggers formed in its hand. It did a handstand on its ball with its other hand, and hurled the daggers. Ally of Justice Unlimiter appeared on the card and exploded as the projectiles stabbed into it.

"Armored Zombie, destroy Garadholg with revenant's blade!"

The undead bushi made a slash with its rusty katana, slicing Garadholg in two.

"Dragon Zombie, attack directly with noxious zombie breath!"

Dragon Zombie growled.

"I activate Sakuretsu Armor!" shouted Gears, as his facedown card lifted up.

"Not so fast," said Trueman, as his own card lifted up. "I activate Seven Tools of the Bandit. It costs me 1,000 Life Points, but negating your Trap will cost you more."

Gears's Trap Card shattered, and he cringed as a cloud of foul, corrosive gas covered him.

For a minute, he felt sick. He almost threw up.

"I end my turn," said Trueman.

**(G: 6,014) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 4,810)**

Gears wiped his face.

_Something's wrong here..._ he thought. _He had that Counter Trap on the field when I activated Half or Nothing... So why didn't he use it then?_

_Of course! Dust Barrier... And a Counter Trap... That Spell of his can probably only revive those Zombies when they're destroyed by battle... Card effects are a different story._

He drew a card.

_This might work..._ he thought.

"Okay, pal," he said, "I'm setting a Monster, and a facedown card."

Two set card appeared, one in his Monster Zone, one in his Spell Zone.

"Do your worst..."

"I draw..." said Trueman.

He drew a card.

"Unfortunately," he said, "since it is now my second Standby Phase since I used Dust Barrier, its power is exhausted..."

The Dust Barrier card shattered.

"Not like I need it... Dragon Zombie, destroy his Monster!"

Dragon Zombie breathed another cloud of its noxious breath...

"I activate... DNA Transplant!" shouted Gears. "Now, all Monsters on the field are Light..."

His Monster appeared on the card. It looked like a small, prototype version of Catastor, not nearly as fancy, with only two legs. (200 DEF)

"I can still crush your Monster," said Trueman.

"No you can't," said Gears, with a grin, "because any Light Monster that battles Ally of Justice Core-Destroy is automatically destroyed, without any damage calculation."

Core-Destroy fired a blast of pure energy from its one optic sensor, and Dragon Zombie was vaporized.

"Ha, ha!" laughed Gabriel. "Betcha didn't expect _that_, sucker!"

"And I'll bet that if your Zombies are destroyed by card effects," said Gears, "Call of the Haunted can't bring them back. Am I right?"

Trueman looked dumbfounded.

He took one of his three remaining cards.

"Yes, you are," he said. "But I have a backup plan...

"I play Nightmare's Steelcage."

A ring of flames erupted around Gears and Core-Destroy, and an iron, domed cage studded with spikes formed around them.

"Now you cannot attack for two full turns."

"Neither can you," said Gears.

"I'm well aware of that," replied Trueman. "It's your move."

Gears quickly made a draw.

"In that case," he said, "I pass for this turn..."

Trueman drew. He fit a card in his Disk.

"I set this card facedown," said Trueman, as a reversed card appeared, "and end my turn."

"You're up to something..." said Gears, making a draw.

"Eh, this is no good..." he said. "I pass again."

"This could get tedious," said Jinx.

"Not for long," said Shichiro. "Because now that Gears has ended his turn..."

The Steelcage shattered into black shards.

"...there. Didn't get much out of your two free turns, did you, Trueman? Your Monsters still can't attack Core-Destroy without being obliterated."

Trueman quickly made a draw.

"Actually, I got just what I needed..." he said.

His facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Birthright," he said. "Now I can bring a Normal Monster back from the Graveyard..."

Dragon Zombie reappeared. (1,600 ATK)

"It's not under Call of the Haunted's influence any more," added Shichiro.

"True," replied Trueman. "So that's why I'm playing Polymerization to fuse it with The Snake Hair."

Another Zombie appeared, this one resembling Reptilianne Medusa, but perhaps a bit younger. A vortex of energy appeared, and both it and Dragon Zombie were drawn through it.

There was a loud trumpeting, and a colossal form stepped out of the vortex. It looked like a huge skeleton of an elephant, its bones bleached the color of gold.

"The Great Mammoth of Goldfine," said Trueman.

(2,200 ATK)

"It's still pointless," said Gears. "If you attack my Core-Destroy, it will destroy your Mammoth."

"Good point," said Trueman, playing his last card. "So I'd best put that DNA Transplant card of yours out of commission. I play an Equip Spell."

"Eternal Reverse??" exclaimed Gears. "DaPen had that card!"

"Then you remember how it works," said Trueman. "It has two effects. So long as I have it Equipped to a Monster, I can return a face-up Spell or Trap to set position once per turn."

DNA Transplant slammed down.

"And you aren't allowed to activate it for the rest of the turn," continued Trueman. "Which means it's all over for your Core-Destroy."

Clown Zombie cackled, and threw its daggers at Core-Destroy, blowing it to pieces.

Then Armored Zombie lunged at Gears, and slashed at him across the chest with its filthy blade. Gears gasped and staggered backwards.

He barely had time to regain his balance before the Great Mammoth's mighty foot crashed down on him, pinning him to the floor.

"GEARS!!" shouted Jinx.

"I'm all right..." said Gears, as he sat up.

"Uhm..."

He held his chest.

"I will be so long as I don't laugh or sneeze anytime soon..."

**(G: 2,164) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 4,810)**

"Oh, my tears can't heal him..." moaned Gabriel. "I can only do that once a day... I should have saved it in case of a Shadow Duel like this one..."

"You had no idea..." said Gears, getting up. "Don't worry, I'll figure something out."

_I hope..._ he thought. _Clown Zombie and Armored Zombie are still getting the benefits from his Call of the Haunted..._

"I think you also know about the second effect of Eternal Reverse," said Trueman. "If my Mammoth is attacked, it can survive if I get rid of the Equip.

"With that, I end my turn..."

Gears drew a card.

He looked at his hand. It consisted of Magic Planter, Synchro Magnetor, Ally of Justice Researcher, Big Bang Shot, Dark Tinker, and the card he had just drawn, Enemy Controller.

Even if he reactivated DNA Transplant, it was of no use now. Neither of his two Monsters that he could summon benefited from it. Big Bang Shot could do some damage if he used Enemy Controller – those two Zombies had zero Defense Points, after all – but Call of the Haunted would bring the target back stronger.

He looked at Magic Planter. It had been a gift from Mistle... Despite its name, it really had nothing to do with Plants.

_Might as well..._ he thought.

DNA Transplant activated again.

"Once again, I change all Monsters to Light," he said. "But that won't matter...

"Because I'm playing Magic Planter."

The Spell Card appeared.

"By sending a Continuous Trap to the Graveyard, I get to draw two cards."

DNA Transplant vanished, and he made two draws.

"All right!" he shouted. "I summon Dark Tinker!"

The creepy, spider-like Fiend appeared. (1,000 ATK)

"Next," he said, as he played another Spell Card, "I play my Double Summon. Now I get a second Normal Summon this turn.

"Meet Ally of Justice Researcher."

With a roar of an engine, the armored all-terrain vehicle with robotic arms drove onto the field. (1,400 ATK)

"Now, I Tune my Monsters together..."

Dark Tinker and Researcher faded into five glowing stars... Gears chanted.

"_Power of the Healing Darkness, concentrated into a lethal energy beam, a weapon designed to deal death to minions of the Light of Ruin! Clustering stars form a path to bring this powerful tool to battle…_

"_Synchro Summon… Ally of Justice Catastor!"_

There was a dark fog, and Catastor emerged, shining with an aura of energy. (2,200 ATK)

"A lot of good that will do," said Trueman. "Your DNA Transplant is gone, and all three of my Monsters are Dark."

"I'm just getting started," said Gears. "Since I just made a Synchro Summon, I get to Special Summon Synchro Magnetor from my hand."

Another Machine materialized, hovering in the air. It was a small drone shaped like a refrigerator magnet with arms and eyes. (1,000 ATK)

"And because Synchro Magnetor is also a Tuner," continued Gears, "I can make another Synchro Summon!"

Synchro Magnetor and Catastor flew into the sky, and faded into eight glowing stars. Gears started to chant again.

"_Wanderer of the spaceways, traveler of the flow! Weapon of the Healing Darkness, seeking out the minions of the Light Ruin where their evil beacons shine in the universe!_

"_Synchro Summon, Ally of Justice Light Gazer!"_

Another larger robot slowly descended. It was a large droid, shaped like an inverted pear, with cannons for arms, surrounded by a metal ring. It hovered on repulsion jets on its underside. (2,400 ATK)

"Next," said Gears, "I play Enemy Controller."

He played the Spell Card, and Armored Zombie crouched in Defense Mode. (0 DEF)

"You see, I figured out what I had to do," said Gears. "I had to exploit the same weakness in that Spell Card that Katsuya Jonouchi did. To wit, it might be able to increase the Attack Score of those Zombies, but their Defense Scores remains zero."

"But my Monster is now defending," replied Trueman. "So I'll take no damage when you attack. And Armored Zombie will just come back stronger next turn."

"Wrong on both counts," said Gears. "I Equip Light Gazer with Big Bang Shot."

He played the Equip Spell, and Light Gazer glowed with energy. (2,800 ATK)

Trueman looked shocked.

"I still have one card to play," said Gears. "One that will take this duel home..."

He threw his last card into his Disk.

"I play Limiter Removal!"

Light Gazer started to blaze with energy... (5,600 ATK)

"Attack Armored Zombie!" he shouted. "Cosmic cannons!"

Shichiro, Jinx, and Gabriel covered their eyes as a mighty blast from Light Gazer lit up the dark cemetery, blowing Armored Zombie to pieces...

**(G: 2,164) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 0)**

Then reality seemed to come undone. Trueman was gone, and the three Shadowchasers and the phoenix were falling through a void.

Then they fell in a heap...

They got up. They were now _inside_ the theater they had been outside before.

Gears stood up. A glowing orb was hovering in the air. A warm feeling was coming from it.

He held out his hand, and it turned into a card. The card lowered into his hand.

It was the third Titan.

"Il Mathman the Artificer..." he said.

"All that's missing now is the one that Shannalla says is in prison," said Jinx. "But we have to save Ember before we can save her."

As they started to leave, Shichiro lagged behind a little.

He recognized this place now. Jack Atlas had used this theater as his throne room, back before he was the King of the Riding Duels... When he was a king with no kingdom. He had spent a lot of time here after Team Satisfaction broke up... Shichiro had come here when he had been trying to help the group (something that had been a complete failure in his eyes), and had found it depressing.

He sighed, and followed Gears and Jinx out.

As they walked out, they didn't know that Hssimim was watching from across the street, his features concealed by a trenchcoat.

He spoke into his cell phone.

"Your excellence," he said. "They just came out of Atlas's old place..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Roger on that, Hssimim," said Taramanda.

She hung up, and dialed another number.

"It's me," she said. "They're at Atlas's old place. Go get them."

"Who you calling now?" asked Msskim.

"A new ally of mine," said Taramanda, hanging up.

"Ember is expecting her three friends to rescue her, and they're going to try...

"But now... Who's going to rescue the rescuers?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember was running for her life. She knew that Hebi-Na was chasing her. She had lost her a few times, but the ophidia had always picked up the chase.

She was now in one of the most decrepit parts of Satellite, not far from the B.A.D. She saw a warehouse in front of her.

It was the only place to hide right now, so she opened the door, which wasn't locked, and ran in.

Hebi-Na saw her enter...

And she paused... Paused in fear.

There were odd runes painted above the entrance. They were written in an archaic version of the ophidian tongue. If Ember had been able to read them, she'd have known that the strange runes said the following:

_**There is no glory to be gained here. There is no treasure here. The only thing that awaits those who enter is death.**_

This was a universal warning among the ophidia, placed on areas they knew to be cursed, and cursed so badly that even they could not survive what lay within. If an ophidia saw the warning, he would know to go the other way, fast, and would not worry about the details of the curse. He would know that it was too dangerous to risk investigating or exploring.

Hebi-Na, however… She _did_ know the details of the curse. She had almost been a victim of it, long ago. And she did not want to go in there after Ember.

For a minute, she considered just going away, and let the danger inside take care of Ember for her…

But then, she saw it clearly in her mind… The look of absolute terror that would be on Ember's face before she met the most horrible doom imaginable…

Something woke up inside Hebi-Na. It wasn't exactly a conscience, nor was it any sense of morals or scruples, but it was as close to any of those that an ophidia was capable of having. She wanted Ember to die, but even she had a limit as to how that was to happen.

But there was an even worse possibility if she left. What if, by some miracle, Ember escaped? It wasn't impossible. Someone had clearly helped her escape the Venomous Tarns, after all. What if she brought a strike force of Shadowchasers to this place to deal with the threat, and they found out what created it? Could Jalal put the ophidia on an even worse status than outlaw race?

Well, if he could, he would if he found out what was in that warehouse.

So even though only the most insane ophidia would ever go near this horrible place, she followed Ember inside.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK ARCHETYPE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,400  
**DEF:** 400

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed by battle and you take damage, you may select 1 Monster in your deck with an ATK equal to the amount of damage you took. Send Monsters from your hand to the Graveyard whose combined Levels equal the selected Monster to Special Summon the selected Monster from your deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ZERO GAZER (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Panther Warrior standing in front of a raging fire with two glaring eyes peering out of it.

**Card Description:** Activate when your opponent declares an attack against one of your Monsters. Reduce the ATK of the attack target to zero. After damage calculation, draw one card.

_Note: "Dark Archetype" and "Zero Gazer" were first used by Trueman in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" Episode 157. Creative credit goes to the writers of those episodes._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ETERNAL REVERSE (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image: **Two rubbery, green hands hovering over a facedown Duel Monsters card, with strings connecting the fingers to the card.

**Card Description:** Once per turn, the controller of the Equipped Monster can place a face-up Spell or Trap Card in set position. The controller of the set Spell or Trap Card cannot activate it in the same turn. If the Equipped Monster would be destroyed as a result of battle, you can negate the destruction by destroying this card.

_Note: "Eternal Reverse" was first used by Johan (possessed by Yubel) in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Ultimate Face-Off (Part 1)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CALL OF THE HAUNTED (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image: **The same as the Trap version.

**Card Description:** Activate when you have 1 "Crass Clown", 1 "Crawling Dragon", and 1 "Zanki" in your Graveyard. Remove those three Monsters in your Graveyard from play to Special Summon 1 "Clown Zombie", 1 "Dragon Zombie", and 1 "Armored Zombie" from your hand or deck in Attack Position. If a Monster Special Summoned by this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon it from your Graveyard in Attack Position during your next Standby Phase and increase its ATK by the amount gained by previous uses of this effect and then by 10%. If this card leaves the field, destroy the Monsters Special Summoned by its effect.

_Note: This is a fanfic version of the Spell version of "Call of the Haunted" used by "Ghost" __Kotsuzuka__ in the multi-part original anime episode "Arena of Lost Souls". Its effect has been altered a bit from what the episode suggested to make it more believable._

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**Next: **

**Ember: Here's how it stands with Hebi-Na and me. **

**I won the first time we dueled. Of course, I had known in advance that she was using a Venom Deck, and prepared my deck accordingly.**

**Hebi-Na won the second duel. This time, she prepared in advance, and chose a theme designed with intimidation in mind.**

**A third duel is needed for a tie breaker. My deck is not specifically prepared against hers, and her Spellcasters can't intimidate me any more. **

**Now, I have no idea why she even agreed to duel me here instead of just pouncing like the predatory beast she is. She seems just as nervous as I am for some reason...**

**But whatever the case, we now have a chance for that tie-breaker... May the best duelist win...**

"**Skull Lair" is coming soon.**

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Hepzibah, Tribal Scout**

Shadows exist in all cultures, in all regions. Native American cultures have had totemistic beliefs since ancient times, worshipping the spirits of animals. In actuality, these beliefs stem from a unique race of Shadowkind that appears unique to the North American continent.

This species of spirits (which has no real name, as they do not use personal names in their culture) are shapeshifters. An individual can appear either human or as a normal animal, which is unique for each member. Some mistake them for lycanthropes, and since wolf spirits do exist among them, it is easy to do so. Changing forms cannot be done on a whim (they cannot cause clothes to magically appear when they assume human form or disappear when they assume animal form) so they tend to stay in the wild most of the time, and stay in animal form constantly when humans are nearby.

The species is made up of five tribes: mammalian carnivores, mammalian herbivores, mammalian omnivores, birds, and reptiles. Each tribe stays away from civilization most of the time, except for one member of each tribe, appointed every five years, whose job is to live among humans and find out whatever he or she can.

Hepzibah is the most recent member of the mammalian omnivore tribe to have this duty. She had the bad luck of being a skunk spirit, the reflection of an animal that has gotten a bad reputation by almost everyone. To make matters worse, her tribe (which consists mostly of weasels, ferrets, badgers and the like) is not on good terms with any of the other tribes. Carnivorous mammals, some reptiles, and some birds prey on her kind, while they prey on some members of the herbivores. She especially hates wolf spirits, as her sister was killed by one of them. Overall, she considered it quite a relief to be chosen for this task.

She chose the name "Hepzibah" after reading about the female skunk with the same name in Walt Kelly's comic strip _Pogo_ and quickly got a job as a secretary in Chicago. She has been doing her job as her tribe's representative admirably for almost two years, staying in human form the whole time (her long, black hair with a bleached white streak the only reflection of her true nature), but has also come to like the human world. She has made many friends in this time, and even has a boyfriend. (She really doesn't know how, if ever, she'd tell him that she's a skunk spirit in disguise, thinking she's going to cross that bridge when she comes to it.)

For now, Hepzibah is doing what she is supposed to, gathering information for her tribe to present when she eventually returns. She isn't looking forward to the end of her five-year stint, but she isn't thinking of betraying her tribe – for now.

**Story Ideas:** The fact that Hepizbah's tribe has few friends and many enemies could serve as a plot device. A spat could develop if the representative from one of the other tribes shows up, especially if he's after the same thing she's after.

Any disputes between these groups of spirits might well attract Red Feather, possibly the best Shadowchaser to act as a mediator. She isn't truly Native American, but she is just as in touch with the natural world as the next one, and can help prevent any imbalance from happening.

**Deck Ideas:** Hepzibah naturally plays a "Power Beast Deck", a deck that uses several high-Level Beast-Type Monsters, and ways to summon them quickly. She uses Nimble Momonga and Playing Opossum to provide sacrifices and opportunities to Special Summon powerhouses like the Green and Yellow Baboons, Big Koala, and Behemoth the King of All Animals. She also uses Berserk Gorilla and Gyaku-Gire Panda as non-Tribute beatsticks. She uses the three Synchro Monsters Naturia Beast, Naturia Balkion, and Naturia Gaodrake for tough situations. (But not Naturia Landoise, as it's a Rock.) She has a copy of Naturia Extrio, but she has not yet managed to summon this incredibly difficult-to-summon Fusion Monster yet.


	29. Skull Lair

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**DUEL TWENTY-NINE**

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**Skull Lair**

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Ember looked around the interior of the crumbling, decaying warehouse. It was hard to tell what purpose it originally served. There were no crates, no old machinery, not even an old tire lying around. It seemed completely empty. The walls were cheap plasterboard, the floor was old-fashioned wood, and the beams holding up the ceiling were covered with rust.

As she walked, the floor creaked and groaned. If she looked hard at the floor, she might have seen the odd symbols painted on it... Magical wards designed to keep the danger lurking here from getting outside.

Then she saw a door on the other end. A back door, maybe?

She rushed to it... Only for it to slam shut. She pulled on it, but it had locked with a deadbolt.

Ember slowly turned around. She saw Hebi-Na next to a switch.

"Trust me," said the ophidia, "you didn't want to go down there..."

Ember lifted her sword. The sword she had stolen from the guard in the shrine. It wasn't nearly of the quality of the dwarven-forged blade that Jalal had given her (which she presumed the ophidia still had) but at least it was a sword.

"Then come and get me, bitch..." she said with a scowl. "Let's end this between us once and for all..."

Hebi-Na paused. She looked nervously back and forth.

"Well?" asked Ember. "What are you waiting for? Aren't you going to pounce like the beast you are? Try to tear me limb from limb?"

Normally, Hebi-Na would have. But if a fight of swords broke out, blood might be spilled. That would be dangerous. Like a shark, the danger lurking below was attracted to blood...

"Tell you what, Ember..." said Hebi-Na. "You think I'm so merciless... Well, we don't have to fight that way... I'll give you one last chance..."

Then, she pushed a switch on her Duel Disk, and a grapple shot out of it, latching itself to Ember's Disk.

"What's going on?" shouted Ember.

"We're going to duel using a little house rule that the Duel Gangs of Satellite used a few years ago," said Hebi-Na. "Your friend who used to hang out with Team Satisfaction might have told you how this works..."

"He's very closemouthed about that," replied Ember.

"Then I'll explain it," said Hebi-Na. "This Duel Cuff won't let go until we duel, and a winner is declared. When that happens, it will rip free of the loser's Disk, destroying it."

"Your sadistic idea of fun, right?" asked Ember.

_No, that's what I want you to think,_ thought Hebi-Na. _I almost knocked you senseless in our last duel. If I do the same thing this time, I can finish you off with my venom, and not spill any blood. _

_You'll never understand, but it's for your own good. It would be much worse if a real fight broke out..._

"All right, you're on," said Ember.

She sighed.

_Guys..._ she thought. _I hope you're somewhere out there looking for me..._

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Hebi-Na: 8,000)**

"I'll make the first move..." said Hebi-Na, making a draw.

"Oh, look... Here's a card you'll remember..."

She fit the card into her Field Slot, and once again, the towers of the Magical Citadel of Endymion rose around them.

"Not this again!" shouted Ember.

"Yes, this again," said Hebi-Na. "Next, I'll summon Skilled White Magician."

In a burst of light, a mage in a white robe and a hood, holding a scepter appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"Having done that," she said, as she played a Spell Card, "I'll play Toon Table of Contents. This lets me take any card from my deck with the word 'Toon' in its name.

"I'll choose a second Toon Table of Contents, and play that one as well."

She played a second Spell Card.

"And heck, why not do it a third time?"

She took a third Toon Table of Contents, and played it. She took another card from her deck.

"By playing those three Spells, both my Citadel and my Magician got three Counters apiece.

"And with that, my turn is complete."

"Uhm," said Ember, "you do know that when Skilled White Magician has three Spell Counters, you can sacrifice him to summon Buster Blader, right?"

"I'm well aware of that," replied Hebi-Na. "Maybe I have a reason for not doing so."

Ember quickly made a draw. She looked over the six cards in her hand.

She was nervous. If she lost this duel, and as a result lost her Disk, she might well be defenseless. Of course, she didn't know what Hebi-Na was planning for when the duel was over.

"I summon Evocator Chevalier!" she shouted.

In an aura of fire, Chevalier appeared, brandishing his burning blade. (1,900 ATK)

"Destroy Skilled White Magician!" she shouted.

Chevalier made a deep cut, and the sorcerer groaned before he shattered. Hebi-Na grinned.

**(E: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,800)**

"I knew you'd attack, because you were afraid I'd summon Buster Blader," said Hebi-Na, with an evil smile. "Truthfully, my deck has no Buster Blader. But now that you've destroyed my Magician, his three Spell Counters go to my Citadel."

Ember frowned.

"I'll end with a facedown card," she said.

A reversed card appeared.

"My move..." said Hebi-Na.

She made a draw.

"I'll summon the Monster I searched for with my last Toon Table of Contents," she said. "Toon Masked Sorcerer."

In a burst of lights and colored streamers, a silly-looking goon with a blue face, orange hair with a flower in it, and a purple suit appeared. He balanced on one foot. (900 ATK)

"I'll throw down two facedowns, for later," she said, as two reversed cards appeared. "And end my turn."

Ember made a draw.

"I summon Blazing Inpachi!" she exclaimed.

A bonfire appeared on her side of the field, and the large, burning, wooden effigy materialized. (1,850 ATK)

"I activate my Trap Card!" laughed Hebi-Na, as one of her facedown cards lifted up.

"Tower of Babel!"

_Another of Sonja's cards!_ thought Ember.

A huge, rickety Tower rose behind Hebi-Na, next to the main tower of Endymion.

"And now, my Spell Card," continued Hebi-Na, as her other facedown card lifted up. "Magical Dimension!

"I'll sacrifice Toon Masked Sorcerer..."

The silly Toon vanished.

"...and Special Summon Defender, the Magical Knight in Defense Mode."

Defender appeared, crouching behind his large shield. (2,000 DEF)

"And as per the second effect of Magical Dimension, I can destroy Evocator Chevalier."

The Gemini Warrior shattered into pixels.

"Plus, my Citadel gains another Spell Counter, and the Tower of Babel gets one."

"I end my turn!" said Ember, with a scowl.

Hebi-Na quickly made a draw.

"I summon Night's End Sorcerer!" she shouted.

She played the card, and the swarm of bats flew from the Citadel once again. The young mage in the ragged cloak with the scythe appeared again. (1,300 ATK)

"You summon Tempest Magician now," said Ember, "she won't have enough juice to finish me."

"Tempest Magician isn't the only Level 6 Synchro I have," said Hebi-Na, as both of her Monsters faded into six glowing stars. "I want to at least treat you to as much of this deck as I can..."

A column of light shot up in front of her.

"I Synchro Summon... Explosive Magician!"

The Spellcaster that appeared was dressed in a pure white robe and a conical hat, covered with golden designs. He held a golden staff, and sparks of energy surrounded him like glowing embers. (2,500 ATK)

"Now, I use his effect," continued Hebi-Na, "and remove two Spell Counters from my Citadel to destroy one Spell or Trap Card."

Explosive Magician blasted a bolt of burning light, vaporizing Ember's Martyr's Flame.

"How unfortunate..." muttered Hebi-Na. "I would have enjoyed attacking you directly...

"Oh well... Explosive Magician, attack Blazing Inpachi with burst blast!"

The sorcerer fired another bolt of plasma, and the wicker man exploded into a burst of flaming timbers. Ember braced herself.

**(E: 7,350) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,800)**

"Don't forget, Ember..." said Hebi-Na. "If Tower of Babel gets four Spell Counters, it will flatten whoever played the fourth spell, costing her 3,000 Life Points. It has one now.

"It's your move..."

Ember took a deep breath, and made a draw.

"Well, here's two," she said. "I play Fire Back."

She played the Spell Card, and discarded Molten Zombie. Evocator Chevalier reappeared. (1,900 ATK)

"Then, I Gemini Summon him."

Chevalier flashed with energy.

"Now, Salamandra!"

Chevalier's blade burned with fire. (2,600 ATK)

"Next, I'll ditch Salamandra to destroy Explosive Magician!"

Chevalier's Attack Score fell back down to 1,900, and Explosive Magician shattered into pixels.

"Hey, wait a minute..." said Hebi-Na.

"Next," said Ember, "I discard Flamvell Baby to increase his Attack Score again."

She discarded the card. (2,300 ATK)

"Now wait just a..." started Hebi-Na.

Then she gasped, as Chevalier slashed at her with his blade.

**(E: 7,350) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 5,500)**

"It's your move, snake..." growled Ember.

Hebi-Na looked nervous. She stopped for a minute to listen.

No, she hadn't heard anything. They were safe for now.

She drew a card.

It was Pot of Avarice. The other card in her hand was Royal Magical Library.

She had enough Monsters in her Graveyard to play Pot of Avarice, but if she did so, the Tower of Babel would fall on her! It would be too much of a risk.

She set Royal Magical Library on her Disk, and the reversed Monster appeared.

She glared at Ember.

Ember drew a card.

"I summon Little Chimera," she said.

She played the card, and the small, white cat with wings appeared. (600 ATK)

"And it increases the Attack Scores of all Fire Monsters by 500 points."

Chevalier increased to 2,800 Attack Points, and Little Chimera to 1,100.

"Chevalier, attack!"

Evocator Chevalier swung his blade, and the bookshelf burst into a shower of burning paper.

"Chimera, attack directly!"

Hebi-Na grunted as the cat breathed a small fireball on her.

**(E: 7,350) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 4,400)**

Hebi-Na hissed angrily, and bore her fangs...

_No!_ she thought, calming down. _I mustn't get angry! If a real fight breaks out, the curse of this place will come down upon us, and we'll both be killed!_

_And our goddess will do who knows what to me in the afterlife for releasing it on the world... _

_Calm... Must stay calm... As long as I stay calm, it won't wake up..._

_Probably..._

"It's my move!" she shouted.

She made a draw.

"I summon Defender the Magical Knight!" she shouted.

She played the card, and a second Defender appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Destroy Little Chimera!" she ordered.

Defender shield-rushed the little Beast, crushing it.

"And that will be all for now..."

**(E: 6,850) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 4,400)**

Ember drew a card. She looked at the two cards in her hand.

"I set a Monster," she said, as a reversed Monster appeared.

"Then I attack your Defender!"

Chevalier rushed at Defender...

"He's not called Defender for nothing," said Hebi-Na. "Once per turn, I can remove a Spell Counter from any of my cards to prevent him from being destroyed in battle. So I'll remove one from Tower of Babel."

Defender blocked the Warrior's blow with his shield.

"But you still take damage," replied Hebi-Na.

"Ergh..." muttered the ophidia.

**(E: 6,850) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 3,700)**

"It's your move..." said Ember.

Hebi-Na made a draw.

"Now that it's safe..." she said. "I play Pot of Avarice."

She played the card, and took Explosive Magician, Night's End Sorcerer, her first Defender, Skilled White Magician, and Royal Magical Library from her discard slot, shuffled them into her deck, and made two draws.

"I'll set a facedown, and move Defender to Defense Mode, where he does better..."

A reversed card appeared, and Defender knelt and covered himself with his shield. (2,000 DEF)

"And it's your move..."

"Then I draw!" shouted Ember.

She drew. She looked at the card.

"I play Brain Control!" she shouted, playing it. "I'm paying 800 Life Points to take control of your Defender!"

The sinister brain appeared, and two large arms pulled Defender over to Ember's side.

"Oh, Ember?" said Hebi-Na, in a sweet voice. "You just put the fourth Spell Counter on Tower of Babel!"

Ember covered her head as the Tower started to topple. Stones and rubble rained down on her, and then the whole structure collapsed, sending her to the floor. Hebi-Na was almost pulled down as well by the Cuff.

Ember slowly got up.

**(E: 3,050) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 3,700)**

"Not to rub salt on an open wound," said Hebi-Na, "but since Tower of Babel was just destroyed, its Spell Counters all go to my Citadel."

Ember growled.

"I sacrifice your Defender..." she said, as the Magical Knight vanished, "to summon Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch!"

There was a huge bonfire, and Thestalos loomed over the field. (2,400 ATK)

"Now, one card in your hand is destroyed, and if it's a Monster, you lose 100 Life Points times its Level!"

One of Hebi-Na's two cards caught on fire.

"Heh," she chuckled, turning it around. "That's Instant Fusion. It's a Spell Card."

"Doesn't matter!" shouted Ember. "Because now I'm gonna finish you!

"Get her!"

Chevalier and Thestalos rushed at the snake-woman...

Hebi-Na's Trap Card flipped up.

"Mirror Force??" gasped Ember.

Hebi-Na grinned as the two Monsters were blown to atoms.

_I don't know where Hssimim got this deck,_ thought Hebi-Na, _but it's a good one..._

Ember sighed.

"I have to end my turn..." she said.

"I draw!" shouted Hebi-Na, whipping the next card off her Disk.

"And I summon Skilled _Dark_ Magician!"

In an aura of shadow, a black-robed twin of Skilled White Magician appeared. (1,900 ATK)

"Destroy her last Monster!" she commanded. "Black magic blast!"

Skilled Dark Magician fired a bolt of black magic at the reversed Monster. Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and cackled before it burst into shards.

Hebi-Na shrugged. She discarded the last card in her hand, and then they both made five draws.

Hebi-Na gave her new hand a look-over.

"I set one card, and end my turn," she said.

A reversed card appeared.

"My move," said Ember, drawing a sixth card.

"I summon the Royal Firestorm Guards," she exclaimed.

In a burst of fiery energy, the strange, serpentine, reptilian Pyro with wing-like protrusions on its arms appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"By summoning it, I get to take four Pyros from my Graveyard and shuffle them into my deck..."

She took Thestalos, Molten Zombie, Blazing Inpachi, and Flamvell Baby from her Graveyard, and added them to her deck. The Disk shuffled it.

"...then make two draws..."

She drew twice.

She was surprised when she saw what one of the cards was.

_This was the card I used to destroy Akira's Judgment Dragon!_ she thought. _Whoever put it in my spiritual deck must have put it in my real deck at the same time._

She took another card from her hand.

"I play Double Summon!" she shouted, playing a Spell Card. "I'll use it to set a Monster."

A reversed Monster appeared next to Royal Firestorm Guards.

"Then I'll toss two cards facedown, and end my turn!"

Two reversed cards appeared in flashes of light.

"Every move you make just strengthens my Citadel," said Hebi-Na, as she made a draw. "Playing Double Summon gave both it and Skilled Dark Magician a Spell Counter.

"I summon Magical Exemplar."

In an aura of soft, gentle light, Exemplar appeared, with her usual serene expression. (1,700 ATK)

"Skilled Dark Magician, attack Royal Firestorm Guards!"

The sorcerer cast his dark Spell, and the Pyro exploded into a cloud of ash.

"Exemplar, the other one!"

Magical Exemplar, put her hands together, and threw a ball of light at the facedown Monster...

But the Monster that appeared was a large, fiery, winged creature, resembling a cross between a condor and a pterodactyl, covering itself with its wings. (1,800 DEF) The blast glanced off.

"Guess Neoflamvell Garuda was too much for her," said Ember.

"Humph," said Hebi-Na. "I end my turn..."

**(E: 2,850) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 3,600)**

Ember quickly drew.

"I summon Flamvell Archer!" she shouted.

Flamvell Archer appeared, aiming his bow. (1,000 ATK)

"Then, I Tune him and Garuda together..."

The two Pyros dissolved into six glowing stars...

With a roar, Flamvell Urquizas landed on the field. (2,100 ATK)

"Attack Skilled Dark Magician!" she ordered. "Fist of flame!"

Hebi-Na groaned as the Synchro socked the Spellcaster hard, blowing him to pieces.

**(E: 2,850) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 3,400)**

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Outside the theater, Gears was startled as the computer on his D-Wheel started beeping. He looked at the controls.

"People!" he shouted. "Someone in Satellite just summoned Flamvell Urquizas!

"Ember is dueling!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Jinx.

The three Shadowchasers got on their D-Wheels, and started them...

But then, they were surprised as a mob of shadowy shapes started to appear on the street, blocking their path.

Shichiro turned around, and saw that more of them were approaching. He recognized them as dark elves.

"What's going on?" he said. "Is there a party here that someone forgot to tell us about?"

The dark elves laughed as dozens more started to appear...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Flamvell Urquizas rose to an Attack Score of 2,400.

"You may have destroyed Skilled Dark Magician," said Hebi-Na, "but his Counter goes to the Citadel, giving it a total of fourteen."

"I'm so scared," said Ember.

"You will be," said Hebi-Na, drawing a card.

"I play Foolish Burial."

She played a Spell Card.

"Now, not only does my Citadel gain another Counter, and Magical Exemplar gains two, but I get to send Night's End Sorcerer to my Graveyard.

"Next, I'll remove the two Counters from Exemplar to summon Night's End Sorcerer to the field."

Night's End Sorcerer appeared again.

"Then I'll use its effect to remove Evocator Chevalier and Flamvell Archer from play."

The two cards fell out of Ember's discard slot.

"Now, I Tune both Monsters together!"

Magical Exemplar and Night's End Sorcerer faded into six glowing stars...

Then, the swarm of bats flew down from the Citadel again, and Tempest Magician appeared. (2,200 ATK)

"Now, I use her effect!" shouted Hebi-Na. "Tempest Magician, finish her!"

Tempest Magician lifted her scythe, and made a great command...

"Not this time!" shouted Ember, as one of her facedown cards lifted up.

"Divine Wrath??" gasped Hebi-Na.

"You bet!" said Ember, as she discarded a card. "As the name implies, this card uses power from divine sources, like the cosmic being that guided me to it. She helped me escape the Venomous Tarns, and she'll help me defeat you!

"For the cost of one card in my hand, Divine Wrath negates your Monster's effect, and destroys your Monster!"

Lightning struck, and Tempest Magician screamed...

She was blown to pieces.

Ember sighed a breath of relief.

"I'm not through yet, little girl..." said Hebi-Na, with a scowl.

Her facedown card lifted up, revealing Call of the Haunted. In a flash of energy, Tempest Magician reappeared. (2,200 ATK)

"A fat lot of good she'll do you now," said Ember. "In your failed attempt to use her effect, you exhausted every last Spell Counter on the field."

"Then I'll add a few more," replied Hebi-Na, taking two of the three cards in her hand. "For each card that I discard, she gains a Spell Counter."

She discarded the two cards, and Tempest Magician glowed with a shadowy aura.

"Then I'll play Spell Power Grasp," she said, as she played her last card. "Now, I can place one Counter on my Citadel, and it gains an additional one since a Spell Card was played."

"And you get a second Spell Power Grasp from your deck, I know," said Ember.

Hebi-Na took the card.

"It's your move, little girl," she said.

Ember made a draw.

_Her plan could not be more obvious,_ she thought. _One of the cards she discarded was clearly Endymion the Master Magician. She wants me to destroy Tempest Magician. Once I do, the two Counters on Tempest Magician will go to the Citadel. _

_Then on her turn, she'll play the second Spell Power Grasp to give it a total of six. That's exactly enough to Special Summon Endymion himself from the Graveyard, at which point she can recover a Spell Card from there, and discard it to destroy any card on the field._

_Well, it's not gonna work..._

"I summon Flamvell Gurnika!"

In another aura of flame, the winged Dragon-man appeared. He looked at Hebi-Na, and growled. (1,700 ATK)

"I seem to remember you saying that ophidia and dragons didn't like each other much," said Ember. "Fitting I should use him to help finish you.

"But first... Urquizas, destroy Tempest Magician! Fist of Flame!"

Urquizas lunged at the dark sorceress and punched her in the gut. She screamed and dropped her scythe before shattering into bits.

"You still haven't finished me!" said Hebi-Na. "Next turn..."

"Not gonna be a next turn," said Ember, as her last facedown card lifted up. "I activate Synchro Destructor.

"Since I just crushed your Monster using a Synchro Monster, you take damage equal to half your destroyed Monster's Attack Points."

A ghostly shape resembling Tempest Magician appeared behind Ember.

"AND, since the Monster I destroyed was _also_ a Synchro Monster," continued Ember, "you take the damage twice!"

A second ghostly Tempest Magician appeared behind Ember. Then, both the ghosts turned into burning energy, and flew at Hebi-Na.

"Wait, no!" she screamed.

She hollered as they struck, and they struck with such force, the old, rotted floor under her feet started to crack...

"Ember! Wait! Stop!" shouted Hebi-Na.

"Gurnika!" ordered Ember. "Attack directly!"

Hebi-Na screamed again, as the angry Dragon roasted her with his flame.

**(E: 2,850) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 0)**

The Field Spell vanished. Then the Duel Cuff rippled out of Hebi-Na's Disk, causing it to spark and smoke as the circuitry inside was torn free.

But then, the floor started to collapse in. Before Ember could do anything, it completely gave way, and the two of them fell into a basement level below.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Hebi-Na could not believe how stupid she had been. All this time, she had been concentrating on dispatching Ember without spilling blood, so that the danger below would not be attracted to the surface.

She had not considered for a minute that _any_ sort of conflict might cause the rotted floor to collapse, sending them falling into the main complex.

There was no risk of the danger coming to the surface now... But now _they_ had fallen into _its_ territory. Now they were both in even worse trouble.

"Oof!" said Ember, as she landed on her behind.

She wasn't hurt, but she was in the dark, and she had landed in some cold, wet substance.

"Hebi-Na?" she said, ominously.

Then she heard a click, and the lights went on. She saw Hebi-Na only ten feet in front of her, by a light switch. They were in a long hallway, with metal walls.

"How did you know there was a light switch there?" asked Ember.

"Uh... Lucky guess," said Hebi-Na.

Ember noticed what she had landed in.

"YUCK!" she said. "Leave it to me to land in a pool of slime!"

"It isn't slime, it's…" said Hebi-Na.

"Yes?" asked Ember.

Hebi-Na sighed.

"Never mind…" she said.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" asked Ember.

Truthfully, Hebi-Na was checking to see if Ember had been wounded in the fall. If she had an open cut, they were more than likely doomed. Fortunately, she didn't.

"Listen, Shadowchaser…" she said, not answering the question. "Getting out of here the way we came is out of the question… And I can't call for help, either, because this building blocks all signals.

"So… You want to fight, or do you want to call a truce until we figure out another way out?"

Ember looked at her.

"You aren't telling me something, snake…" she said.

"You're better off not knowing…" said Hebi-Na. "This way…"

"I don't recall saying yes!" shouted Ember.

"Oh?" said Hebi-Na. "Your other alternative is finding your way out of this abandoned research facility on your own. Truce?"

Ember looked at her.

"Fine," she said. "Truce. But you're going first. If you think I'm turning my back to you, you're crazy."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"This is nuts," said Jinx. "It looks like every dark elf in town is out tonight."

Indeed there were. There were too many to count. Not all of the dark elves that had come out of the dark alleys were on foot – some of them were mounted on steeders, fiendish creatures resembling giant spiders that dark elves bred like war horses.

"And they don't seem friendly..." replied Shichiro.

Then the crowd of dark elves surrounding them went silent. Again, a cloud covered the moon.

"I think we're about to see what the big issue is now," said Shichiro. "I just hope that wherever Ember is, she can hang on a little longer."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SYNCHRO DESTRUCTOR (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Colossal Fighter screaming in an aura of intense energy.

**Card Description:** Activate when a Synchro Monster you control destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle. Inflict direct damage to your opponent equal to half the destroyed Monster's base ATK. If the destroyed Monster was a Synchro Monster, inflict the damage a second time.

_Note: "Synchro Destructor" was first used by Yusei in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Dark Signs (Part 4)". __Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next: **

**Shichiro: The dark elves haven't been a problem for months, so why have they decided to attack us now? My new deck hasn't been tested, so I can only hope it will be enough in the Turbo Duel I'm forced into. **

"**Spider Web" is coming soon. Turbo Duel, Acceleration!**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Jemorille the Exile**

"If all darkness were to vanish, how would we know light?" You may have heard this saying before. It's a means of saying that some things need their opposites to exist.

No-one believes this more than the enigmatic race of extradimensional beings known as the rilmani. The rilmani are neither good nor evil, not creatures of Law nor Chaos, but exist to maintain equality between all philosophical ideas, preserving what they call a Balance. They reason, if Good were to completely eradicate Evil, how would we recognize Good? It would likely also cease to exist as well. Thus, when one side of any philosophical conflict gets too strong, the rilmani step in and help the losing side until it evens out.

The rilmani don't help in obvious ways. They don't form armies or strike at powerful beings directly (although some of them are quite capable of doing so). Rather, they use disguise and deception to manipulate high levels of governments, kingdoms, and even the courts of deities to do their work. And when the Balance is achieved, they vanish, never to be seen again by the ones they aided or the ones they hindered.

It is not known who – or what – rules the rilmani or gives them their assignments. But whatever does appointed Jemorille the Exile (as he calls himself) as the one in charge of maintaining the Balance on Earth roughly five-hundred years ago, and he has been doing that job ever since. Why is he an "exile"? No-one knows for sure. Possibly, he has been on Earth so long because rilmani are unable to leave this world once they are sent here.

In his true form (almost never seen) Jemorille appears as a tall human with silvery skin, stark white hair and a beard, and eyes that look like liquid metal. Just as demons exude an aura of fear and terror and celestial beings an aura of light and power, rilmani radiate an aura of calmness and serenity.

Jemorille is certainly powerful. The rilmani have powers that make them the equal of the mightiest demons. But Jemorille has acted behind the scenes most of the time in his career, as his kind often do. Time and again in the past five centuries, he has played a part in many conflicts, using subtle manipulation to bring equality to the struggles between good and evil.

The Shadowchasers are always wary of anyone who might be Jemorille, as his disguises are hard to discern. Magic cannot detect the presence of a rilmani – it's a trick they learned countless ages ago – so he can literally be anywhere at any time. It's impossible to tell what the status of the Balance is the way a rilmani is able to, so one never knows if a rilmani is currently aiding the side of Good or opposing it. With contacts and influences that reach worldwide, Jemorille is a valuable ally, but a deadly enemy.

Jemorille will use Duel Monsters when he has to, but his favorite game has always been chess. He sees playing the Game of Kings as an analogy to his job, the world being his game board. He is always ready to make the next move.

**Story Ideas:** Jemorille is a mystery wrapped in a mystery. In the past, he has posed as government advisors, military officers, terrorist leaders, and has likely even been a Shadowchaser a few times. There are some who say that dealing with rilmani is even _worse_ than dealing with demons. At least with them, you know what to expect.

Rilmani realize that the greatest threat to the Balance would be if one of their own were ever captured and interrogated, so despite his personal power, Jemorille is never without an escape route and one or more backup routes. He likely has some sort of suicide pill (or the equivalent) that he'd use if he ever was captured anyway.

Although very powerful, Jemorille only acts in accordance to his purpose, preserving the Balance among things like Good and Evil, Law and Chaos, and similar philosophical conflicts. He has already made a difference several times. (It is even possible he had something to do with Judai's struggle against the Light of Ruin, who threatened to overwhelm the Healing Darkness.)

**Deck Ideas:** When Jemorille must use Duel Monsters to solve a problem, no one deck defines him. He owns an enchanted Duel Disk that can create a deck of any cards he desires (except ones created by magic or possessed by magical beings, like the Signer Dragons or the Wicked Gods). He is thus capable of devising nearly any strategy imaginable.

However, Jemorille's strategy is almost always one that directly opposes that of his opponent in some way. This does not mean his deck will be designed to exploit a weakness in the opponent's deck (although that is a possibility). He might use a strategy that has a symbolic opposition.

For example, against someone like Lightning who uses Divine Grace – Norsewemko, Jemorille might use a Ritual Deck that uses Norsewemko's rival, Garlandolf, King of Destruction. Against someone like Heitmann who puts value only on high-Level Monsters, his deck would likely be Human Wave. By pitting a powerful deck against its opposite (and hopefully, winning), everything should even out.


	30. Spider Web

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL THIRTY**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Spider Web**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Dark elves where not Shadowkind that anyone wanted to mess with. Like the spiders they admired, they struck fast and with lethal venom.

In their society, males were subservient to females, but male dark elves were not expendable grunts. They were trained martial artists, swordsmen, and assassins, able to fight just as well as the greatest warriors among true elves.

Females were most often spellcasters. Wizards among them knew powerful magic known only to them. It was dark magic, but they were very good at hiding this illegal use of sorcery. A dark elf sorceress in a battle of spells with another wizard was a sight to see... So long as you witnessed it from a safe distance.

But the _most_ dangerous type of dark elves were the members of their goddess's clergy who were able to use divine magic. Their society was theocratic in addition to being matriarchal, with the priestesses of Lolth ultimately lording over the others and holding the most power.

Be this as it may, the typical Shadowchaser could face up to a dark elf and emerge victorious if he tried his hardest...

But there were only three Shadowchasers here... They were now facing a virtual army.

Shichiro, Jinx, and Gears were standing with their backs to each other as the mob surrounding them glared at them, their eyes glowing in the darkness as those of dark elves often did.

"So now what, people?" asked Shichiro. "You could have killed the three of us five times by now, so I'm assuming you want something else."

As if to answer, the crowd in front of him parted, and a lone D-Wheel drove towards Shichiro. It had a black, streamlined frame, with odd symbols painted on it, giving it an uncomfortable resemblance to the one used by Kiryu when he was a Dark Signer.

It didn't slow down as it sped towards Shichiro, but he stood his ground as it pulled to a stop, merely a foot away from him.

The rider took her helmet off.

"Drizzera..." said Shichiro. "I see one of your lackeys learned how to use a wrench."

"Built it myself," replied Drizzera. "Or rather, I summoned it."

"You _summoned_ a D-Wheel?" asked Shichiro, making a face.

"I knew a spell that some Abyssal sorcerers used to summon demonic steeds," replied Drizzera, "researched a new version, added a modern touch, and... Well, here it is."

Shichiro shook his head.

"Drizzera, we had a truce for months," he said. "We thought that you and your group might be able to stay out of trouble..."

"I never got out of trouble," said Drizzera, with an evil smile. "After you beat me the last time, I was waiting... Waiting for a sign from my goddess telling me that the time would be right to strike again...

"I kept an eye out for any small clue that might have been an omen... Behavior of the spiders we kept as pets, positions of the moon and stars, any little clue that might have pointed to a sign from our goddess...

"But I couldn't ignore the big clues either."

"A _big_ clue?" asked Shichiro.

"Here's the deal," said Drizzera. "If you face me in a Turbo Duel and win, you and your two friends are free to leave unmolested."

"And if I lose?" asked Shichiro. "I suppose your troops will tear us apart?"

Drizzera smiled again and donned her helmet.

"No, that will only happen if you refuse," she said. "Lose the duel and...

"Well, maybe I shouldn't tell you... Wouldn't want you to get all nervous now, would I?

"But what I will tell you is, this is what we dark elves call a Ritual by Challenge."

She started the engine again.

_But that alone tells me too much..._ thought Shichiro.

He mounted his D-Wheel and donned his own helmet.

"Fine, you're on!" he shouted. "As if I'm scared of those stupid Ancient Gears..."

The crowd surrounding them cheered as the two Duel Runners took off, and the Speed World Field Spell surrounded them.

**INTERLUDE**

"Just what sort of place is this, Hebi-Na?" asked Ember.

"I'm as in the dark as you are, Eiko," replied Hebi-Na, as they turned down a corridor.

"Huh?" said Ember. "You're using formalities now? Why did you suddenly decide to be polite?"

"There was once a time when all ophidia were polite, Eiko," sighed Hebi-Na. "A time when we were all of noble birth... We were always predators, but we didn't always have to be so ruthless and cruel about it.

"Humans were primitive back then, and we were simply filling the ecological niche that we were created to fill. Is a wolf evil because it preys on a sheep? It was the same thing to our point of view.

"But humans evolved, became stronger and smarter. They became able to fight back against predators, and didn't see it the same way. We became enemies in every sense of the word."

"The wolf is doing what instinct tells it to," replied Ember. "Ophidia are sentient beings. They thus have free will, and can choose. They aren't driven by instinct. And they should know that viewing other sentient beings as food is morally wrong.

"You could get the nourishment you needed from pigs, hens, or like that wolf you mentioned, sheep.

"But you choose to prey on humans because it's pleasurable. I don't see how that can be viewed as anything except sadistic."

Hebi-Na sighed again.

"Eiko," she said, "when an ophidia who is brought to trial for killing a human, he often tries to argue that he is acting within his nature. But the prosecutor always makes the same argument that you just made, and it always trumps the ophidia's argument.

"It's like someone who murders an abortion provider, is brought to trial with overwhelming evidence, and tries to make a defense by outlining the immoral nature of abortion. It's no defense at all. Judges and juries simply do not listen to such philosophical arguments when determining guilt. They only care about what the law says.

"Which puts my people in a very bad situation.

"Getting back to your original question, it seems to be some sort of abandoned laboratory. Probably something that was left behind after Zero Reverse."

They came to an intersection. Ember looked to the right, and Hebi-Na looked to the left.

"This way!" they both said at once, pointing in the opposite directions.

"No, this way..." said Hebi-Na, a little irked.

"I still don't trust you..." said Ember.

"I don't trust you, so we're even," said Hebi-Na, "but I think I can get us out of here if we don't fight."

As they turned down the left corridor, Ember thought she heard a low moan coming from the other direction.

_Weird..._ she thought.

**END OF INTERLUDE**

The racetrack for the Turbo Duel was quite clear. Drizzera's clan and the dark elves from two other clans had blockaded and cordoned off a four-block area, forming an arena in the Satellite slum.

**(Shichiro: 8,000, SPC: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (Drizzera: 8,000, SPC: 0)**

"Ladies first..." said Drizzera, making a draw.

"I'll throw out Giant Rat in Attack Mode."

A portal opened next to her, and an oversized rodent clutching a skull in one claw emerged, flying beside her bike. (1,400 ATK)

_Typical,_ thought Shichiro.

"I'll toss this facedown, and end my turn," said Drizzera, as a reversed card appeared beside her bike, and then faded from view.

"My move!" said Shichiro, as both Speed Counters went up to 1.

_Typical,_ he thought, looking at his opening hand. _I couldn't have asked for better!_

"I summon The Six Samurai – Irou!" he shouted.

The portal opened behind his bike, and a mysterious-looking Japanese Warrior flew out. He was dressed in a long, dark kimono, had a blindfold over his eyes, and had long, black hair. He carried a katana blade. (1,700 ATK)

"A Samurai?" asked Drizzera.

"That's right," said Shichiro, "and one thing you should know about these Warriors... You very rarely see them alone.

"I'll show you what I mean. Since I have one Samurai on the field, I get to Special Summon Grandmaster of the Six Samurai."

The portal opened again, and another Warrior emerged. It was an elderly sensei, with white hair and a short beard, wearing a grey kimono and an eyepatch. His arms appeared to be cybernetic, and he carried a longsword. (2,100 ATK)

"And I'm still not done!" shouted Shichiro. "With _two_ Samurai on the field, I can summon someone even stronger!

"Come forth... Great Shogun Shien!"

There was a powerful burst of energy, and an even more intimidating Warrior flew out of the portal. He wore crimson full-plate armor of feudal Japanese design, war paint on his face, and his eyes burned like smoldering coals. He carried a blazing katana. (2,500 ATK)

No one had made any attempt to stop Jinx and Gears from entering the nearest building (it wouldn't get them past the blockade, after all), so they had taken the opportunity to move to the roof, where they were watching the duel with binoculars.

"Oh, Drizzera's in trouble now!" laughed Gabriel.

"Don't jinx it," muttered Gears.

"Irou, smash that rat!" shouted Shichiro. "Setting sun strike!"

Irou flew at the huge rodent, and made a deep swipe with his katana, blowing it to bits.

"Not bad..." said Drizzera, "but now I can use Giant Rat's effect to Special Summon another one..."

A second Giant Rat appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"Then my Grandmaster will destroy that one," said Shichiro.

Grandmaster stabbed the Rat with his blade, and it blew into pixels.

"Once again..." said Drizzera.

A third Rat appeared. (1,400 ATK)

Shichiro paused.

_She'll likely use that one's effect to summon a Gadget,_ he thought. _Or Ancient Gear Soldier._

_Well, nothing I can't handle._

"Shien, attack!" he shouted. "Sword of burning pride!"

Shien rushed at the third rodent...

"I activate... Realize Defense!" shouted Drizzera, as her facedown card spun around. "Since my Rat can defend better than it can attack, it moves to Defense Mode."

Giant Rat crossed its arms and shielded itself. (1,450 DEF) Shien made a slash with his mighty blade, eradicating it.

"Now..." said Drizzera, "I use my third Rat's effect to call out Ground Spider!"

The portal opened again, and a large spider with one eye and an elongated abdomen appeared. (0 ATK)

"EWW!" said Shichiro. "A spider! I _hate_ spiders!"

"Get used to them," said Drizzera, with an ominous voice.

Shichiro took one of his remaining three cards, and set it on his console.

"I'll set this, and end my turn," he said.

The reversed card appeared, and then faded.

"My move..." said Drizzera, making a draw.

**(S: 8,000, SPC: 2) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,000, SPC: 2)**

"First, I'll move Ground Spider to Defense Mode..."

Ground Spider sat on its abdomen. (1,500 DEF)

"Then I'll throw this guy out in Attack Mode... Metabo Globster."

Appearing in front of Drizzera's bike was a small and very ugly Fiend. It had a hairy body covered with slime, perched on four spindly legs, with a bulb-like head with two beady eyes. (800 ATK)

"You think that little thing scares me?" asked Shichiro.

"No..." said Drizzera.

She set a card on her console, and a new facedown card appeared.

"But _that_ might. I end my turn."

Shichiro made a draw. He took another card from his gauntlet.

"I summon Six Samurai – Zanji!" he shouted.

The portal opened again, and a new Samurai leapt out. He was dressed in more traditional armor, colored orange, and carrying a glowing naginata. (1,800 ATK)

"I activate the effect of Ground Spider!" shouted Drizzera. "When it's in Defense Mode, it can switch one Monster you summon per round to Defense Mode."

Zanji crouched and shielded himself. (1,300 DEF)

"I still have three other Monsters," said Shichiro.

"Then let me activate my Trap," said Drizzera, as her facedown card spun around. "Threatening Roar! Seems my Monsters are safe this round."

_She's stalling for some reason,_ thought Shichiro. _Well, she's gonna need more than a few weak Monsters to crash through my Samurai._

"I'll throw a card facedown," he said, as a reversed card appeared. "Then I'll move to my End Phase, and activate this..."

The card he had set last round spun around.

"Feudal Tariff... I pay 1,000 Life Points, and as a result, get to draw one card for each Samurai I have."

He made three draws, and stashed the cards on his gauntlet.

"And it's your move..."

"Gladly..." said Drizzera, making a draw.

**(S: 7,000, SPC: 4) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,000, SPC: 4)**

"I sacrifice Metabo Globster..."

The ugly Fiend vanished into an orb of energy.

"...to summon Dark Tuner Spider Cocoon!"

In an aura of dark energy, the same creature that Hebi-Na had used against her appeared next to her bike. (0 ATK)

"A Dark Tuner??" gasped Shichiro. "You and the ophidia are in cahoots?"

Drizzera looked at him with a sinister grin.

"Drizzera, you fool..." said Shichiro. "They hate your people almost as much as they hate humans!"

"I know that," replied Drizzera. "I'm more than certain that my goddess only made an alliance with theirs so that she could conquer the Venomous Tarns. Soon, Seghulerak will be her slave, and her pathetic race will bow before the dark elves.

"But before then... I'll use what I've been given in this Shadow Duel to send her a smaller offering..."

Shichiro stopped short. She meant _him_. Ritual by Challenge? It was a _sacrificial_ ritual.

And he was the guest of honor...

"I activate the effect of Metabo Globster," continued Drizzera. "Since I sacrificed it to summon a Dark Monster, I get three Metabo Tokens."

Three smaller versions of Metabo Globster appeared next to Spider Cocoon. (0 DEF x3)

"Now, with my Counters at four, I play Speed Spell – Tune-Up 123!" she shouted, as a Spell Card appeared. "This Spell is going to choose a number at random..."

The numbers 1 through 6 started to flash at high speed on Drizzera's dashboard. Then the number 3 appeared, and turned blue.

"Three!" laughed Drizzera. "That means Spider Cocoon's Level is increased by two!

"Which means I can subtract it from one of my Metabo Tokens..."

Spider Cocoon turned into seven glowing stars. One of the small Fiends squeaked as they burned into it.

Then it burst, and six dark stars started spinning around Drizzera's D-Wheel. She laughed.

"_When the Shadows are devoured by even darker Shadows, the curtain is pulled back to reveal a world without light!_

"Appear... Underground Arachne!"

The dark elves watching cheered as the likeness of their goddess appeared, flying over Drizzera. She looked at Shichiro and his Warriors, with an expression that suggested a hungry man looking at a t-bone steak. (2,400 ATK)

"All right, that's very scary," sneered Shichiro. "But Shien is stronger."

"I know..." said Drizzera.

Then Underground Arachne shot a mass of webbing from its abdomen, wrapping Shien up in a cocoon, and pulling him over to Drizzera's side of the field.

"HEY!" shouted Shichiro.

"Seems Shien is not an issue any more," said Drizzera. "Now for your Grandmaster...

"Attack! Hell thread!"

Underground Arachne shot a strand of webbing from its jaws, blowing Grandmaster to particles.

_This isn't good..._ thought Shichiro.

**(S: 6,700, SPC: 4) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,000, SPC: 4)**

**INTERLUDE**

Ember and Hebi-Na were in what looked like a chemistry lab. Ember inspected the counters. Test tubes had been spilled, and some of the chemicals inside had evaporated, turning to granular salts.

A clipboard had been dropped on the floor, along with pens. There was even a spilled cup of coffee on a table, the coffee having dried into a large stain.

Hebi-Na picked up something on another counter. It was a deck case. She opened it, and looked at the cards.

She quietly put them back in the case, and stashed it in her shoulder bag as Ember turned around.

Ember inspected a table in the corner where playing cards and poker chips had been left haphazardly. It seemed a game had been being played, when the players had to rush off somewhere. There were even two soda cans that were still half full of soda that had gone flat long ago.

"This place wasn't abandoned," she said. "It was _evacuated_!Everyone just dropped everything and ran."

"The lucky ones did..." muttered Hebi-Na.

"What was that?" asked Ember.

"Nothing," replied Hebi-Na.

"I want some answers, snake," demanded Ember. "You knew exactly what that pool of goo was that we fell in, and I think you know more about this place than you're leading on. Talk!"

Hebi-Na sighed. She sat on her coils.

"Remember Louis DaPen," she asked, "the illithid crimelord you guys took down?"

"Unfortunately, yes," replied Ember.

"This was his R&D lab," continued Hebi-Na. "Let me explain something first… Do you know how illithids reproduce?"

Ember looked at her.

"I suppose a boy illithid and a girl illithid get together," she said, "and then…"

"No, no, it's not like that at all," said Hebi-Na. "Illithids usually identify themselves with a gender, but they're actually hermaphroditic beings. Each one can spawn a brood of larvae twice in their lives. The larvae are called tadpoles, and they look like small slugs. From where I come from, communities of illithids raise these tadpoles in pools of briny fluid and feed them brains. Illithid culture has no concept of families.

"Anyway, most of these tadpoles eventually die, but some of them reach a point where the illithids can evolve them into adult illithids using a process called ceremorphosis. This involves exposing the tadpole to the brain of a living, sentient creature, most often one of their brainwashed slaves. Usually, the tadpole is placed in the host's ear. The tadpole quickly kills the host and eats its brain, absorbing the host's physical form entirely and becoming sentient itself, a mature, but still young, illithid.

"Now, not just any host will do. The host usually has to be human or something close to human, like an elf, dwarf, orc, goblin… That sort of thing. Illithids have experimented with other races, often with ugly and messy results."

"Wait…" said Ember. "Was this place some breeding lab where DaPen was going to raise his young?"

"Yes and no," replied Hebi-Na. "He spawned a brood of tadpoles, but he had no interest in having them grow into actual illithids. He feared that any children would only be competition. But like I said, many illithids experiment with other races while performing ceremorphosis, and that was what DaPen decided to do.

"So… When I was working for him on Sonja's behalf, he thought that with the proper preparation, he might be able to create some sort of super-soldier that would be completely subservient.

"As you might have guessed by now, my actions in the whole arrangement were dictated by the Empress. She heard about DaPen's plans for this experiment, and suggested he try it on an ophidia. She would trade him an ex-employee who had made her so incredibly angry that she thought the usual punishment wasn't enough. I think she got a case of fine sherry in return.

"So he subjected the ophidia to a carefully prepared ceremorphosis... But, well… Halfway through the experiment, something happened… Something went… wrong..."

"Something went wrong?" asked Ember.

Then they heard a moan, somewhat louder than last time. They turned to the hallway that they entered, just in time to see a huge creature lumber in.

Ember froze in fear. It was the size of a small bus! It looked like a huge, slimy cross between a snake and slug, with four barbed tentacles surrounding a lamprey-like mouth. It didn't seem to have any eyes, but it clearly knew that the human and the ophidia were in front of it.

"Let me guess…" exclaimed Ember. "THAT'S what went wrong!"

She lifted her sword.

"Run for your life, you stupid human!" shouted Hebi-Na. "That sword isn't gonna scratch it!"

Ember needed no prompting. She and Hebi-Na fled out the room's other door, but the huge thing gave chase...

**END OF INTERLUDE**

"I seem to remember you saying you didn't like spiders," chuckled Drizzera.

She set two cards on her dashboard, and two facedown cards appeared next to her bike.

"Well, too bad... The Demonweb Pits are full of them...

"I end my turn..."

"Then it's my move!" shouted Shichiro, drawing a card.

He made a draw, and both Speed Counters went up to 5.

"I summon Six Samurai – Nisashi!" he shouted.

The portal opened, and a new Samurai appeared, wearing green armor and a hood, with very muscular biceps. He held the traditional weapons of the Samurai, the paired katana and wakisashi, and they glowed with energy. (1,400 ATK)

"Ground Spider's effect activates!" shouted Drizzera.

Nisashi sheathed his swords, and shielded himself. (700 DEF)

"Well, I can still destroy your Arachne," said Shichiro.

Zanji stood up, and lifted his weapon. (1,800 ATK)

"You see, when Zanji attacks a Monster, and there's at least one other Samurai on the field, that Monster is automatically destroyed. Zanji won't survive..."

"But my Monster won't either!" shouted Drizzera. "Well, thanks for the warning..."

One of her two facedown cards spun around.

"I activate Windstorm of Etaqua! This forces your Monsters to switch modes!"

Zanji crouched in Defense Mode again (1,300 DEF) and Irou did the same. (1,200 DEF) Nisashi stood back up in Attack Mode. (1,400 ATK)

"Well, at least Nisashi can attack," said Shichiro. "And since I have other Samurai on the field, he can do it twice!

"Attack! Blades of the zephyr!"

Nisashi leapt at the two Metabo Tokens, and with two slashes of his swords, the small fiends were cut into pieces.

"Now for that Ground Spider," said Shichiro, as his facedown card spun around. "Go, Call of the Haunted!"

Grandmaster leapt back out in front of Shichiro's bike. (2,100 ATK)

"Good thing Ground Spider can only use its effect once per turn..." said Gears, as he and Jinx watched.

Grandmaster stabbed the arachnid with his longsword, and Ground Spider shattered into pixels.

"I toss this facedown," said Shichiro, as a reverse card appeared next to his bike, "and that's all for me..."

"I'm drawing!" grumbled Drizzera.

She chuckled when she saw what the card was. Her other facedown card spun around.

"I activate the Continuous Spell Card, Samsara Dogma!" she exclaimed. "Now, I can make the Monsters in both Graveyards any Type I want.

"I think I'll choose Insects.

"And now that I have no Monsters except Insects in my Graveyard, I get to sacrifice your two Monsters that are defending..."

Shichiro gasped as both Irou and Zanji dissolved into grains of light.

"...to Special Summon Mother Spider!"

The portal opened, and the huge, monstrous spider with scythe-like legs emerged. (2,300 ATK)

"I'll take care of your Grandmaster first..." she said. "And good luck trying to stop me with this facedown card. Traps and Spells can't be activated in response to Underground Arachne's attack."

"Then I'd better activate it now!" shouted Shichiro, as his facedown card appeared. "I activate Invincible Hero! Now, you can't destroy my Grandmaster this round!"

Drizzera growled a little.

"But you'll still take damage," she said. "Underground Arachne... Attack!"

The wicked Dark Synchro shot its Hell thread. Grandmaster grunted, but he stood his ground.

"And another thing..." said Drizzera. "What's going to protect Nisashi?"

Mother Spider lunged at Nisashi, and grabbed him in its mandibles. He screamed, and then was crushed into pixilated remains.

"Your move..." she chuckled.

Shichiro made a draw.

**(S: 5,500, SPC: 7) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,000, SPC: 7)**

"I summon Nitro Synchron!" he exclaimed.

The portal opened, and the small, robotic propane tank flew out. (300 ATK)

"Now, let's bring them together..."

The needle on Nitro Synchron's gauge moved to the red, and both it and Grandmaster faded into seven glowing stars. They flew into the sky...

"_An engine fueled by high-octane and a spirit of blazing energy, waiting to be unleashed! Clustering stars form a fiery dynamo of power!_

"_Synchro Summon... Nitro Warrior!"_

With a roar, the fiendish, high-octane Warrior landed, flying beside Shichiro's bike. (2,800 ATK)

"A big scary Monster..." said Drizzera, nonchalantly. "I'm so scared..."

"You will be," replied Shichiro. "Attack Underground Arachne! Dynamite knuckle!"

Nitro Warrior flew at the Dark Synchro...

But Underground Arachne shielded herself with the captive Shien, and he shattered.

"What?" said Shichiro.

"My Monster survived by using your Monster as a shield," laughed Drizzera.

Shichiro growled.

"I end my turn!" he shouted.

Drizzera chuckled like a lunatic as she made a draw. She stashed it on her gauntlet with the other one.

**(S: 5,500, SPC: 8) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 6,600, SPC: 8)**

"Since you got rid of Shien," she said, "I'll just get a replacement..."

The Dark Synchro shot its strands again, wrapping up Nitro Warrior and pulling it over to her side of the field.

"Now, Mother Spider, attack directly!"

The dark elves watching cheered as Mother Spider charged at Shichiro's D-Wheel, ramming into it. It shook from the impact.

"And now, here another one from my other Monster!" laughed Drizzera.

Shichiro screamed as Underground Arachne's Hell thread slammed into him. His D-Wheel went into a tailspin, and then came to a stop.

He paused to catch his breath. Drizzera stopped to wait for him, with her two Monsters watching him hungrily...

**(S: 800, SPC: 4) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 6,600, SPC: 8)**

"Osaka," said Trymus's voice.

"Eh?" said Shichiro.

He looked up, and saw the spiritual form of Trymus standing beside him.

"We must hurry here, friend," said Trymus. "Ember is in dire trouble. She is being chased by a savage beast that cannot be reasoned with, which is far too powerful for her to defeat. Do you know a way to win this duel?"

Shichiro looked at the cards on his gauntlet.

"Possibly..." he muttered. "But I know how dark elves work... They're notorious for not keeping their word.

"Drizzera may well order her men to kill us even if I win the duel."

"That is indeed a concern," said Trymus. "Do these dark elves have any weakness that we can exploit?"

"Well..." said Shichiro. "The only obvious weakness they have as a race is that they really hate sunlight..."

"Hmm..." said Trymus, rubbing his chin.

"Oh, come on," said Shichiro. "It's a quarter to midnight! Don't tell me you can make the sun rise six hours early?"

"No, I cannot," replied Trymus. "But maybe I can do the second-best thing.

"Keep dueling."

"What happened, did those direct attacks make you delirious?" asked Drizzera. "You're talking to yourself."

"No..." said Shichiro, starting up his motor, "I'm just fine..."

They sped down the track again.

**INTERLUDE**

In the lab, Ember and Hebi-Na had apparently lost the beast for now. They were leaning against a wall, catching their breath.

"Are you _certain_ our swords won't hurt it?" gasped Ember.

"More than certain," replied Hebi-Na. "DaPen's minions tried everything against that thing… First they tried 'cop-killer' bullets… Then sub-machine guns… Then _real_ machine guns. Then grenades! Not even a flamethrower could slow it down!

"DaPen himself used his mind blast, but that wouldn't harm it either, because it seems to be almost mindless, driven only by some animalistic rage. Eventually, he had no choice but to order the place evacuated.

"The Empress used the usual divinations and prayers to find a solution, but they told her nothing. Some ophidia thought that the gods had looked upon DaPen's experiment as a blasphemy, and the creature was a punishment of some sort. Off the record, they named it Shwa-Sma, after a beast that appears in ophidia mythology, a creature that many gods used for divine retribution.

"Knowing we were on our own, the Empress sent expeditions to kill it several times... They only caused casualties. Apparently, despite the fact that the thing was once an ophidia, it will eat ophidia as happily as it will eat any living creature.

"If it makes you feel better, I'm in as much trouble as you are…

"All of the expeditions failed. This most we could do was set up some wards by the front door to keep it from leaving... Which, by the way, were obviously broken when the floor up there collapsed!"

"Great…" muttered Ember. "I'm gonna die with my arch-enemy… And I had hoped that even if had come to that, I would have scored a better arch-enemy!"

"Hey, don't blame me!" shouted Hebi-Na. "You're the one who ran into that warehouse!"

"If you snakes knew that it was dangerous," replied Ember, "couldn't you have posted a sign? Like one that said 'Danger'? You could have kept people out, and…"

"If we had posted 'Keep Out' signs, Sector Security would have investigated!" exclaimed Hebi-Na. "They'd have sent a squad in here, they'd have investigated, and they'd have been slaughtered!

"And they likely would have broken the wards in the process. Then it would have gotten out of here, wanting more. Satellite would have turned into one big smorgasbord before you Shadowchasers found a way to kill it!"

"So why didn't you just let the thing starve?" asked Ember.

Hebi-Na looked embarrassed. She didn't answer.

"Oh… my… God…" gasped Ember. "You kept it fed, didn't you? You told people to come here, didn't you?"

Hebi-Na sighed.

"There are some Shadowkind that ophidia won't eat," she replied. "Troglodytes, harpies, trolls… Trolls smell so bad because they've never taken a bath in their lives. We draw the line somewhere. But there was the question of what to do with members of those races that angered the Empress…

"So yeah... We... _suggested_ they come here..."

"Of course..." said Ember, angrily. "What better way to appease the 'wrathful gods' who sent it in the first place??"

"You should talk!" replied Hebi-Na. "You yourself claimed that a higher power helped you escape the Venomous Tarns and put that Trap Card in your deck!"

Then they heard a loud moan. It was coming for them.

"No more truce…" shouted Ember. "You're on your own!"

She ran down the hallway, and Hebi-Na slithered in another direction.

**END OF INTRLUDE**

"My move, Drizzera," said Shichiro, making a draw.

**(S: 800, SPC: 5) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 6,600, SPC: 9)**

"I'll set a Monster, and two facedown cards, and then end my turn."

Three set cards, one horizontal and two vertical, appeared in front of him, and then faded from view.

"That's it?" asked Drizzera, making a draw. "I expected you to end on a bang, not a whimper.

"I summon Informer Spider."

The portal opened again, and a new arachnid leapt out. It looked like a big tarantula wearing night-vision goggles and radar equipment on its back. (500 ATK)

"Sure, it's not the strongest Monster..." she said, "but I'm willing to bet your Monster has pretty weak Defense.

"Attack!"

Informer Spider blasted a beam of energy from its goggles. The Monster that appeared in front of Shichiro looked like a monkey wearing leather armor and a helmet, holding a spear. It was blown to shards.

"HA!" laughed Drizzera. "I was right! Mother Spider..."

"Hold on, Drizzera!" shouted Shichiro. "Your Spider just destroyed Shien's Footsoldier. As a result, I get to Special Summon a Samurai from my deck that's Level 3 or lower.

"So I'll summon Six Samurai – Yaichi and have him defend me."

A new Samurai appeared, this one wearing grey armor with yellow trim, and a peaked helmet. He carried a bow and a quiver of arrows. He crouched in front of Shichiro's bike. (800 DEF)

"I'll crush him too!" shouted Drizzera.

Mother Spider leapt at Yaichi, and seized him in its mandibles, crushing him into pixels.

"My Trap activates!" shouted Shichiro, as one of his facedown cards spun around. "Battlecry of the Six! Since you just destroyed one of my Samurai, I get to Special Summon another one, so long as its Level isn't greater than the one you destroyed.

"So come on out, Six Samurai – Kamon!"

Another Samurai appeared, this one wearing leather armor, his face covered with soot. His armor was covered with an arsenal of primitive explosives. (1,000 DEF)

"Okay..." said Drizzera. "Now you're making me angry..."

Underground Arachne blasted its Hell thread, and Kamon was eradicated.

"Seems Shichiro got through that round intact," said Gears.

"He just has to worry about next round," said Jinx.

"Draw!" shouted Shichiro, making a draw.

He looked at the card.

_This will do..._ he thought.

His other facedown card spun around.

"I activate Return of the Six Samurai!" he shouted. "By activating this Trap, I get to bring a Samurai back from the Graveyard. He can only stay for one turn, but that's all I need...

"Return, Grandmaster of the Six Samurai!"

In a flash of light, Grandmaster appeared again. (2,100 ATK)

"Next, I summon Turbo Synchron!"

The portal opened, and the small, cute robot with a miniature car for a torso flew out. (100 ATK)

"Time for another Synchro..."

Turbo Synchron's headlight's flashed, and then it and Grandmaster flew into the sky. Shichiro chanted as they faded into six glowing stars.

"_A powerful force thunders down the highway. Clustering stars form a path, and shift into high gear!_

"_Start your engine, Turbo Warrior!"_

Two headlights appeared behind Shichiro, and a large Warrior dashed from behind, who seemed to be part fighter and part semi-truck. It was colored fire engine red, and had sharp claws on its hands. (2,500 ATK)

"Go on, attack!" laughed Drizzera. "I dare you!"

"I dare!" replied Shichiro. "Attack Underground Arachne! Accel slash!"

Turbo Warrior dashed towards the wicked creature, and made a slash with its claw. Once again, Underground Arachne shielded itself with the captive Nitro Warrior, and was unscathed.

"Haven't learned yet, have you?" asked Drizzera.

Shichiro didn't answer. He set a card on his console, and it appeared facedown.

"Guess I'm gonna have to teach you," continued Drizzera.

She made a draw. Her engine ignited, as her Speed Counters hit the maximum. Her supporters cheered again.

**(S: 800, SPC: 8) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 6,500, SPC: 12)**

"Underground Arachne, take his Turbo Warrior!" she shouted.

Arachne hissed, and shot her webbing at the Warrior...

But to its surprise, and Drizzera's as well, Turbo Warrior was not impressed. It simply swatted the threads away.

"It didn't work??" gasped Drizzera. "HOW?"

"Because Turbo Warrior is immune to targeting effects from Monsters that are Level 6 or lower," replied Shichiro. "Your Monster is Level –6. It's _way_ too low!"

"I... I..." said Drizzera.

"Yes?" said Shichiro.

"I move Informer Spider to Defense Mode, and end my turn!" she said, quickly.

Informer Spider shielded itself with its front legs. (1,800 DEF)

"My move!" shouted Shichiro.

He drew a card.

He quickly set it on his console, and a second facedown card appeared.

"Your Dark Synchro has nothing to protect it now," he said. "Turbo Warrior... Destroy it!"

Once again, Turbo Warrior dashed by Underground Arachne, and ripped across it with its Accel slash. The evil arachnid screamed, and shattered into shards.

The dark elves started to boo. Some of the spectators on the corner ahead leapt out into the street.

"Don't you dare, you fools!" screamed Drizzera. "If anyone interferes, the challenge is void! I'll be disqualified!"

She pulled ahead, and the interlopers dove out of the way to avoid being run over.

"So hard to find good help these days, huh?" asked Shichiro. "It's your move..."

**(S: 800, SPC: 10) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 6,400, SPC: 12)**

Drizzera made a draw.

"I activate Speed Spell – Accelerator Draw!" she shouted, as she played a Spell Card. "With my Counters maxed out, I get to make two draws."

She drew twice.

She looked at the two Monsters. They were Relinquished Spider and Mask of Darkness.

She took Mask of Darkness and quickly set it on her console. It appeared facedown. Then Mother Spider shielded itself with its front legs. (1,200 DEF)

_Once my Mask of Darkness is flipped,_ she thought, _I can get back Windstorm of Etaqua. I can move Turbo Warrior and anything else he summons to Defense Mode._

_And then I can summon Relinquished Spider, and use its effect to destroy them. Its effect clearly doesn't target._

"Make your move..." she said.

Shichiro made a draw.

"First, I activate Dust Tornado," he said, as one of his facedown cards spun around. "I'm taking out your Samsara Dogma."

The Tornado ripped across the street, and the Trap Card was blown to pieces.

"Big deal!" said Drizzera. "Not like I need it any more."

"But it's a big deal to me," said Shichiro. "You'll see why in a minute.

"I activate my other Trap... Synchro Spirits."

His last facedown card spun around.

"By eliminating Nitro Warrior from my Graveyard, I can bring back the Monsters I Tuned to summon it."

First Nitro Synchron appeared. (300 ATK) Then Grandmaster appeared again. (2,100 ATK)

"Man, I'm getting so sick of that guy!" cursed Drizzera.

"You're about to hate him even more," said Shichiro. "I summon Hand of the Six Samurai."

The portal opened again, and the Warrior that emerged this time was female; a woman dressed in a long purple and orange kimono with a shawl over her head. She held a long knife. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, I activate her effect," continued Shichiro. "When there are at least two Samurai on the field, I can sacrifice one of them, and destroy one Monster.

"So I sacrifice the Hand..."

Hand of the Six Samurai vanished into grains of light...

Then, Drizzera's reversed Mask of Darkness burst into shards.

"HEY!" she shouted.

"I'm not done!" continued Shichiro. "Next, I Tune together Nitro Synchron and Turbo Warrior..."

The two Monsters faded into eight glowing stars. Shichiro chanted again.

"_Flesh and machinery combined, cybernetically enhanced muscles create the ultimate super soldier! Clustering stars combine to form one who is more than a man… One who can truly be called a giant!"_

"_Synchro Summon... Colossal Fighter!"_

With a roar, the huge cybernetic brawler landed and flew in front of Shichiro's bike. (2,800 ATK)

"Colossal Fighter gains 100 Attack Points for each Warrior in my Graveyard," said Shichiro.

Phantom images of Zanji, Irou, Great Shogun Shien, Nisashi, Shien's Footsoldier, Yaichi, Kamon, the Hand, and Turbo Warrior appeared behind Shichiro's bike.

"_Now_ do you see why I got rid of Samsara Dogma?"

(3,700 ATK)

"And I still have one card to play," he said, as Speed Spell appeared in front of him. "I play Synchro Return! This lets me bring Nitro Warrior back for one round."

The portal opened, and Nitro Warrior leapt out. (2,800 ATK)

"Let's finish this!" shouted Shichiro. "Nitro Warrior, attack Mother Spider with dynamite knuckle!"

Nitro Warrior's engine ignited, and it socked Mother Spider hard, blowing it out of existence.

"Now I activate its effect," continued Shichiro, "which lets me move Informer Spider to Attack Mode, and attack again!"

Informer Spider leapt up into Attack Mode. (500 ATK) Drizzera screamed as Nitro Warrior punched it, and flames surrounded her bike.

**(S: 800, SPC: 12) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 4,100, SPC: 10)**

"Now I attack with Colossal Fighter and Grandmaster!" shouted Shichiro. "Get her!"

Drizzera screamed as the two Monsters charged the front of her bike. Grandmaster made a slash with his longsword, and then Colossal Fighter punched hard.

**(S: 800, SPC: 12) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 0, SPC: 0)**

Drizzera lost control of her bike. Then the engine exploded, it flipped over, and crashed. Drizzera collapsed on the ground, clearly landing hard.

"DRIZZERA!" shouted Shichiro, pulling to a stop.

"Dear God..."

He ran over to her.

"I didn't mean to hit her that hard..."

Drizzera coughed as he lifted her head up.

"You didn't, you fool..." she said, weakly. "My D-Wheel was a gift from my goddess... She just took it back..."

An aura of dark energy surrounded her.

"When one of Lolth's priestesses promises a sacrifice to her, she has to deliver one... Since you're no longer an option, and no other victim is prepared, I have only one other choice...

"My only hope at this point is that the ophidia suffer even more than I'm going to... When my goddess subjugates theirs..."

Then her body vanished with the dark aura, her clothes falling empty to the ground.

"Drizzera is gone!" shouted one of the female dark elves.

"Seems she wasn't the chosen one after all," said another female.

"We'll decide what to do later," said a third. "For now... Slay the humans!"

Shichiro got up.

_I knew it..._ he said, as they lifted their weapons.

Then a blinding light lit up the street. Shichiro shielded his eyes and looked up, and saw Trymus and Shannalla standing by an orb of pure light.

The dark elves screamed.

"How??" screamed the first female. "How did they summon the sun??"

"Retreat!" screamed the second female.

The dark elves fled in fear, trying their hardest to get away from the hated light that burned their eyes and flesh. Jinx and Gears ran up to Shichiro as the last of them vanished into the darkness.

The light went away, and the two Titans descended.

"How did you do that?" asked Jinx.

"It wasn't the real sun," replied Trymus. "We opened a portal to the Plane of Radiance, a realm of light at its purest."

"But we must hurry to save Ember," added Shannalla. "She..."

"Tell us on the way!" said Jinx.

A minute later, they had mounted their D-Wheels, and sped towards the warehouse at full-speed.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_A toss of a coin,_ thought Ember, as she fled down the dark hallway. _All down to the toss of a coin..._

She and Hebi-Na had fled in opposite directions. The beast had no eyes (she assumed it relied on scent and sound sensitivity), and if Hebi-Na had spoke the truth, it was nearly mindless, and had no preference in prey.

So there was a fifty-fifty chance that it would choose to chase Hebi-Na and not her. A toss of a coin, thrown by the Lord of Fate... It seemed her only chance now...

But as she heard the moan behind her, it was clear she had lost the toss...

She saw a metal door ahead where the hall terminated. It was the only door. She ran in, and entered a room containing strange-looking consoles and a broken tank that apparently once held liquid.

It came to her... This was where DaPen had raised his brood of tadpoles.

She snapped out of it. She slammed the door shut, and latched the deadbolt on it.

Then she looked around. To her horror, there was no other way out. She was trapped.

And then she heard the creature slam against the door. It was trying to batter it down.

Ember sat in the corner and closed her eyes.

_You did your best Akira..._ she thought. _At least you saved my soul, if you couldn't save my life..._

The door started to strain. Ember peeked as it crashed inward, and Shwa-Sma's hideous form oozed in...

Ember closed her eyes tightly...

"Hey, gruesome!" shouted a voice.

Ember's eyes opened.

"Jinx?" she gasped.

Shwa-Sma paused. It turned what passed for a head slightly...

"Good going, Jinx!" said Shichiro's voice, "you got its attention!"

Shwa-Sma moaned, and turned completely around.

"Uh, guys?" said Gears's voice. "What exactly did you plan on doing once you got its attention?"

Ember stood up.

"Guys, your swords aren't going to hurt it!" she shouted. "Hebi-Na said that its hide can resist even machine gun shells!"

Ironically, Shichiro, Jinx, and Gears already had their swords drawn. They backed up from the abomination as it let out its awful moan.

"Well, that's just great..." said Shichiro.

Then Trymus and Shannalla materialized next to them.

"Can you two kill this thing?" asked Jinx.

"Normally, it would be no problem," replied Shannalla, "but in our spiritual forms, we cannot face the beast directly.

"However, it may be true that your weapons cannot pierce this thing's hide as they are...

"But if we if we imbue them with a small portion of our power... The Power Primordial..."

"We'll be able to cut through it like a hot knife through butter!" exclaimed Gears.

Shwa-Sma roared, and lunged at Shichiro. As if on instinct, he swung his sword, making a cut across what passed for its face.

Shwa-Sma roared again, this time in pain.

"Wow, you guys work fast..." said Shichiro.

Shwa-Sma may have been almost mindless, but it now realized on some base level, that for the first time, it was facing a foe that could actually hurt it. It let out another low moan...

Then it slammed its huge bulk down, shaking the whole hallway. The three Shadowchasers struggled to keep their footing. The beast lashed at Gears with a tentacle, but he made a swing with his sword, cleaving it in twain. The abomination screamed as black ichor sprayed from the stump.

But the rage only seemed to fuel it. A second tentacle coiled around Jinx's waist, lifting her into the air. Jinx grunted, and hacked at the beast's face, but it only seemed to enrage it more.

Ember got up, having recovered.

"Do the same thing to my sword!" she shouted, as she charged towards Shwa-Sma from behind.

"As you wish," said Trymus's voice.

As Shwa-Sma opened its jaws to bite Jinx in two, Ember stabbed her blade deep into the thing's back. The mutant let out an unholy bellow, and dropped Jinx. It lashed its tail, knocking Ember over.

Then it slammed against the wall, causing a tremor that knocked the rest of them down.

Then, as they started to get up, it let out what sounded like a large gasp...

It collapsed, and blood poured from its mouth.

It was dead.

Shichiro held his chest, which was pounding.

"Looks like it was just too mean to know it was dead," he gasped.

"Ember?"

Ember looked at them. Then she looked at Shwa-Sma's body.

Then she gulped. And she threw up.

"Easy, Ember, easy..." said Shichiro, putting his arm around her. "It's over..."

Ember caught her breath.

"Not yet it isn't..." she said. "I know where the Empress's palace is... We can get there before she..."

"Ember, no..." said Gears. "As the Shadowchaser with the most seniority, I think you need medical attention. And we all need some rest.

"A drug dealer is dead, Matron Drizzera is gone, and God knows what happened to her... Now this... We've seen too much death and dark magic tonight already to go waltzing into a snake nest. We'll call a squad and have them investigate the palace. For now, let's put this terrible night behind us..."

It was the best thing any of them had heard all night, so they left the horrid thing behind, Ember leaning on Shichiro the whole way.

She had no idea what had happened to Hebi-Na... Nor did she even care at this point...

When Hebi-Na had told her about how ophidia were "acting within their nature" by preying on humans, maybe she felt a little sympathy towards them...

But that sympathy had vanished after she had discovered the horror they had a hand in creating, and were hiding below the slums of Satellite... What they had started without thinking of the repercussions...

All for a case of fine sherry? She hoped that the Empress had _really_ enjoyed it...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FEUDAL TARIFF (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **The Goblin of Greed handing a bag of gold to Six Samurai – Zanji, who is accompanied by two retainers.

**Card Description:** You may only activate this card during the End Phase of your turn. Pay 1,000 Life Points. Draw 1 card for each face-up "Six Samurai" Monster you control.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BATTLECRY OF THE SIX (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Six Samurai – Irou and Six Samurai – Nisashi charging a Goblin Attack Force.

**Card Description:** Activate when a "Six Samurai" or "Shien" Monster you control is destroyed as a result of battle. Special Summon a "Six Samurai" Monster from your hand or deck whose Level is equal to or less than that of the destroyed Monster. The Special Summoned Monster cannot use its effects this turn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SYNCHRO SPIRITS (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Junk Synchron and White Magician Pikeru in the foreground, with Junk Warrior in the background.

**Card Description:** Select one Synchro Monster in your Graveyard that was previously summoned properly, and remove it from play. If the Monsters that were originally used in the Synchro Summon of the removed Monster are in your Graveyard, Special Summon them from your Graveyard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – SYNCHRO RETURN (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **Junk Warrior in an aura of energy.

**Card Description:** Activate when you have 5 or more Speed Counters. Special Summon one of your Synchro Monsters that was removed from play. Remove the Special Summoned Monster from play at the End Phase of the turn.

_Note: "Synchro Spirits" and "Speed Spell – Synchro Return" were first used by Yusei in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Second Round Showdown (Part 2)" Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**REALIZE DEFENSE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Skull Guardian inside a sphere of pulsating energy.

**Card Description:** Select one Attack Position Monster you control with a DEF higher than its ATK. Move that Monster to face-up Defense Position.

_Note: "Realize Defense" was first used by Yusei in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Clash of the Dragons (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SAMSARA DOGMA (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image: **The face of a figure who is a handsome, young man on his left, and a mechanized android on his right.

**Card Description:** When this card is activated, declare one Monster Type. All Monster Cards in both players' Graveyards are considered the declared Type.

_Note: "Samsara Dogma" was first used by Hell Kaiser in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Tough Love". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. (Note that this card was called "Rebirth Judgment" in the dub.)_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – TUNE-UP 123 (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **An angelic form with a yellow, pink, and blue orb above it.

**Card Description:** Activate when you have 4 or more Speed Counters. Roll one die, and select one face-up Monster you control. Increase the Level of the Monster by an amount according to the following results:

* 1 or 2: 1

* 3 or 4: 2

* 5 or 6: 3

_Note: "Speed Spell – Tune-Up 123" was first used by Crow in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Signs of Doom (Part 1)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**SPEED SPELL – ACCELERATOR DRAW (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **The image on this card was unclear.

**Card Description:** Activate when you have 12 Speed Counters. Draw two cards from your deck.

_Note: "Speed Spell – Accelerator Draw" was first used by Mukuro Enjo in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Signs of Doom (Part 1)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**Next:**

**Jinx: Ember is safe and sound, but our war against the ophidia is far from over, as Taramanda's unholy alliance grows. Only the foolish would try to rob the Neo Domino Reserve, and when a gang of arcane golems do just that, I'm forced into a duel with their leader, who seems to be yet another ally of the snake men. **

**Our troubles are far from over. "Burden of the Mighty" is coming soon.**

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Diado, Shadowchaser Elder**

In the world of Shadow, nothing is what it seems. Take Diado, a Shadowchaser who has been with the group for a _long_ time. He appears as an old man with dark clay-red wrinkled skin draped in a green robe and a wooden walking stick. But mistake him for a meek, old geezer and you'll likely regret it.

Diado is the second-oldest member of the organization. Only Jalal himself is older. His age isn't certain, because Diado is a Shadow-touched human of a type who can live longer than most humans. Diado is one of the rarest Shadow-touched, because the race of Shadows he is descended from is also incredibly rare. They are called antaens (Ahn-TAY-Enns), a race of earth-loving Shadows who claim to be descended from Antaeus, the giant offspring of Gaia.

Like their supposed progenitor, antaens draw power from being in contact with the earth itself, which grants them incredible strength. Diado shares this ability, and he can increase his strength further by rubbing his bare skin with the soil from unpolluted ground. Doing so causes his muscles to expand to size unheard of for a man his age. He carries a vial of such soil with him at all times, as unpolluted ground has become scarcer in recent years.

He is unlikely to even need this however, as he is also a powerful martial artist and boxer, able to beat most others in contests of strength. (Some Shadows have theorized that it might be possible to defeat an antaen, including Diado, the same way Heracles did with Antaeus, by separating him from the ground. If this is true, no-one is known to have succeeded.)

In years past, he would be sent out to fight numerous powerful Shadows who would kill Mundanes without a second thought if not stopped. However, he is a person who dislikes things that are new, and his work in the field has decreased drastically since Duel Monsters became the most widely used form of combat among the Shadowchasers.

This does not mean he cannot duel if he needs to. His walking stick carries a magical enchantment that lets him switch it for a Duel Disk that is stored in an extradimensional space. Because he's been dueling since Battle City, very little surprises him in the game.

**Story Ideas:** Diado doesn't limit his activities to one group or one area, instead traveling wherever he is needed. He specializes in handling Shadows who are incredibly powerful who don't fall under the Treaty, such as trolls, ogres, and some giants. If there were a serious threat on a global level, he would definitely be involved. Also, if Jalal was somehow incapacitated, his seniority would likely make him the best candidate for a temporary leader, even though he is not Jalal's heir should a permanent replacement be needed. (That person will be covered later.)

**Deck Suggestions:** Diado uses a Naturia deck when he is on duty. However this is a strange deck, as it contains no Naturia Synchros. In fact, Jalal the Dragonborn is the only Synchro in the deck, and even that is only because Jalal can no longer construct the original Effect Monster version of the card. He is, in fact, able to Turbo Duel if needed. A hobby of his is to create decks with odd themes for use in duels when he is off duty. Many of these decks are incredibly difficult to use. Some of them include a deck based around Level 5 and higher, low Attack Point Normal Monsters that were released when the game was first released, and another is a Skull Servant deck that does not use King of Skull Servants.

_Note: Diado is a creation of fanfic author jcogginsa._


	31. Burden of the Mighty

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**DUEL THIRTY-ONE**

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**Burden of the Mighty**

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Early the next morning, while the four Neo Domino Shadowchasers were sleeping soundly with a doctor monitoring them (the doctor was one of a small group who worked exclusively for Jalal, and as a result, was one of the few in the world who made house calls), the ophidia's palace was bustling with activity...

But not with ophidia. A squad of Shadowchasers clothed in armor resembling that of a S.W.A.T. team, armed with special weaponry, had raided the place.

But it seemed that there was nothing left for them to raid. The ophidia had not only moved out, they had taken everything with them. The place was cleaned out – belongings, furniture, even the rugs had gone with them.

"I can understand them leaving..." said one member of the team as they entered what was once Taramanda's throne room. "But how could they take everything but the kitchen sink with them?"

A female member of the team entered.

"They didn't take everything," she said. "I just found Ms. Eiko's D-Wheel. She'll be glad to know it's still here.

"Still... I have no idea why they left it behind when they managed to take everything else..."

"I think I know exactly why," said a gravely, raspy voice behind them.

The Shadowchasers nervously turned to the Shadowkind that had come with them. No matter how many times they had worked with these powerful creatures, they simply could not get used to them. His name was Zoman, and he was an Incantifer.

Like all Incantifers, Zoman resembled a very old and frail man with a tangled beard. These creatures did not die naturally, and they had incredible constitutions, but they did not waste their magic on spells to keep themselves looking physically young. After all, there were several spells that could make one appear youthful if that was ever needed.

Like all Incantifers, he carried an arsenal of magical equipment on his person. His robe was covered with pouches, potion flasks, scroll tubes, sheaths for wands, and many other odd devices. Members of his species always kept their belongings close. (A word of advice for dealing with them – don't laugh.)

The thing about Incantifers was, they _reeked_ of magic. They had long ago perfected their connection with something they called the Great Line, a mysterious power source that they believed was the source of all arcane magic. The energy that their bodies exuded as a result of it was impossible to hide.

"What did you find out, Zoman?" asked the squad leader.

"Clearly, this palace we are in now is a doppelganger," replied the Incantifer. "It was modeled after another palace, located elsewhere."

"So they somehow moved everything to the other palace?" asked the female.

"Correct," replied Zoman. "Doppelganger strongholds often have some powerful focus included, which allows the residents to move from one to another in an instant, should the need arise.

"Ms. Eiko's D-Wheel was left behind because it was not under the same enchantment of the other items in this palace. The Empress clearly did not have time to enchant it before having to flee."

"So..." said the squad leader. "Any idea where this other palace is?"

"I'm afraid I do not," replied Zoman. "The focus, whatever it is, was taken with everything else. Tracing their route will take a while, if it can be done.

"The other palace may be elsewhere on Earth, or may not be on Earth at all. It could be in another dimension...

"But it likely is located at a site of power that holds significance to the ophidia and their dark goddess..."

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Snakeskin Island.

Located somewhere in the middle of the South Pacific, it was a remote place not found on any nautical chart, forgotten by all but the oldest of cartographers, and even they never spoke of it. Rumor had it that this was the center of the ophidia's power on Earth. The island was wild and deadly, filled with monsters of Shadow of incredible might and horror. The ophidia chose wisely to make a base here, for none but the bravest (or most foolhardy) would dare explore the haunted jungles, brave the forests of biting insects, or contend with the monstrous threats. Throughout the centuries, many had settled here, including pirates, soldiers, and savage tribes, but ruins filled with their bones were all that remained of them.

At first glance, the island looked like any other tropical paradise, with high, mist-shrouded peaks and lush jungles buzzing with life. The forest canopy was home to several varieties of monkeys, birds whose plumage ran every color of the spectrum, insects of all varieties, and, of course, snakes. But beneath its breathtaking exterior lay rot, decay, and pulsating evil.

Unlike its counterpart in Neo Domino, Taramanda's fortress here was an above-ground structure, situated in the middle of the island. In Taramanda's throne room, Hebi-Na was kneeling before her, while Hssimim was in his usual mood – a bad one.

Taramanda stroked an idol she held in her hands, a large onyx carved in the shape of a cobra's head. This was the focus, an item created in a ritual that allowed transport from this island to Neo Domino. It was powerful enough to transport all the contents of the palace if need be.

It was formerly only supposed to be used for emergencies. It would be used far more often from now on.

"Once again, this sorry excuse for an ophidia fails miserably," shouted Hssimim, pointing to Hebi-Na, "and this time we are forced to abandon our Neo Domino headquarters because of it! I repeat my opinion… This slug does NOT deserve any reward but death!"

Taramanda scowled. She put the focus aside.

"Everyone except my advisory panel leave this room now..." she hissed.

It took all of fifteen seconds for everyone except her four advisors to be gone.

Taramanda got off her couch.

"Your excellence," continued Hssimim, "as your advisor…"

"Wrong," said Taramanda, interrupting.

Hssimim stopped short.

"Huh?" he said.

"Hssimim," said Taramanda, "your constant attempt to cast the blame on Hebi-Na might be amusing if it hadn't cost us so much. Whose idea was it to lure a Shadowchaser to the palace to begin with?"

"Uh… mine?" replied Hssimim.

"Whose idea was it to give Hebi-Na that Spellcaster Deck to duel her with?" asked Taramanda.

"Mine…" said Hssimim, softly.

"And whose idea was it to try to offer Ember as Seghulerak's Tithe, when we could have just finished her off?!" shouted the Empress.

"Mine…" squeaked Hssimim, in fright.

Hebi-Na couldn't believe her luck. It seemed that not only might she escape punishment, but someone who she absolutely hated was going to be punished instead. Still, she was smart enough to keep quiet.

"I can't tolerate an advisor who does nothing but give bad advice, time after time," continued Taramanda. "Hssimim, it was because of your stupid ideas that we had to abandon the Neo Domino headquarters, and I think you orchestrated it on purpose so you could blame Hebi-Na, simply because you don't like her…"

"No, your excellence!" pleaded Hssimim. "You alone have my loyalty, my servitude…"

Taramanda grabbed him by the neck.

"...my throat…" he gasped.

Hebi-Na, Csimith, and Msskim slunk back in fright as Taramanda slowly started to assume her true form.

"_You're fired, Hssimim,"_ she said. _"From now on, I don't listen to any advice but my own…"_

Hssimim closed his eyes. Then Taramanda paused. She didn't strike. She noticed something right before he closed his eyes. Those eyes could see a great deal.

"_There's a secret you aren't telling me…"_ she said. _"What is it, Hssimim?"_

He didn't answer.

"_Tell me if you want any chance of seeing your next sunrise…"_ ordered Taramanda.

"I don't want to make you even angrier, your excellence!" he gasped.

Taramanda reverted to her less threatening form.

"Then I won't send you to Seghulerak that way," she said. "I'll arrange for you to be sent to the Venomous Tarns alive.

"A living ophidia would be worth more than a soul in some cases... Like when Seghulerak has to make a trade with someone like Demogorgon...

"Or even Orcus..."

"NO!" screamed Hssimim. "Mercy, please!"

Being Seghulerak's slave was a bad enough fate for an ophidia. Being a slave to another demon lord was thought to be far worse.

"What... do... you... know?" demanded Taramanda.

Hssimim took a deep breath.

"Okay, okay…" he said. "I saw something when I was scouting out the other Shadowchasers. Someone was helping us while we had Ember. Someone tried to delay her three friends…

"And, uh… He kinda looked like that guy who worked for Darkness… Trueman, I think his name was? Anyway, we didn't ask him for help, but for some reason, he's helping us."

Taramanda looked at him. Then she threw him to the floor.

"I'm guessing that's a bad thing?" asked Msskim.

Taramanda sat back on her couch.

"Maybe, maybe not..." she said. "Winston Churchill was known to be staunchly anti-Communist. But when Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, he was quoted as saying, 'If Hitler invaded Hell, I would at least make a favorable reference to the Devil in the House of Commons'."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Csimith.

"It means the enemy of my enemy is my friend," replied Taramanda, "at least most of the time. I just hope that is the case."

"Some good has come out of all this at least," said Msskim. "Those four meddlers did us a favor, and slew Shwa-Sma."

"And I do believe that Jalal will find DaPen mostly accountable for that," added Csimith. "This isn't the first time an illithid's experiment has gone bad. In fact, it isn't even the first time a ceremorphosis experiment has gone bad."

"Mmm..." replied Hebi-Na. "They killed it all right... Although the fact that they managed to do so worries me. Clearly, they're hiding something powerful."

"Plus, Drizzera may have lost that duel," said Hebi-Na, holding up the box, "but the plan worked. Underground Arachne stole her fleeting power, and distributed it among the other Dark Synchros. They're stronger than ever now.

"And I just got word... Someone else is on board too... He'll be ready in a matter of days..."

Taramanda nodded.

"As for you, Hssimim," she said, "you have one more chance to get back into my good graces.

"When we strike next, you will duel personally. Mess up again, and it will be the last time."

"Your excellence..." said Hebi-Na, with a sly smile.

She handed something to her.

"I know the perfect deck he can use. I found this in that lab... I have no idea how it got there, but it might fit him."

Taramanda looked at the cards.

"Indeed..." she said.

She handed the deck to Hssimim.

"Uhm, uh..." said Hssimim, as he looked at the Monsters on the cards. "I, uh... I really don't think it's a good idea... These Monsters..."

"You'll use them and like them!" shouted Taramanda. "Remember, Hssimim, this is your last chance..."

Hssimim looked at Hebi-Na and snarled...

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With one thing and another, two days went by. Ember slept most of the time, but the doctor said her apparent sickness was mostly psychosomatic. The other Shadowchasers stayed off their feet too, heeding the doctor's word.

It was a good thing that Neo Domino was quiet in terms of Shadow activity. It was as if the multiple Shadow Duels had caused the dark energy in the local area to exhaust itself, and lose its power for the time being. No troubles emerged that couldn't be handled by the temp who was called in to patrol the streets.

On the evening of the second day, the doctor gave them all a clean bill of health, and left. And the next morning, a very hungry Ember was in the kitchen devouring the pancakes and sausage that Boris had made.

"You're up with the sun," said Jinx, as she and her teammates walked in.

"The two-and-a-half day sleep was just what I needed," said Ember. "I feel like I'm ready to take on Hebi-Na again."

Boris slid plates of pancakes and sausage in front of the others.

"Don't get cocky," said Shichiro, reaching for the syrup. "We're going to observe a new policy starting now... No-one follows a lead that Jeager gives him or her alone."

"And..." said Gears, with his mouth full, "we look into his leads with our own info before going after them. It seems his info is full of holes in the best of times."

"So what's our next move?" asked Jinx.

"Dunno," said Shichiro. "The ophidia have vanished. The Empress and Hebi-Na may not even be our problem any more."

Gears held up a card.

"I've got the third Titan," he said, "and just like Trymus and Shannalla, his whisperings are becoming easier to understand. I think some major crisis might be needed for him to speak completely clearly."

"Then we can find the fourth Titan..." said Ember. "The one who saved me..."

Shichiro nodded.

"Trymus and Shannalla said she was in prison," he replied. "She may not be able to come to you the way the others came to us... But if there is a way, they may help us find it...

"Hopefully, getting all four of the Titans is the key to defeating the Dark Synchros... And keeping the Earthbound Gods buried..."

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As the four of them walked out to the living room where Gabriel was snoozing on the mantelpiece, a loud beeping suddenly came from the laptop.

"WHA?" shouted Gabriel, waking up.

Gears ran to the laptop.

"Robbery..." he said. "Five arcane golems..."

"Arcane golems?" asked Jinx. "Terrific. What are they robbing? A museum? A penthouse?"

"No, it's the..." started Gears.

He gave a look of shock.

"You gotta be kidding..." he said.

"Where?" asked Shichiro.

"They're trying to bust into the Neo Domino Reserve..." replied Gears.

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No town would be complete without the bank. And banks came in a variety of shapes and sizes.

From the small neighborhood bank where the average Joe went to deposit his paycheck, to the large institutions that handled the assets of big corporations, banks were synonymous with money, and were a fact of life in the modern world.

No bank was bigger in this city than the Reserve. An institution that handled the finances of the government itself, it received money from the mint before distributing it to smaller banks, and the financial aspects of all trade deals made by the government were handled within its walls. Among other things.

Someone would be pretty foolish to think that a bank this size could ever be robbed, even the arcane golems, sentient constructs that were mad for gemstones and other valuables. But the gang that the Shadowchasers had just caught apparently were that foolish.

"XX-Saber Hyunlei, attack directly!" shouted Jinx.

The golem grunted as Hyunlei slashed at it with her katana, reducing his Life Points to zero and knocking it down.

Jinx caught her breath as Hyunlei vanished, and looked at the golem, along with the three other golems sprawled out on the street in front of the doors of the large building, which was as far as they had gotten before they four Shadowchasers had gotten there.

"That seemed a little too easy," said Ember, as she deactivated her Disk. "Their decks seemed barely better than Structure Decks."

"I know..." said Shichiro. "It worries me..."

"Uh... Fellahs..." said Gabriel. "Didn't that alert say that there were _five_ golems?"

They stopped short. He was right.

They turned their heads...

Another arcane golem was standing down the street a short difference, one that stood a head taller than the other ones. The red markings on his pebbly skin indicated that he controlled the element of fire, which was rare for an arcane golem. But one mark on his chest was blue – a long, blue, jagged line down his torso.

"Blueslash..." said Jinx, narrowing his eyes.

Blueslash was the leader of the arcane golems in this part of the world, mostly because he was the biggest and strongest, able to crush anyone who challenged him for the right to rule. He got his name from the mark on his chest, which was put there before he became the leader. Years ago, a human was working with the arcane golems, and this human found it difficult to tell them apart. So to make it easier, he marked the one he worked with the most with a blue laundry marker. The golem never found any reason to wash off the mark, so he never did.

"So you're behind this Blueslash?" asked Jinx. "I figured not even you would think that an attempt to rob the Reserve would succeed."

"No, I didn't," replied Blueslash. "No-one is that stupid..."

He lifted his left arm, on which a Duel Disk was strapped.

"I wanted to draw you out, Noriko... To get revenge for all the times you humiliated me and my men."

"Well, as much as I'd love to duel for your amusement," said Jinx, sarcastically, "I'm afraid that the Shadowchasers frown on...

"Uh... What the heck is that?"

Arcane golems never needed Duel Disks. They could form them out of the stone of their bodies using magic. But for some reason, Blueslash was wearing one. And it was a big, complex, unfriendly looking device made of black metal, covered with lights, and wires that had their ends embedded in his arm.

"A special Duel Disk I invented, Noriko," replied Blueslash. "It doubles as a detonator."

The four Shadowchasers quickly drew their swords.

"His four goons were a diversion!" shouted Gears. "He and some other golems were planting a bomb!"

"_Four_ bombs, Gears," replied Blueslash, "planted at sensitive points in the surrounding area, with enough power to level the Financial District. And keep your distance, because this is a type of detonator called a 'dead man's switch'. If I am killed, gassed, or otherwise incapacitated, the bombs will go off.

"The bombs will also go off if I simply say a verbal password that is not written down anywhere. I have memorized it.

"But... This device is also a Duel Disk, as you can plainly see... And if it is used in a duel, and the user loses, all four bombs will be disarmed."

"You're bluffing!" shouted Gabriel. "Know how I know? Cause if you blow up this district, you'll get blown up too!"

Then Blueslash actually laughed. He hit himself on the chest with his right hand.

"I'm a golem, you foolish bird!" he laughed. "I was carved from the hardest stone, which was then magically enhanced to a consistency harder than diamond!

"I can easily survive the blast if it goes off."

"He may not be bluffing," said Shichiro. "All arcane golems are tough... Blueslash is tougher than most. He's consumed enough adamantine in his career to fill one of the smaller vaults in that place."

Trymus and Shannalla appeared in phantom form next to them.

"He may be bluffing, he may not be," said Shannalla. "That device is clearly putting out some sort of signal...

"Il Mathman has almost reached the state where he can appear in spiritual form, and he's the scientist of our group... Maybe he can find these explosives, if they exist."

"I'll help him," said Trymus. "In the meantime, you may have to duel him..."

"Then I will," said Jinx, lifting her Disk.

"Fear not," said Shannalla. "I'll be with you the whole way."

Trymus vanished first. Then Shannalla faded, and Jinx's Disk glowed.

"So..." said Jinx. "Still using the same deck?"

"No," replied Blueslash. "I have something far more potent in store for you..."

"DUEL!" they both shouted.

**(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Blueslash: 8,000)**

"I'll go first," said Jinx, making a draw.

She looked at it. Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei.

_I'll save him for later,_ she thought.

"I summon X-Saber Airbellum!" she shouted.

With a roar, the savage Beast Tuner appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"And that will be all for now..."

"My move..." said Blueslash, making a draw.

"I will summon Mystic Tomato," he said, as the silly-looking Dark Plant appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"Then I will set two facedown cards," he said, as two reversed appeared on his side of the field, "and I will end my turn."

Jinx made a draw.

"I summon X-Saber Galahad!" she shouted.

In a burst of energy, the toad-like Warrior appeared, holding his spear. (1,800 ATK)

"I activate a Trap Card!" exclaimed Blueslash, as one of his facedown cards shot up.

"Hidden Soldiers. Since you Normal Summoned a Monster, I get to Special Summon one from my hand.

"Of course, it has to be a certain variety of Monster, but Spell Reactor RE fits the profile."

In an aura of digital circuitry, a Machine appeared. It looked like a blocky, legless device with clawed arms, and a snake-like head and tail, with a supply of missiles underneath. (1,200 ATK)

"Spell Reactor RE?" gasped Ember. "That's one of Bommer's cards!"

"I know..." said Shichiro. "And one piece of a puzzle..."

"By the way..." said Blueslash, "the first time you play a Spell Card in a round, my Reactor will dish out 800 points of damage."

_Oddly enough,_ thought Jinx, _that's the least of my worries..._

"I'm not done!" she shouted. "Because I have two X-Sabers on the field, I can Special Summon XX-Saber Faultroll!"

In a burst of energy, the cybernetic X-Saber appeared, swinging his mighty sword. (2,400 ATK)

"Faultroll, destroy that Reactor!" she shouted.

Faultroll made a rush at the diabolic Machine...

"I activate... Staunch Defender!" shouted Blueslash, as his other facedown card shot up. "Now, all your Monsters must attack, but they can only attack the Monster I choose. And I choose Mystic Tomato!"

Faultroll made a swipe with his sword, blowing Mystic Tomato into paste.

"I use Mystic Tomato's effect, to Special Summon Trap Reactor Y FI," continued Blueslash.

Another Machine appeared, this one resembling an old-fashioned single-cockpit fighter plane, standing erect in a humanoid fashion. (800 ATK)

"Terrific..." muttered Jinx.

"He has two of his Reactors..." said Gears. "He needs a third... But fortunately, that one needs a sacrifice to summon."

"I... end my turn..." said Jinx.

**(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,000)**

Blueslash made a draw.

"I set a card, and then move my two Monsters to Defense Mode," he said.

A new facedown card appeared, and Spell Reactor RE covered itself with its claws. (900 DEF) Trap Reactor Y FI did the same. (1,800 DEF)

"It's your move..." he said.

Jinx drew a card.

"I set a Monster," she said, as a reversed Monster appeared.

"And then Faultroll attacks your Trap Reactor!"

Faultroll charged at the robot, with his sword held high. He made a slash at it, and then shielded himself as a fiery explosion rocked the street.

"HA!" laughed Jinx.

Then the smoke started to clear.

"Huh?"

Not only was Trap Reactor still there, but a third Reactor was next to it. It was another robot shaped like an old fashioned fighter plane, but this one was bigger, with large propellers. (2,000 ATK)

"You walked right into my trap," said Blueslash. "The Trap Card, Fake Explosion. It not only renders my Monsters unbeatable by battle this round, but allowed me to Special Summon my Summon Reactor SK!"

Jinx sighed.

"All right..." she said. "I move Galahad and Airbellum to Defense Mode..."

Airbellum knelt and crossed his arms. (200 DEF) Galahad knelt, and held his spear in his lap. (800 DEF)

"...and I end my turn."

"Then it's my move!" shouted Blueslash, drawing a card.

"I activate Summon Reactor's effect, sending it, along with Trap Reactor and Spell Reactor to the Graveyard..."

The three Reactors vanished. The loud drone of propellers sounded over the street.

"...to summon an unstoppable engine of destruction!"

A huge shadow moved over the field, and a giant robot slowly flew into view. The model for this Monster's design was obvious for anyone who had studied world history: It was based on the B-17 Flying Fortress, one of the greatest symbols of the American military during World War II.

Flying Fortress SKY FIRE loomed over Jinx and her Monsters, looking down with cold eyes that seemed just as merciless as the war that had inspired the weapon it was based on... (3,000 ATK)

"Now, I activate its effect," continued Blueslash, as he discarded a card. "Once per round, I can ditch a card to destroy one of yours."

A volley of missiles flew from the Machine's bomb bay, and Jinx shielded herself as Airbellum was blown to pieces.

"Now to use its actual attack!" continued Blueslash. "Destroy XX-Saber Faultroll with blitzkrieg blast!"

SKY FIRE let loose a burst of machine gun fire, blowing Faultroll to bits and knocking Jinx down.

**(J: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,000)**

"Where did you learn history?" she said with a scowl. "On a cereal box? 'Blitzkrieg' is a German term. That thing was modeled after an American aircraft!"

"I really don't care," said Blueslash. "It will still mean defeat for you.

"Especially since I'm now playing this..."

He placed a card into the Field Slot of his Disk, and the sky began to darken...

The street vanished, and became covered with a knee-deep sea of cold, murky water. Behind Blueslash, what looked like the palace of A Legendary Ocean lay in ruins.

"Welcome to the Sea of Sorrows," said Blueslash. "In this Field Spell, a Monster cannot attack another Monster unless it is at least its equal in terms of Level.

"But don't think that means you're free to attack me directly with Monsters that are below Level 8, because you aren't.

"And it's your move..."

"Jinx can beat that thing, right?" asked Gabriel, nervously.

"I hope so," said Jinx. "It has another effect that he didn't mention. Once per turn, if Jinx summons a Monster or sets a card, that thing can destroy it, and inflict 800 points of damage in the process."

Jinx slowly made a draw.

She looked at the cards in her hand.

_Bommer was a powerful duelist,_ she thought, _and that thing made him even more powerful. _

_But... If I remember correctly, his dueling style had a major flaw in it... And if Blueslash's style has the same flaw, I might be able to exploit it..._

She took a card from her hand.

_Hate to do this, but..._

"I summon Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei!" she shouted.

In a flash of light, Lei Lei appeared. (2,300 ATK)

SKY FIRE let loose a volley of bombs again, and Jinx cringed as Lei Lei was blown to pieces.

"It didn't seem so indomitable to me," said Blueslash.

**(J: 6,600) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,000)**

"Heh, heh..." said Jinx. "Sucker..."

Blueslash looked shocked.

"Sucker?" he said. "But... Wait...

"That Monster... It was a decoy, wasn't it?"

"You catch on fast," said Jinx, with a grin. "And now that I've fooled you into using tall, dark, and rusty's effect, I can take it down!

"I flip X-Saber Passiul into Attack Mode!"

Her facedown Monster flipped up, and Passiul appeared, holding his sword in front of him. (100 ATK)

"Now, the Spell Card, Level Mirroring!" she exclaimed, as she played a Spell Card. "I choose one of your Monsters, like, say, your Flying Fortress SKY FIRE, and one of my Monsters assumes its Level.

"That means that Galahad's Level goes up from 4 to 8.

"Then I can Tune together Passiul and Galahad!"

Passiul and Galahad flew into the sky, and the three blazing suns appeared again...

"_Strength of legend, beauty beyond compare, entrusted by billions to carry their heritage, given the power unleashed at the moment of Creation! Mighty champion of a deceased race… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force… _

"_Synchro Summon, Shannalla the Fierce!"_

In a flourish, Shannalla appeared, striking a dramatic pose. She looked at Blueslash, and her eyes narrowed. (2,600 ATK)

"And because she's Level 10," continued Jinx, "she can attack your big robot. And she will, once I use her effect..."

Faultroll slipped out of her discard slot, and she pocketed it.

"By removing one Warrior or Beast-Warrior from play, she gains its Attack Points until the end of your next turn."

(5,000 ATK)

"ATTACK!" shouted Jinx. "Ground that behemoth!"

Shanalla leapt at the huge mecha, and made a mighty slash with her blade. Flying Fortress SKY FIRE groaned, and then explosions started to erupt over its hull. Both duelists and the spectators covered their heads as it crashed into the sea.

**(J: 6,600) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 5,000)**

"All right!" squawked Gabriel. "She shot that overgrown action figure down!"

"So why doesn't Blueslash seem all too upset about it?" asked Gears.

"I assure you," said Blueslash, "you haven't seen the last of my SKY FIRE."

"Oh?" said Jinx. "The only way to summon it from the Graveyard is to send all three of your Reactors to the Graveyard again. You have one card in your hand left, and since Shannalla prevents you from activating Spells and Traps when she attacks, your chances of setting them up again is very slim."

Blueslash chuckled softly.

"Uh... Yeah..." said Jinx.

"She looked at the three cards left in her hand.

"Think I'll be ending my turn now...

"Don't forget, due to your own Field Spell, you can't attack Shannalla with Monsters that aren't at least Level 10."

Blueslash drew a card. He looked at it. It was Trade-In. He couldn't use that right now, but it really hadn't mattered what card he had drawn.

"Time for something new," he said. "I'm going to activate the effect of the Monster I discarded when I activated SKY FIRE's effect. It's an effect that I'm only allowed to use once.

"When I have no Monsters on my field, I can summon Dark Tuner Death Submarine from my Graveyard."

A new Machine rose from the depths of the Sea of Sorrows. It was a bizarre-shaped submarine with grasping arms, made of black and purple metal. (0 ATK)

"A Dark Tuner!" shouted Ember.

"Blueslash is allied with the ophidia too!" gasped Shichiro. "What is this, some sort of conspiracy?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," replied Blueslash. "I summon Dark Sea Float."

A new Monster bobbed to the surface. It looked like a life raft with a zombie riding it. (0 ATK)

"Now, I subtract my Death Submarine from my Dark Sea Float..."

Death Submarine dissolved into nine glowing stars, that started to circle around the zombie in the life raft. It moaned as the stars bored into it...

Then it burst into eight dark starts, that started spinning in a circle.

"_When the Shadows are devoured by even darker Shadows, the curtain is pulled back to reveal a world without light!_

"I call forth... Dark Flat Top!"

A second enormous Machine loomed over the Sea of Sorrows. It was a giant aircraft carrier! Made of pitch-black metal, it exuded an aura of immovability and steadfastness. (3,000 DEF)

"Now wait just one darn minute!" exclaimed Shichiro. "The Dark Synchros are supposed to be living creatures that draw their life essence from negative energy instead of positive!

"How the Hell can a Machine be a Dark Synchro?? It isn't even a living creature!"

"As an old saying goes," said Blueslash, "I don't care how it works... I'm just glad that it works.

"And it works as follows... Not only does it have an overwhelming Defense Score, but once per round, it lets me break the rules for Flying Fortress SKY FIRE, and summon it from my Graveyard."

An orb of crackling, dark energy formed on the top of Dark Flat Top. Jinx stepped back in shock, as SKY FIRE loomed over the field again. (3,000 DEF)

"No..." she said.

Blueslash discarded the last card in his hand, Trade-In, and the volley of missiles shot towards Shannalla. Jinx screamed in terror as she was incinerated in an explosion.

"Shannalla!" she hollered.

"Such concern for your Monsters," said Blueslash, "when you should be thinking about yourself."

The giant aircraft dropped a single, larger bomb, and this time Jinx was the target. She screamed, and was thrown off her feet.

**(J: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 5,000)**

"Jinx is in trouble!" shouted Ember.

"No kidding..." said Gears. "With that overgrown tub supporting his offense, Jinx not only has to defeat SKY FIRE again...

"She'll have to defeat it every round..."

"And I think now we know where this Field Spell came from..." added Shichiro. "Bommer had it when he was a Dark Signer. It was clearly what he would have used had he gotten into a regular duel."

"True," said Blueslash, as Jinx struggled to get up. "And if you think my Field Spell makes Dark Flat Top easy to attack because it has a negative Level, think again.

"If a Monster's Level is below zero, Sea of Sorrows multiplies its Level by –1 for the purposes of its effect."

"No fair!" screamed Gabriel.

"The Dark Signers used these cards," said Shichiro. "They didn't exactly play fair..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

From a safe distance, Hssimim was watching, enjoying the spectacle immensely.

_Wow..._ he thought. _The violence... The pain... Boy, they just don't have duels like this anymore..._

Inside his toga, his cell phone rang.

_Figures,_ he thought, answering it. _Just when I'm having a good time..._

"Hssimim!" shouted Taramanda's voice. "Stop goofing off. Remember the plan.

"Regardless of what happens, you take another one when it's over."

Hssimim looked at the deck on his Disk.

"Fine," he replied, "but first, let me restate my formal protest, and remind you of the immense danger..."

"I don't care, Hssimim!" interrupted Taramanda. "You duel using that deck, and duel well, or I'll turn you into a purse!"

She hung up.

_Bitch,_ he thought.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jinx got up, and glared at Blueslash.

She drew a card.

_Oh, why couldn't I have drawn this one round sooner?_ she thought.

She looked at her other three cards.

_What do I do? How can I stand up to that thing now that I've lost Shannalla?_

Then she felt a warm hand on her shoulder.

"_Don't give up, child,"_ said Shannalla's voice. _"I can still help you..."_

"How?" whispered Jinx. "The conditions on your card... You can't be summoned from the Graveyard..."

"_Nonsense,"_ replied Shannalla. _"It merely says 'can only be summoned by Synchro Summon.' You have a card that can set me free once again."_

Jinx looked at her deck.

"Oh yeah..." she said. "But... Even if I draw it, it's gonna be hard with those two behemoths over there..."

"_Have faith..."_ said Shannalla. _"Blueslash's strategy relies too much on strength and overwhelming tactics. You can outsmart him... If you simply don't panic..."_

Jinx took a card from her hand.

"I set a Monster..." she said.

A reversed Monster appeared.

"And my Monster's effect activates!" shouted Blueslash.

SKY FIRE prepared to fire.

"Not this time!" shouted Jinx, as a Quickplay Spell appeared in front of her. "I activate My Body as a Shield!

"It costs me 1,500 Life Points, but it causes your Monster's effect to backfire against itself!"

Explosions rocked over SKY FIRE's hull again, and the huge robot crashed for the second time.

"Ergh..." said Blueslash.

"Continuing..." said Jinx. "I set two more cards, and end my turn..."

Two reversed cards appeared behind her Monster with flashes of light.

**(J: 2,100) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 5,000)**

"I draw one card..." growled Blueslash.

He made a draw.

"Eh?" he said, looking at it.

It was Mirror Force.

He stared at it intently.

"Uh..." he said. "I use Dark Flat Top's effect to bring SKY FIRE back again..."

The orb of dark energy appeared again, and once again, SKY FIRE loomed over the field. (3,000 ATK)

"Now I'll... Uhm..."

"Yes?" said Jinx, as she stared him in the eye.

Blueslash looked intently at the Trap in his hand, and then at Jinx's hidden Monster. Then he looked at Jinx's two facedown cards.

_If I discard this,_ he thought, _I could destroy that Monster, and then attack directly and win..._

_IF her Trap Cards don't prevent it! If they do, I'll be throwing away my most powerful Trap!_

He looked at the reversed Monster again.

_I wonder..._

He set the Mirror Force in his Disk.

"I set a facedown," he said, as it appeared, "and then I attack with SKY FIRE!"

The huge mecha fired a burst of machine gun fire at the reversed Monster. Morphing Jar appeared on the card, right before it was blown to dust.

"I knew it!" laughed Blueslash.

Both he and Jinx made five draws. Blueslash looked his new hand over.

"Now that I have five more cards..." he said, evilly, "I think I'll use them...

"I'll discard this, in order to use SKY FIRE's effect."

He discarded a copy of Cost Down.

"Destroy the card on the left!"

The huge robot blasted a round of bombs, and Jinx covered herself as her Klein's Labyrinth was blown to pieces.

"Next," said Blueslash, "I'll play Fiend's Sanctuary."

The Spell Card appeared, and a sinister gargoyle appeared, followed by a small stickman made of metal beads. A Metal Fiend Token. (0 ATK)

"Then, I'll sacrifice it to summon another Summon Reactor SK."

The Token vanished into an orb of light, and then another of the larger Reactors appeared. (2,000 ATK)

He fit his last two cards into his Disk, and two more facedown cards appeared in flashes of light.

"That will do it for my turn," he said. "And you will not, repeat, NOT fool me again, Noriko! I will not use my SKY FIRE's effect until I see a Monster that is an actual threat."

Jinx looked at her cards. She took a deep breath.

_Here goes nothing..._ she thought.

She drew a card, and held it high. Then she looked at it.

_Got it!_ she thought.

She threw a card on her Disk.

"I first summon XX-Saber Boggart Knight," she said.

The Beast-Warrior that appeared seemed to be some long-lost brother of Vorse Raider. The biggest differences were that he wore a scarlet cape, and held a glowing longsword instead of a glaive. (1,900 ATK)

"Sorry, that doesn't fit the bill," said Blueslash. "But what I will do is activate Summon Reactor's effect, which deals you 800 points of damage for summoning a Monster."

Jinx braced herself as the Reactor's propellers spun, buffeting her with a stinging wind.

**(J: 1,300) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 5,000)**

"Boggart Knight has a useful effect of his own..." she said with a sneer. "When he's Normal Summoned, I get to Special Summon a low-Level X-Saber from my hand.

"So, I summon X-Saber Urz!"

With a roar, the X-Saber Warrior with a demonic face, holding twin scimitars, leapt onto the field. (1,600 ATK)

"Not gonna do it," chuckled Blueslash, crossing his arms.

Jinx lifted her arm, and her facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Limit Reverse," she said, to bring back X-Saber Passiul!"

There was a flash of energy, and Passiul appeared again, holding his sword forward. (100 ATK)

"Not even close!" laughed Blueslash. "What are you going to do, summon Hyunlei? She can't help you now..."

_Because if she does..._ he thought, _THEN will be the time to use my Monster's effect..._

"Nope," said Jinx, as she played the Spell Card she just drew. "I'm bringing back an old friend...

"I play Shining Rebirth!"

The card glowed with radiant light.

"Shining Rebirth?" gasped Blueslash. "What does that do?"

"It lets me make a Synchro Summon," said Jinx, "when the Synchro Monster I want to summon is in my Graveyard, rather than my Extra Deck."

Boggart Knight, Urz, and Passiul all flew into the sky, and the three blazing suns appeared again. The three Monsters vanished into a flash of light...

In a flourish, Shannalla landed once again, glaring at Blueslash and his Monsters looking a little pissed. (2,600 ATK)

"SKY FIRE, now!" screamed Blueslash.

Once again, the Flying Fortress SKY FIRE let loose its barrage of flaming death at Shannalla...

But to Blueslash's surprise, she simply shrugged it all off, and looked at him with an even angrier expression.

"HOW?" shouted Blueslash.

"Shining Rebirth has another effect," said Jinx. "The Monster I summon with it cannot be destroyed by card effects this round."

"Fine..." growled Blueslash. "Destroy SKY FIRE again... There's no limit to the amount of times my Dark Flat Top can revive it."

"Sorry, big guy," said Jinx. "But I'm afraid that SKY FIRE is _not_ my target."

She played another card in her hand.

"Go, Enemy Controller!"

Blueslash gasped as the huge video game control pad appeared, and Dark Flat Top moved to Attack Mode. (0 ATK)

"Jinx moved it out of Defense Mode!" shouted Gabriel.

"And in Attack Mode, it's powerless!" added Ember.

"Next," said Jinx, as a card slipped out of her discard slot, "I activate Shannalla's effect, and remove Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei from play..."

Shannalla glowed with an aura of energy. (4,900 ATK)

"I'm not through yet, Shadowchaser!" cursed Blueslash. "Go, Trap Cards!"

Two of his facedown cards lifted up. They were two copies of the same card: Level Retuner.

"Each of these Traps can lower the Level of one of my Monsters by up to 2. So I can lower Dark Flat Top's Level from –8 to –12."

"Uh, I don't get it..." said Gabriel.

"It's the effect of his Field Spell..." said Gears. "If Dark Flat Top's Level is –12, Sea of Sorrows will register it as 12, which is higher than Shannalla's Level.

"That means Shannalla can't attack it!"

Jinx laughed softly.

"Why are you laughing?" asked Blueslash.

"That was a nice try..." replied Jinx, "but I'm still not done..."

She played the last card in her hand.

"I play Gaia Power!"

Blueslash gasped as the Sea of Sorrows vanished, and the thick forest sprang up around them.

"Your Field Spell is gone, Blueslash," she said. "So now, not only can Shannalla attack your Dark Flat Top, she can do so with 500 more Attack Points."

(5,400 ATK)

"Go!" shouted Jinx. "Sink that ship with pouncing tiger rage!"

Shannalla made a running start across the forest floor, and leapt at the colossal craft. She literally burst through its hull, smashing through the front, and out the rear. Explosions erupted all over the seagoing Dark Synchro, and debris rained down as it started to go down in flames.

"NOOO!" screamed Blueslash.

**(J: 1,300) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 0)**

Then the debris rained down on him, and he collapsed.

Jinx caught her breath, as the forest and Flying Fortress SKY FIRE vanished.

Trymus appeared next to Shannalla.

"Trymus, the bombs..." said Shichiro.

"Seems he was bluffing after all," replied Trymus. "The fancy Duel Disk was nothing more than a device that let him communicate telepathically with someone."

"With who?" asked Gears.

"We think the signal was being sent to somewhere in the South Pacific," replied Trymus. "Exactly where, we don't know. We can't stray that far from our cards."

"I suppose you all want answers," said a voice.

The two Titans vanished as the four Shadowchasers turned around. Hssimim walked towards them.

"Well, I can provide them..." he said. "But my answers don't come easy..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK FLAT TOP (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Dark Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** –8  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 3,000

**Card Description:** _1 non-Tuner Monster – 1 Dark Tuner Monster_

To Special Summon this card, subtract the Level of the Dark Tuner Monster used as Synchro Material from the Level of the non-Tuner Monster used. The value must equal the Level of this card. Once per turn, you can Special Summon 1 "Flying Fortress SKY FIRE" from your Graveyard, disregarding its summoning conditions.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK TUNER DEATH SUBMARINE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Dark Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 9  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 300

**Card Description:** If this card is in your Graveyard and you control no Monsters, you can Special Summon it from your Graveyard. This effect may only be used once per duel.

_Note: "Dark Flat Top" and Dark Tuner Death Submarine" were both used by Bommer in the multi-part "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "A Whale of a Duel". Creative credit goes to the writer of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SHINING REBIRTH (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **Guardian Angel Joan holding a Hanewata in her hands, both of them slowly fading away, with Avenging Knight Parshath making a heroic pose in the background.

**Card Description:** Select one Synchro Monster in your Graveyard. Send the Monsters required for the Synchro Summon of the selected Monster from your side of the field to the Graveyard, and Special Summon the selected Monster from your Graveyard. (This Special Summon is considered a Synchro Summon.) The Special Summoned Monster cannot be destroyed by card effects during the turn it is Special Summoned by this effect.

_Note: "Shining Rebirth" was first used by Aki in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Truth and Consequences (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SEA OF SORROWS (Spell Card)**

**Field Spell**

**Image: **"A Legendary Ocean", with the palace in ruins and the water dark and murky.

**Card Description:** Face-up Monsters cannot be targeted by attacks except by Monsters that are an equal or greater Level than their attack targets. If a Monster's Level is lower than zero, its Level is considered to be multiplied by -1 for the purposes of this card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Gears: Once they were vanquished... Then twice...**

**But it seems they just won't go away. This ophidia who has shown up brings them back once again... **

**Well, fine. I expected this all along. My deck is ready, and this time I have a partner fighting alongside me. He can't speak clearly yet, but maybe he will when this is over. **

**Since he's a being of Water, he knows that a drowning man surfaces twice before he goes down for the third time, and then he doesn't come up. If I win this duel, hopefully, they won't return again. **

"**Gozen Match" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**The Knightly Order of St. Bartholomew, Dark Knowledge Kept Dark**

Some secrets of Shadow are held by people who think it best they are kept secret. One of the greatest treasure troves of magical knowledge in the world is held by a monastic order called the Knightly Order of St. Bartholomew, but accessing this knowledge is difficult, even for members of the Order.

The group can trace its roots back to the Middle Ages. Over the centuries, they invested wisely, spent frugally, and amassed an untold fortune that holds them in good stead even in today's secular society. The organization has close ties to many royal families in Europe and good-standing relationships to the heads of most major western religions. They seem to be a group that is universally respected, and even genuinely liked.

The Order is dedicated to collecting and preserving knowledge of unexplained and mystical phenomenon. This often means Shadowkind and its effects on the world. The group owns the most exhaustive collection of banned, suppressed, and otherwise forbidden literature. It contains descriptions of and dissertations on every psychic, magical, and otherwise unexplained phenomenon ever chronicled by Mundanes. This collection is stored in something called the Dark Library, but it is not a library in the conventional sense.

People, the Order believes, especially Mundanes, were not meant to know these secrets. It is important that the information be preserved, in case it is needed to combat a greater threat, but it cannot be used frivolously. Therefore, each piece of information is broken up into discreet, incomplete portions, and each portion of each tract is kept at a separate monastery.

If someone needed to research one epic-level spell kept in the Dark Library, he might have to find the first part of it at a monastery in France. Then he'd have to find out where the second piece is, which the monks at the French monastery wouldn't know, and wouldn't tell him if they did. If he did find it, perhaps in a second monastery in the Czech Republic, he would then have to find a third piece, then a fourth, and maybe even a fifth. And the monks at each monastery would do all they could to keep him from doing so.

In this way, the information is preserved, but no-one, including the monks, are tempted by the power. Only a few of them are actually Aware, and realize the purpose of some of the information they keep. But the few Aware members of the Order are still committed to their task.

**Story Ideas:** The Dark Library is the biggest trove of magical knowledge in the world. But getting the monks to bring even one dissertation together is a challenge. They are by no means selfish with what they have, only concerned. And they should be. It is rumored that the Dark Library contains some very potent books of evil magic. They may even have a copy of the dreaded _Book of Vile Darkness_ divided among their vaults.

Threatening them is dangerous. They have powerful friends, including the King of England, the Pope, and many other monarchs. Jalal also thinks highly of them, as his group defended them from numerous Shadow-related threats many centuries ago. (Their archives tell of a group of knights who defended their London monastery from a dark legion, but only a few members realize that the leader of these knights is still alive.) Jalal discourages anyone from pestering the members of the Order for undue cause.

A more likely scenario would be to protect the Dark Library. Unscrupulous Shadows like Xideous and Red Shroud would love to spend five minutes in one of their vaults to find information on the Book of Keeping or the Book of Lies. They can't, however, as demons cannot enter hallowed ground unaided. The properties owned by the Order are even more harmful than most to creatures of supernatural evil, due the special holy rites placed there centuries ago. But while such villains are forbidden to enter, their servants are not, and it might be necessary to repel such henchmen.

**Deck Ideas:** The monks of the Knightly Order of St. Bartholomew are pacifists. They have sworn an oath of nonviolence, among other things, and would never fight another being in any way, including a duel. Still, they often have bodyguards with them who are not bound by such oaths, and it might be necessary for these protectors to duel if the need arises. A deck used by such a bodyguard might reflect the sanctified nature of the Order, using Counter Fairies or Lightsworn, or might use something completely unexpected.


	32. Gozen Match

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL THIRTY-TWO**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Gozen Match**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Jinx's gemstone flashed, and Blueslash disappeared. Then she turned to face Hssimim, as the others were doing.

"Who are you, dare I ask?" asked Shichiro.

"I am Hssimim," replied Hssimim, "royal advisor to the Empress."

"You say that as if we're supposed to be impressed," said Gears, now a little angry. "If you're an ophidia noble, you might have been involved in the decision to put Ember through Hell the other day."

"And then _send_ her there," growled Shichiro.

If Hssimim were capable of sweating (he could not, as his entire epidermis was covered with reptilian scales) he would be doing so profusely. He quickly responded, although he hated making a boldfaced lie.

"Only the Empress herself can decide when to use that ritual on a prisoner," he said. "I had nothing to do with it.

"But I am here on her behalf... You Shadowchasers could simply arrest me, in which case I will deny saying everything I've said up to now..."

"Or?" asked Jinx.

Hssimim took the deck from his Disk and shuffled it.

"Or one of you can accept my challenge," he said, "in which case I might be persuaded to tell you some things you want to know if I were to lose...

"Like where everyone in that palace has gone... And where we got the Dark Synchros."

"And if I were to duel you and lose?" asked Shichiro. "What would we have to do then?"

"Nothing..." replied Hssimim. "If I turn out the winner, someone else will provide the reward."

"In that case..." said Shichiro, lifting his Disk.

"Hold on..." said Gears, raising his hand.

"Gears?" said Shichiro.

"Something about his deck worries me," said Gears. "I'm getting a funny feeling from it standing here... It seems familiar... And not in a good way..."

"My grandfather told me what that was like," said Ember. "Like when the weather turned cold and he felt his rheumatism coming back."

"Yeah, kinda like that..." said Gears.

He opened the chamber on his Disk where the Synchros were kept, and took out Il Mathman the Artificer. He gave the card a long look, and then slowly put it back in the chamber.

"I think I'd better duel him."

"Good luck..." said Shichiro, backing away.

Hssimim hit the shuffler on his Disk. As he did, he heard Taramanda's telepathic voice in his head. His Disk, like Blueslash's Disk, doubled as a device that let him communicate mentally with Taramanda, but his version was not as obvious.

"_Remember the plan, Hssimim,"_ said Taramanda. _"You can win if your desire... You can even win and hurt him badly in the process. _

"_But... Do not set any speed records. I want this duel to last long enough to keep them busy for at least a while._

"_Do that, and you'll be welcome here again..._

"_Fail... And you might as well not come back."_

Gears and Hssimim looked at each other.

"Duel!" they shouted.

**(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Hssimim: 8,000)**

"The first move is yours," said the ophidia.

Gears drew a card.

_Nice,_ he thought.

"I summon Ally of Justice Garadholg," he said.

In an aura of shadow, Garadholg appeared, holding its energy blades. (1,600 ATK)

"Then I'll set these, for later."

Two facedown cards appeared in two flashes of light.

"Hmph," said Hssimim. "One of those wouldn't happen to be DNA Transplant, would it?"

"Maybe, maybe not," replied Gears.

Truthfully, one of them _was_, but at least Hssimim didn't know which one.

"Well, if so, it's pointless," said Hssimim, making a draw.

"How come?" asked Gears.

"My Monsters are already Light," replied Hssimim. "But they aren't afraid of your Allies... In fact... They welcome the chance for revenge..."

_It can't be..._ thought Gears.

"I summon Worm Xex!" shouted Hssimim.

There was an aura of light that could best be described as sickly. A thing that looked like a slim-covered tire appeared, with a toothy mouth making up the center, and four pseudopods extending from it, forming a rough X-shape, with an eye on the end of each. (1,800 ATK)

"Worms??" shouted Gears. "This is Edmund's deck!"

"How did it survive?" gasped Ember.

"I don't even know myself," replied Hssimim. "But anyway..."

A card slipped out of his deck.

"I use Worm Xex's effect. By summoning it, I can send another Worm from my deck to the Graveyard."

He discarded the card.

"The Monster I just discarded was its partner, Worm Yagan," he continued. "Now I'll activate its effect. When it's in my Graveyard, and Worm Xex is on the field, I can Special Summon it in reversed position."

A facedown Monster appeared next to Worm Xex.

"Anyway... I know that attacking with Xex would be pointless, since Garadholg gains 200 Attack Points when fighting a Light Monster, so I'll just end my turn."

Gears nervously drew a card. He had fought Worms before... So had Shichiro and Ember... But Worm Xex and Worm Yagan were new ones to him. He assumed that there were twenty-six species of Worms, one for each letter of the English alphabet, and he had not yet catalogued all of them.

"I summon Robotic Knight!" he shouted.

In a digital burst, the android sergeant appeared. (1,600 ATK)

_Have to be careful..._ he thought. _Worms are notorious for their Flip-Effects..._

"Robotic Knight," he exclaimed, "attack the facedown Monster with gatling blast!"

The android fired a volley of machine gun bullets from its left hand. The Monster that appeared on the card looked like a thick, slimy, fleshy tree shaped like a Y. (1,800 DEF)

Robotic Knight stumbled backwards.

"Not the brightest idea!" laughed Hssimim. "When Worm Yagan is flipped face-up, one of your cards is returned to your hand!"

Garadholg vanished, and its card appeared back in Gears's hand.

"Wonderful..." he said.

"That's not all..." continued Hssimim. "You aren't allowed to attack Worm Xex while Worm Yagan is on the field."

"I end my turn..." growled Gears.

**(G: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 8,000)**

"My move!" shouted Hssimim, making a draw.

"I move Yagan to Attack Mode..."

Yagan bent forward. (1,000 ATK)

"Worm Xex, attack Robotic Knight with criss-cross crush!"

Worm Xex leapt at the robot, and wrapped its tendrils around it, crushing it like tinfoil.

"Ugh..." said Gears.

"Yagan, attack..." continued Hssimim.

"I activate Call of the Haunted!" shouted Gears, as one of his facedown cards lifted up.

_I was gonna save this for later,_ he thought, as Robotic Knight appeared again, _but Worm direct attacks aren't pleasant..._

(1,600 ATK)

"Then the attack is called off," said Hssimim. "It's your move..."

**(G: 7,600) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 8,000)**

Gears made a draw.

"I summon Garadholg again!" he shouted.

Garadholg appeared in the same aura of shadow. (1,600 ATK)

"GO!" he shouted. "Chop down Worm Yagan!"

Garadholg rushed at the disgusting tree, its Attack Score rising to 1,800. It made a slash down the middle, and Worm Yagan burst into globules of plasma.

"But..." said Gabriel. "With Xex on the field, won't he just use its effect to bring it back from the Graveyard?"

"Unfortunately, no..." said Hssimim. "Since I summoned it using its effect, it is now removed from play."

"Yeah, I kinda hoped that would be the case," said Gears. "I move Robotic Knight to Defense Mode..."

Robotic Knight knelt and crossed its arms. (1,800 DEF)

"And I end my turn..."

**(G: 7,600) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,400)**

Hssimim made a draw.

"I set a Monster, and a facedown card," he said.

Two reversed cards appeared, one in his Spell Zone, and one in his Monster Zone.

"...and that will do it..."

"I draw!" said Gears.

_That's the ticket..._ he said.

"I summon Ally of Justice Unlimiter!" he exclaimed.

In another shadowy aura, the small drone appeared. (600 ATK)

"Now, by sacrificing it, Garadholg's Attack Score is doubled for one round!"

Unlimiter vanished, and Garadholg burned with black fire. (3,200 ATK)

Robotic Knight stood up into Attack Mode. (1,600 ATK)

"Garadholg... Annihilate Worm Xex!"

Garadholg made a slash with its blade, cutting Worm Xex clean in half.

"ERGH!" groaned Hssimim.

"Robotic Knight, the other Monster!" shouted Gears.

Robotic Knight fired its gatling blast. The Monster that appeared on the card looked like a humanoid earthworm, with rubbery tentacles for arms and legs. It was blown to pieces.

"Worm Apocalypse!" gasped Gears.

_This_ one he had seen before. Worm Apocalypse were supposedly common footsoldiers that made up the bulk of the Worm hordes.

"That's right!" laughed Hssimim. "And due to its Flip-Effect, one Spell or Trap is now destroyed. I choose Call of the Haunted."

A spray of foul slime spewed on the Trap Card, melting it into sludge. Robotic Knight shattered into shards.

**(G: 7,600) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 5,600)**

Shichiro crossed his arms, and then rubbed his chin.

_Something's clearly wrong here,_ he thought. _Call me suspicious, but why would Hssimim agree to duel Gears when he knew that Gears had a deck that was especially effective against Light?_

_Revenge? I don't think so... With the stakes he placed, it seems foolish..._

Then his eyes opened wide.

_Unless..._

He ran to his D-Wheel.

"What are you doing?" asked Jinx.

Shichiro sat at the controls, and turned on the computer.

"I'm running a scan of the Neo Domino area," said Shichiro. "Looking for ophidia activity.

"I have a feeling that both this guy and Blueslash were just meant to provide a diversion while some other ophidia are up to something at a site of _true_ importance."

Hssimim nervously drew a card.

"_Your excellence,"_ he said, through the telepathic device, _"they're onto us! What do I do?"_

The reply came quickly.

"_Beat Gears within an inch of his life,"_ said Taramanda. _"If he's injured, they'll be delayed even more._

"_Use the big one if you have to."_

Hssimim sighed. He did _not_ want to do that... The "big one" was something that even Edmund had been afraid to use.

Looking at his cards, he thought he might be able to delay doing so for a while.

His facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Limit Reverse," he said. "I'll bring Worm Apocalypse back from the Graveyard."

Worm Apocalypse appeared once again. (300 ATK)

"Then, I'll sacrifice it..."

Apocalypse vanished into an orb of light...

"...to summon Worm Warlord!"

With a loud roar, a hulking beast appeared in front of Hssimim. Its body was a headless, spherical, leathery torso, with a vertical, toothy mouth in the center, and an eye on either side. It had two muscular legs, each one connected to one of its sides, and had two equally muscular arms, one connected to the top of its torso, and the other connected to the _bottom_. Its knobbed fists had bony spurs jutting out of the knuckles. (2,350 ATK)

Gears was shocked. This was another Worm that he had never even heard of.

"Attack Garadholg with clobber-knocker!" shouted Hssimim.

Moving with incredible speed for its bulk, Worm Warlord rushed at Garadholg. The first three punches made huge dents in its armor, and the fourth blew it to scrap.

"Now I activate one of Warlord's effects," continued Hssimim. "When it destroys a Monster, it gets to attack a second time!"

Gears almost screamed as the huge Worm rushed at him, and slugged him in the stomach, knocking him backwards five feet.

**(G: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 5,600)**

"Not all too subtle," he said with a chuckle, "but it works."

"_One_ of its effects?" exclaimed Ember. "It has another effect?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," said Hssimim. "I end my turn..."

Gears groaned as he got up.

He drew a card.

"I'll set a Monster, and two facedown cards..." he groaned.

Three reversed cards appeared.

"...and that'll do it for now..."

Hssimim chuckled as he made a draw.

"Want to know what Warlord's other effect is?" he asked. "It negates the effects of Monsters that it destroys!

"Crush his Monster!"

Mechanicalchaser appeared on the card, as Worm Warlord's fists slammed into it, blowing it to pieces.

"Now, once again, attack directly!"

"You triggered my Trap!" shouted Gears, as one of his cards shot up. "Hallowed Life Barrier!

"The damage to me is reduced to zero..."

Worm Warlord threw a punch at Gears, but Gears caught the punch with his hand, and the Worm backed off.

"I simply have to toss one of my cards..." he continued.

He looked at one of his two cards, nodded, and then discarded it.

"Well then..." said Hssimim. "I guess Worm Warlord has outlived its usefulness...

"This next Monster is Level 8, but I can summon it with one sacrifice if the Monster I'm sacrificing is another Worm."

_Lovely..._ thought Gears. _That could only mean one of two Monsters..._

"I sacrifice Worm Warlord..." said Hssimim.

Worm Warlord vanished into a globe of energy.

"...to summon Worm King!"

With an even louder roar, a Worm that was twice as big as Warlord loomed over the field. It was centaurian in shape, muscular, with thick legs on its lower body, and four arms on its upper one. It had two faces, a demonic one on its head, and a bestial one on the front of its lower body.

It roared in pure bloodlust. (2,700 ATK)

Gabriel was on the ground, covering his head with his wings.

"That's the scariest one yet!" he squeaked.

"Just pray you won't have to see Worm Victory..." said Ember.

"I don't get it," said Jinx. "Why would an ophidia use Worms? They're Reptiles, but...

"I just don't see Seghulerak as an ally of the Light of Ruin."

"I think it fits," answered Ember. "Edmund worked for Sonja. So did Hebi-Na, on her empress's behalf.

"And this guy is working for the same empress."

"So, Sonja's surviving conspirators have access to the belongings of the ones who perished," said Jinx, with a frown. "Terrific."

_Be that as it may,_ thought Hssimim, _I wouldn't use this deck if I didn't have to. Taramanda is a fool for using the Light of Ruin's servants. _

_After all, the ophidia only want to rule the world... If the Light got its way, there wouldn't be any world left to rule!_

"Calm down, people," said Shichiro, who was still watching the monitor. "Gears's deck can handle those things. The Allies were designed specifically with the Worms in mind."

"We'll see about that," said Hssimim. "It's your move..."

Gears made a draw.

_This will do..._ he thought.

"I summon Ally of Justice Unknown Crusher," he said.

In another burst of shadow, a large, robotic elephant with a glowing node on the end of its trunk appeared. (1,200 ATK)

"Next," he continued, as one of his facedown cards lifted up, "the Trap Card, Soul Resurrection. Now I can summon a Normal Monster from my Graveyard in Defense Mode."

"Bringing back Robotic Knight again?" asked Hssimim.

"Nope," said Gears. "I'm bringing back the Monster I discarded to use Hallowed Life Barrier.

"I summon Ally Mind!"

The Machine that appeared looked more like a computer part than a true robot. It was bulky, and roughly spherical in shape, covered with circuits, wires, and ports. (1,400 ATK)

"And it's also a Tuner, meaning I can Tune it together with Unknown Crusher..."

An aura of electricity surrounded Ally Mind, and then the two Machines flew into the sky, where they faded into eight glowing stars...

"_Wanderer of the spaceways, traveler of the flow! Weapon of the Healing Darkness, seeking out the minions of the Light Ruin where their evil beacons shine in the universe!_

"_Synchro Summon, Ally of Justice Light Gazer!"_

Light Gazer landed in a triumph. (2,400 ATK)

"Light Gazer gains 200 Attack Points for each Light Monster in your Graveyard," said Gears. "With Yagan, Apocalypse, and Warlord there, that's three."

(3,000 ATK)

"Light Gazer, destroy Worm King with cosmic cannon!"

Light Gazer fired a powerful blast of plasma from its right arm, vaporizing the wicked Worm. Hssimim sweated a little.

**(G: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 5,300)**

Light Gazer's Attack Score went up to 3,200.

"I end my turn, snake," said Gears.

Hssimim nervously drew a card.

_No choice..._ he thought.

"I set a Monster, and three facedown cards," he said.

A reversed card appeared, and then three concealed cards appeared behind it.

"Mmm!" he said.

_Probably Morphing Jar,_ thought Gears, as he made a draw.

He looked at the card, and the one he already had.

_Well, why disappoint him?_

"I summon Nanobreaker!" he shouted.

He played the card, and Jake appeared, holding the Nanobreaker blade aloft. (1,600 ATK)

"Attack! Dice his Monster!"

Jake rushed at the hidden Monster, which turned out to, indeed, be a Morphing Jar. She struck it with her blade, shredding it to bits.

Gears discarded the one card left in his hand, while Hssimim discarded two, Soul Reversal and Worm Ugly. Light Gazer's Attack Score went up a notch, to 3,400. They both made five draws.

"Not very bright, are you?" asked Gears. "Light Gazer, attack him directly!"

Everyone from three blocks away could see the explosion from the impact where Light Gazer's blast hit Hssimim.

Still, when the smoke cleared, Hssimim was merely breathing slowly, with his eyes closed.

**(G: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 1,900)**

"Boy, that guy is tough!" exclaimed Ember. "Wouldn't that be a little... painful?"

_Excruciating, actually,_ thought Hssimim. _But I won't give these humans the satisfaction of knowing they've hurt me..._

"Are you done?" he asked.

"For now," said Gears.

"Then it's my move..." said Hssimim, making a sixth draw.

One of his three facedown cards lifted.

"I play Snake Rain!" he said. "So, I ditch one card..."

He discarded Worm Barses.

"...and in return, I get to discard four Reptiles from my deck."

He took four cards from his deck, and discarded them to the Graveyard: Worm Cartaros, Worm Hope, Worm Gurus, and Worm Dimikles.

"Now why the heck would he do that?" shouted Gabriel. "He just made Light Gazer a thousand points stronger!"

(4,400 ATK)

"I'm worried..." said Ember. "Edmund did the same thing right before he summoned Worm Victory."

"I'm not going to summon Worm Victory," replied Hssimim. "I have a something far stronger than that."

Another of his facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate the Trap Card, Snake Pit. This lets me Special Summon from my Graveyard as many Level 4 or lower Reptiles as possible."

Five Worms appeared in front of him. The first was Worm Apocalypse. (300 ATK) The second was a vaguely humanoid, oval-shaped creature with an exoskeleton and four arms. (1,400 ATK) The third was a faceless, humanoid creature that appeared to be made of pale gelatin. (800 ATK) The fourth was crouched on all fours, with a skull-like face, and covered with green, dripping slime. (1,500 ATK) And the final one was a small sphere floating in mid-air, covered with thick, disgusting mucous, with one eyes and a tiny mouth. (100 ATK)

"Of course, this card comes with several conditions," continued Hssimim. "They can't attack or use their effects, I can't use them for a Tribute Summon, and they'll be destroyed when I end my turn."

"So what's the point?" asked Gears.

Hssimim's last facedown card lifted up.

"THIS is the point!" he laughed.

"Polymerization??" gasped Gears.

"For the Monster I want to Fusion Summon," said Hssimim, evilly, "I technically only need to fuse two Worms. But in this case, the more the better.

"So... I fuse together Worm Apocalypse, Worm Barses, Worm Hope, Worm Gurus, and Worm Ugly, along with Worm Queen from my hand..."

The five Worms turned into orbs of light. They, along with a sixth orb flew into the sky, where they were swallowed by a glowing portal.

There was silence for a minute. _Dead_ silence.

A shadow fell over the street. Everyone looked up. Shichiro stopped what he was doing, and looked up at the huge thing that was now looming over the street...

Not even Ember, who had faced down Worm Victory, could have imagined this. It looked like a small moon of some sort, made not of rock, but of lumpy, grey flesh, pulsating with eerie energy. It was eclipsing the sun, turning the late morning into night.

"Behold the final Worm in the alphabet!" shouted Hssimim. _"Worm Zero!"_

"That thing is a Worm?" gasped Jinx.

"Maybe..." said Shichiro. "But I doubt it's a creature in the same way the other Worms are. What I think is, it's a hive... A base of some sort where the Worms are bred."

"It may be a base," replied Hssimim, "but it's incredibly dangerous. First, there's its Attack Score, which is 500 for each Worm I fused to summon it."

(3,000 ATK)

"Don't panic, Gears!" shouted Ember. "Light Gazer is still stronger than that thing!"

Light Gazer looked defiantly at Worm Zero. (4,600 ATK)

"Humph," said Hssimim. "Your Light Gazer is no better than a piece of junk now. Worm Zero has three different effects. How many I get to use depend on how many Monsters I used in the Fusion. Like I said, the more the better.

"First, since I used at least two Monsters, I can Special Summon a Reptile from my Graveyard in facedown Defense Mode every round."

A reversed Monster appeared in front of him.

"Second, since I fused at least four, I can remove from play a Reptile in my Graveyard every round to send one of your Monsters packing."

Worm Barses slipped out of his discard slot, and he placed it inside his toga. Light Gazer shattered into pixels.

"Ho boy..." said Gears.

"And finally," continued Hssimim, "since I fused six, I can draw one card every round."

He made a draw. He looked at it.

"This will do nicely...

"Before I attack, I'm playing a Field Spell..."

He fit a card into his Field Slot, and the whole street became awash with painfully bright light.

"Luminous Spark! Now, all my Light Monsters gain 500 Attack Points... At the cost of 400 Defense Points, of course, but who cares?"

Worm Zero pulsated with energy. (3,500 ATK)

"Worm Zero, attack Nanobreaker with Armageddon explosion!"

_Here it comes..._ thought Gears.

The attack was like nothing Gears had ever seen. It was like a meteor shower falling to Earth. He braced himself as his Monster was blown to bits, but he was still knocked backwards.

**(G: 2,600) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 1,900)**

Hssimim fit two cards into his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared in two flashes of light.

"That will do it..." he said.

"Ooh, Gears is doomed..." said Gabriel.

"Don't lose hope yet," said Ember. "Luke Skywalker only needed a one-man fighter craft to destroy the Death Star."

"Fine!!" shouted Gears, who was clearly angry. "Get me a one-man fighter craft!"

He drew a card. He looked up at Worm Zero.

_Or a fleet of them..._ he thought. _The Allies of Justice were designed to combat the Worms... But it would take an army of them to bring down that thing!_

"Having trouble deciding, Gears?" asked Hssimim. "Let me help you..."

One of his facedown cards lifted up.

"It's a Continuous Trap called Cloak and Dagger. I get to name any Monster I can think of, and if that Monster is summoned, it's removed from play...

"Think I'll name... Ally of Justice Decisive Arms."

"Clever," said Jinx. "That's the one Monster he has left that might be able to stand up to Worm Zero."

Gears looked at the card he had just drawn. Sakuretsu Armor.

_Seems pretty pathetic compared to that thing..._ he thought. _One of his reversed cards is likely a Counter Trap anyway... But I might as well..._

"I throw two cards facedown," he said, as two reversed cards appeared in a flash of light, "and then summon Ally of Justice Researcher."

With a rumble, the all-terrain robotic buggy drove onto the field. (1,400 ATK)

"Eh?" said Hssimim.

"Now I can use its effect," said Gears, as he discarded Ally of Justice Cycle Leader into his discard slot. "I can flip your facedown Monster into Attack Mode, and negate its Flip-Effect."

Hssimim frowned as Worm Hope appeared where the card had been. (800 ATK) –) (1,300 ATK)

"Nice try..." said Gears. "Researcher, destroy it."

The Ally blasted its laser guns, blowing Worm Hope into chunks of gelatin.

"I may have negated its Flip-Effect," said Gears, "but not its other effect. Since I destroyed it, you have to send one card in your hand to the Graveyard."

Hssimim hissed, and discarded his Rivalry of Warlords.

"It's your move..." said Gears.

**(G: 2,600) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 1,800)**

"I draw!" shouted Hssimim.

He whipped a card off his deck.

"First, I draw a second card due to Worm Zero's effect..."

He made another draw.

He looked at it. Worm Erokin.

"Then I use its effect to summon a Worm from my Graveyard..."

Another reversed Monster appeared in front of him.

"Now, I play this," he said, as a Spell Card appeared. "Book of Taiyou!"

The reversed Monster flipped into Attack Mode, revealing Worm Apocalypse. (300 ATK –) (800 ATK)

A spray of slime doused the Sakuretsu Armor card, dissolving it into sludge.

"Oh, well..." said Gears, as his other facedown card lifted up. "You didn't get this one... Threatening Roar!"

A bellow echoed over the field. Hssimim bore his fangs.

"So I can't attack..." he said. "Well then...

"I play Monster Reincarnation..."

Another Spell Card appeared. He discarded Worm Erokin, and took Worm King from his Graveyard.

Then, Worm Apocalypse vanished in an orb of light...

With a roar, Worm King reappeared in front of Hssimim. (2,700 ATK) –) (3,200 ATK)

"Finally..." said Hssimim, "I'll remove Worm Apocalypse from play so that Worm Zero can get rid of your Researcher."

Researcher shattered into pixels.

"I end my turn..."

_I have it all planned out,_ he thought. _His Decisive Arms is out of commission, my Destruction Jammer is set, and if he sets anything that Worm Zero can't get rid of, Worm King can get rid of it if I sacrifice a Worm. Worm King can even sacrifice itself if need be._

Gears drew a card.

He pointed, and his facedown card, the one he had set on his first turn, lifted up. As Hssimim expected, it was DNA Transplant.

"So what Attribute are you going to change my Monsters to?" asked Hssimim, trying hard not to laugh.

"I'll stay with Light," said Gears, "but I only activated it so I could play this..."

He played a Spell Card.

"Magic Planter. By sending DNA Transplant to the Graveyard, I get to make two draws."

He drew twice. Then he played a card.

"I summon Ally of Justice D.D. Checker," he said.

"Eh..." said Hssimim.

Gears played the card, and an odd Machine appeared hovering in mid-air. It was six small drones arranged in a pattern, generating a portal shaped like a square bipyramid. Four of the drones were around it, one on each corner, one was at the peak, and one was at the bottom. (1,700 ATK)

"What the sam-hill does that do?" asked Hssimim.

"It prevents both players from Special Summoning Light Monsters," replied Gears. "It would have been useful if I had drawn it sooner, but now, I'm going to use it to make a Synchro Summon...

"Just as soon as play this Spell Card... Junk Dealer."

A Spell Card appeared in front of him.

"By playing this, I'm able to summon up to two Warriors or Machines from my Graveyard in Attack Mode... So long as I cut their Attack Scores in half."

First, a large, robotic spider with spindly legs and one glowing optic sensor appeared. (1,000 ATK) –) (500 ATK) Then Researcher appeared again. (1,400 ATK) –) (700 ATK)

Hssimim chuckled.

"Ten Levels worth of Monsters, huh?" he said. "Be my guest..."

"Your Cloak and Dagger is worthless, snake," said Gears with a frown. "Decisive Arms isn't the only Level 10 Synchro I have.

"Cycle Leader... Researcher... D.D. Checker... Time to bring out the third one..."

An aura of energy surrounded the three Allies. They flew into the dark sky, and once again, the three blazing suns appeared overhead.

"What's going on?" shouted Hssimim, as they burst into ten glowing stars.

Gears chanted...

"_Whispered secrets from a race now extinct, trusted to hold the knowledge accumulated over millennia, given the raw power unleashed in the creation of the cosmos! Sage of the forgotten people… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force… _

"_Synchro Summon, Il Mathman the Artificer!"_

A humanoid form materialized in an aura of blue energy. He was tall, and lanky, not muscular like Trymus and Shannalla. He had blue skin and pale white hair, along with pointed ears that would be the envy of any elf. He was dressed in an old-fashioned leather doublet and breeches, and wore spectacles. (2,700 ATK)

Hssimim put his hand on his hip.

"That's your secret weapon?" he asked. "He looks like something out of an animated movie..."

"Want to know what his effect is?" asked Gears. "To put it bluntly, his effect can be the effect of any Machine-Type Monster in my Graveyard. So long as I remove that Machine from play..."

A card slipped out of his discard slot.

"In fact," said Gears, holding up the card, which was Light Gazer, "since Il Mathman has a higher base Attack Score than Light Gazer, he can use its effect even better. And at last count, you had nine Light Monsters in your Graveyard!"

(4,500 ATK)

"Hey, hold on a minute!" shouted Hssimim.

"Obliterate Worm Zero!" shouted Gears. "Attack with primordial pulse blast!"

Il Mathman thrust his hand upwards, and blasted a beam of pure, pulsating, blue energy at the huge hive. It blasted right through Worm Zero, and the moon shuddered. Then explosions ripped through the whole base...

Finally, the giant Worm exploded, sending a shower of burning embers down on the street that turned to smoke before landing.

**(G: 2,600) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 800)**

"By the way..." said Gears, "Il Mathman's effect won't wear off until the end of your turn."

"So be it..." said Hssimim. "You may have vanquished Worm Zero, but it's a hollow victory. I still have the King, and his effect will destroy your Monster, even if I have to sacrifice him."

In response to this, Gears fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"It's your move, snake," said Gears.

_Probably Divine Wrath,_ thought Hssimim, looking at the card. _Well, no problem. My Destruction Jammer is still set._

He drew a card.

"Well..." he said. "Seems I won't have to sacrifice the King after all... I summon Worm Jeetrikups!"

The Worm that appeared this time looked like a humanoid mass of black, tarry slime, with small arms, small legs, and the same alien face as the rest of the Worms. (1,200 ATK)

"Now, I sacrifice it to use Worm King's effect!"

Worm Jeetrikups vanished into grains of Light, and Worm King hurled a ball of burning light at Il Mathman...

But to Hssimim's utter shock, Il Mathman simply caught it, and was unarmed.

"Huh?" said Hssimim.

Then he noticed that Gears had activated his Trap Card.

"It's called Ally Energy," said Gears. "By paying 1,000 Life Points when I have a Level 5 or greater Ally of Justice on the field, this Trap renders my Monsters immune to the effects of Light Monsters for this round only."

"But you have NO Allies of Justice on the field!" screamed Hssimim.

"Yes I do," replied Gears. "When Il Mathman assumes the effects of a Monster, he also assumes its name. Until the effect wears off, Il Mathman _is_ Ally of Justice Light Gazer, for all practical purposes."

"Then I end my turn," said Hssimim, "which means the effect wears off now..."

Il Mathman's Attack Score fell back down to 2,700.

"Due to my Field Spell," said Hssimim, "Worm King is still 500 Attack Points stronger, and you've already removed Light Gazer from play.

"On my next turn, even if you pull a trick like that again, Worm King will be able to smash him the old-fashioned way..."

**(G: 1,600) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 800)**

"We'll see about that..." said Gears.

He made a draw.

"I summon Ally of Justice Blind Sucker!"

In another aura of shadow, the robotic cockpit with arms and two cannons on top appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"That's worthless..." said Hssimim. "It can't defeat my King..."

"It isn't going to..." said Gears. "Il Mathman is, once I use his effect again.

"This time, I'm removing Ally of Justice Rudra from play."

The card fell out of his discard slot.

"Hey, wait a minute!" shouted Hssimim. "I never sent _that_ to your Graveyard!"

"Yes you did," replied Gears. "I tossed it when I flipped _your_ Morphing Jar.

"And now that Il Mathman has its effect, he gains 700 Attack Points whenever he attacks a Light Monster."

Il Mathman pointed at Worm King, and his Attack Score rose to 3,400. He blasted his primordial pulse blast, and the vile monarch was blown to atoms.

Hssimim barely heard Gears when he ordered the direct attack with Blind Sucker. He was too busy thinking of the violent, bloody revenge he would enact upon Hebi-Na if he ever got the chance, as unlikely as it might be.

Then Blind Sucker's photon torpedoes hit him in the chest, and he toppled over.

**(G: 1,600) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 0)**

Il Mathman turned to Gears, and smiled as he peered over his spectacles. Then he slowly vanished.

Gears and Shichiro walked up to Hssimim.

"Okay, snake, start talking," said Shichiro.

"About what?" sneered Hssimim.

"You said..." said Gears.

"I don't say anything without a lawyer present!" interrupted Hssimim.

"He was lying," said Jinx, in disgust. "Like _this_ is a surprise."

Shichiro's gemstone flashed, and the disgraced ophidia noble vanished.

Shichiro sighed.

Then everyone turned to his D-Wheel. The on-board computer was beeping.

Shichiro ran to it and entered a command.

"Seems we were right," he said. "Blueslash and Hssimim were a distraction...

"Two ophidia just broke into the Sea Breeze restaurant just outside of town... And...

"Huh... One of them is Hebi-Na..."

"Didn't take her long to get back on her feet," said Jinx.

"I thought she didn't _have_ any feet," replied Gabriel.

"All jokes aside..." said Gears. "Why the heck would two ophidia be breaking into a seafood restaurant? That place doesn't even open until four."

"Looks like we're going to find out," said Shichiro. "Whatever reason it is... I doubt it's good..."

The next minute, the four Shadowchasers were driving their D-Wheels towards the popular tourist destination called the Sea Breeze, a restaurant on the beachfront just outside of town.

They had no idea what they would find there... But they would find out...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**JUNK DEALER (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A bald muscleman wearing armor with a cybernetic eye. (Apparently, this character is Nappa, from the _Dragonball Z_ anime.)

**Card Description:** Special Summon up to 2 Warrior and/or Machine-Type Monsters from your Graveyard in Attack Position. The ATK of the Special Summoned Monsters is halved, and they cannot be used as a Tribute for a Tribute Summon.

_Note: "Junk Dealer" was first used by Amelda in the original anime episode "Flight of Fear (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALLY ENERGY (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Ally of Justice Light Gazer hovering in space in front of a burst of stellar energy.

**Card Description:** Activate only when you control a face-up "Ally of Justice" Monster that is Level 5 or higher. Pay 1,000 Life Points. Until the End Phase of the turn, all Monsters you control are not affected by the effects of LIGHT Monsters controlled by your opponent.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SNAKE PIT (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image: **The two explorers from "Snake Rain" climbing a vine to escape from a swarm of snakes.

**Card Description:** Special Summon as many Level 4 or less Reptile-Type Monsters from your Graveyard as possible. Monsters Special Summoned by this effect cannot attack or use their effects, and cannot be Tributed for a Tribute Summon. They are destroyed at the End Phase of the turn.

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**IL MATHMAN THE ARTIFICER (Monster Card) **

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Water  
**Level:** 10  
**ATK:** 2,700  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** _Machine-Type Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Machine-Type Monsters_

This card cannot be Special Summoned except via Synchro Summon. Once per turn, you may remove from play one Machine-Type Effect Monster in your Graveyard. Until the End Phase of your opponent's next turn, this card's name is treated as that of the removed Monster and it gains the effect(s) of the removed Monster.

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**Coming up next:**

**Jinx: The Titans continue to grow in power, but so do the ophidia. Hebi-Na still has very little to lose, and she sets the stakes, forcing Shichiro and me into a two-on-two duel. She and her partner are prepared for it... The two of us had better adjust fast. **

"**Two-Man Cell Battle" is coming soon.**

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Rudolph von Aubrecker, Famine Spirit**

With the exception of the lich, the transformation into an undead creature is almost never voluntary. Undeath is usually the result of a curse of some sort, inflicted due to some great evil, crime, or unfinished task in life on the part of the creature's soul. One of the most dangerous undead that the Shadowchasers have to deal with is the famine spirit.

Only an incurable glutton can become a famine spirit. Of course, overeating alone isn't a serious enough sin to condemn a mortal – the gluttony must be accompanied by a dark evil of his own making – or even worse, someone else's making – to cross over into undeath.

Once that has happened, the famine spirit exists only to eat, and it selfishly does so, consuming everything edible that it finds. It can eat in one day what fifty men can eat in a week. The appearance of this corpulent horror can truly cause a famine in a small nation if not stopped.

To make things worse, confronting a famine spirit is difficult. It radiates an aura of negative energy that causes incredible pain in any living creature that approaches it. Also, the thick layers of fat on their corpulent forms hide powerful muscles, making them as strong as ogres.

The Shadowchasers have nonetheless destroyed every famine spirit that has appeared in their history... Except Rudolph von Aubrecker.

A German nobleman in the Sixteenth Century when he was alive, Aubrecker's love of food was matched only by his lust for power. He was a wizard of no small skill, and when his health started to deteriorate, no doubt due to his unhealthy love of rich food and heavy drinking, he prepared the unholy ritual that would transform himself into a lich.

He might have succeeded, had not a dark presence noticed the experiment, the lich-devil Jalie Squarefoot (who will be detailed later). Deciding to use Aubrecker as a pawn for a scheme that mortals could not comprehend, he sabotaged the experiment. Aubrecker instead became a famine spirit, and a very powerful one at that, due to the devil prince's influence. One word echoed through Aubrecker's head at that point: "Consume".

Since that time, Aubrecker has fought several teams of Shadowchasers who seek to interrupt his feasting. He has been defeated several times, but never destroyed. Too dangerous to incarcerate in any normal institution, and unable to subject to the Coffin of Stone (because that cannot be used on beings that do not sleep) they have tried imprisoning him with a variety of restraints, like burying him in a lead coffin, or chaining him to the bottom of the sea. These restraints can hold him for a century or so, but he always escapes.

He was last defeated in 1956, when the Shadowchasers froze him solid in a block of ice, and dropped him in a remote part of the Arctic. He hasn't escaped yet, but Jalal is not naïve enough to believe it will hold him forever. Until a way to destroy him permanently is found, he is wary.

**Story Ideas:** Aubrecker once enjoyed food. Now, eating is a compulsion – he does not enjoy it. Truth is, he hates everything. He even loathes himself. But if he doesn't eat when he can, his eternal hunger gnaws at him, so when free, he eats nonstop. And that causes alarms to go off.

Exactly why Jalie Squarefoot wanted to create this horror, no-one knows. The details of the Lich-Fiend's plans are known only to him. Possibly, Aubrecker would feature in a story where Jalie was the main antagonist.

Finding a way to defeat Aubrecker once and for all might be a challenge. Lifting the curse that created him would be very hard, considering the power of the one who bestowed it. Another path must be taken to end this threat.

**Deck Suggestions:** Aubrecker was last imprisoned long before Duel Monsters was invented. It's unlikely that he'd duel very often to solve a problem, and the aura of pain that he emits makes it a difficult concept anyway.

Should he ever duel, he would likely play the sort of deck that summons very powerful Monsters easier, using cards like Nimble Momonga and Giant Germ to provide Tributes, and Mausoleum of the Emperor to avoid needing them entirely. Crushing with overwhelming force fits him.


	33. Two Man Cell Battle

_Author's note: this chapter features a two-on-two duel. Like before, it will use the OCG rules for such duels set by Konami._

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**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL THIRTY-THREE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Two Man Cell Battle**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

If you were a tourist visiting Neo Domino, the Sea Breeze was likely on your list of places to visit. It was a quaint seafood restaurant, located on the coast just outside of town, with a spectacular beachside view.

Still, the place wouldn't be open until four, and no employees would even be here until two. Hebi-Na and Msskim were rather clueless as to why they had been told to break into the place.

Having jimmied open the lock on the front door, they slipped into the main dining room, both of them wearing Duel Disks (the one Hebi-Na had broken had been easy to replace) and Hebi-Na carrying one of Taramanda's enchanted crossbows and a shoulder satchel.

"I don't get it," said Msskim. "Why are we in some seafood joint?"

"Because her highness wants us here..." muttered Hebi-Na, who was just as upset.

"She could have at least told us to come when it was open," muttered Msskim. "We could have grabbed some popcorn shrimp..."

Hebi-Na's bracelet beeped.

"Maybe she'll tell us now..." she said.

She tapped the underside, and a hologram of Taramanda's face appeared in front of them.

"We're here," said Hebi-Na.

"Good..." said Taramanda. "Do you have that card?"

Hebi-Na reached into the pouch and took out a card. This would be one of the key cards in Taramanda's ultimate deck. Taramanda still had its "partner" back in the palace on Snakeskin Island with her.

"Yeah, I have it," she said. "What do you want us to do with it?"

"Listen closely," said Taramanda. "These two cards are powerful on their own, but I'm going to make them even stronger by giving them something extra. To do that, I need to cast a very complex ritual involving two sites of Seghulerak's power. The main altar at this palace will be one, that restaurant will be the other."

"Hold on..." said Msskim. "This shrimp shack is a site of Seghulerak's power?"

"NOW it's a 'shrimp shack'," replied Taramanda. "Five centuries ago, a grand temple to our goddess stood on that site. It's gone now, but she can still channel her power through the site. This will be the key to defeating Jalal once and for all.

"Now, set the card on a flat surface, face-up."

Hebi-Na placed the card on a table.

"Good," continued Taramanda. "Listen closely you two... This ritual will take at least thirty minutes. Once I start, I cannot stop. If anyone gives you trouble, delay them."

She vanished, and the card started to glow with dark energy.

"Kill Jalal, right..." said Hebi-Na, putting her hands on her hips. "Why doesn't she just try to flap her arms and fly to the moon?"

She paused.

"Did you hear something?" she asked.

"Uh, no..." said Msskim.

He nervously looked back and forth.

"Hold on..." he said. "I just didn't hear it again..."

They turned, and a shadow appeared by the door...

Hebi-Na aimed her crossbow, and fired a bolt of black energy, blasting the door to splinters.

As she strained to see through the smoke, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

She spun around, but Shichiro quickly kicked the weapon out of her hand, and then punched her full in the face, knocking her backwards.

Msskim backed up as the other Shadowchasers rushed in.

"You guys ever hear of chivalry?" asked Hebi-Na, wiping blood off her nose.

"Of course," said Shichiro. "I'd never hit a lady. But _you_, Hebi-Na, certainly aren't one."

"Well, well," said Jinx, looking at Msskim, "if it isn't my friend with the sake bottle... I'm guessing you two aren't here for the all-you-can-eat buffet special."

"So why are you two here?" asked Gears.

"That's for us to know, and you to find out," said Msskim.

He lifted his Duel Disk.

"Forget it," said Ember. "You snakes gave up the right to the Fair Fight Clause."

"I had a feeling you folks might turn down our challenge," said Hebi-Na, "so I brought some persuasion..."

She pulled something out of the satchel.

It looked like a box with digital numbers. It had a shoulder strap attached to it.

"Is that supposed to be a bomb?" asked Gears.

"HUH?" said Msskim.

Hebi-Na hit a button and it set to 1:00. She slung it over her shoulder.

"Yep..." said Hebi-Na. "One that will go off in an hour, or when I hit another button on it, and blow us all to kingdom come.

"I've got another chance to get revenge on you humans, and the only way I'm going back with you Shadowchasers is in a box."

"Hey!" shouted Msskim. "Don't I get a say in this?"

"Calm down," whispered Hebi-Na, "I've got this under control."

She spoke up.

"So... Anyone up for a duel? Come to think of it... Just for fun, why don't two of you make it two-on-two?"

"Shichiro," said Jinx, "if we fall for the same bluff twice in one day..."

"It's no bluff," said a voice they had not heard before.

They turned, and saw all three Titans standing next to them. Il Mathman was the one who had spoken.

"You can speak now?" asked Gears, softly.

"Yes, your duel with that other ophidia helped me do so," replied the Artificer. "And I can tell that it's a real bomb now.

"If I had my real body, I could disarm it within seconds... I could still do so, but it might take some time..."

"Osaka, Noriko," said Trymus. "You two duel them while he's working on that. Shannalla and I will be with you to the best of our abilities."

"You got it," said Shichiro.

The Titans vanished, and Shichiro and Jinx stepped forward.

"Okay, you're on," said Jinx, "Nag, Nagaina..."

"Hardy, har, har," said Msskim. "And I get the reference, by the way. I'm not dumb.

"Here's how it will go... Jinx will go first... Then Hebi-Na, then Shichiro, then myself, and then back to Jinx."

"He _wants_ to go last?" asked Gabriel, as he perched on Ember's shoulder.

"I'm guessing he has something planned," replied Ember.

"I'm game if you are," said Shichiro.

Four Disks activated. Jinx stepped up to face Msskim.

"Let's do this!" they all shouted at once.

**(Shichiro & Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Heb-Na & Msskim: 8,000)**

Jinx drew a sixth card.

_Only one Monster,_ she thought, _but he'll do for now..._

"I summon X-Saber Urz!" she shouted.

The fiendish-looking X-Saber appeared, holding aloft his scimitars. He snarled at the two ophidia. (1,600 ATK)

Jinx threw two cards into her Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

"I end my turn..." she said.

Hebi-Na grinned as she stepped forward. She made a draw.

She opened the Field Slot on her Disk, and quickly played a card.

"I play Future Visions!" she shouted.

The whole room went dark...

Before everyone knew it, they were in a void. Four rectangular portals were floating around them, one apparently leading to a mountainous area full of clouds, one to a rocky desert, one to an ocean, and one to a volcanic wasteland.

"Where are we?" asked Jinx.

"A place where my Monsters have the advantage," said Hebi-Na. "Let me introduce you to one of them...

"Meet Fortune Lady Light."

In a flash of light, a young woman appeared, one who looked sexy in a sinister sort of way. She was wearing a black bikini-leotard combination and knee-high boots, covered with a yellow, ragged skirt and halter. She had blonde hair with an odd, glowing symbol on the front. Most shocking, two horns shaped like bat wings (more than anything else) grew out of her temples. She held a fancy-looking staff with a curved blade on one end.

"A Fortune Lady?" asked Jinx.

"Yes," said Hebi-Na. "A Fortune Lady's Attack and Defense Score depends on her Level. Light here is only Level 1..."

(200 ATK)

"That's pretty pathetic..." said Jinx.

Fortune Lady Light smiled sweetly at Jinx...

Then she vanished.

"Huh??" said Jinx. "Where'd she go?"

"That's the effect of Future Visions," said Hebi-Na. "It sends any Monster that's Normal Summoned one round into the future."

"Of all the dumb..." said Jinx.

"But this activates Light's effect," continued Hebi-Na. "When she leaves the field, I get to Special Summon another Fortune Lady from my deck.

"Like Fortune Lady Fire!"

In an aura of flame, another Fortune Lady appeared. This one looked similar to her sister, but had red hair, and her clothes were scarlet where Light's had been yellow.

"Fire is Level 2, so she's slightly stronger than Light..."

(400 ATK)

"...which still, admittedly, isn't much. But since she was summoned by another Fortune Lady's effect, she gets to waste one Monster!

"Do your stuff!"

Fortune Lady Fire twirled her staff above her head, and shot a ball of fire at Urz. He screamed and was burned to ashes.

"Good lord..." said Jinx.

Then she screamed as an aura of flames surrounded her.

"Forgot to mention," said Hebi-Na. "You also take damage equal to that Monster's Attack Score.

"And I still have Fire's regular attack..."

Fire shot a smaller ball of flame, hitting Jinx in the stomach.

"Ergh..." said Jinx.

**(S & J: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (H & M: 8,000)**

"They've lost 2,000 Life Points, and it's only the second round!" exclaimed Ember.

"I know these Monsters..." said Gears. "Before Carly was a Dark Signer, she owned a deck full of Fortune Telling Witches, cute little child Spellcasters. They were Normal Monsters that told your fortune when you drew them, not really meant to be used in a duel...

"But when she became a Dark Signer, Aslla Piscu turned them into these creatures, older, more evil versions of their previous selves, which were far more deadly..."

"To keep you guessing, I'll set these..." said Hebi-Na, as two facedown cards appeared. "And I think it's Shichiro's turn..."

Shichiro slowly drew a card.

He looked over his hand, which consisted of Call of the Haunted, Quickdraw Synchron, The Six Samurai – Nisashi, The Six Samurai – Zanji, The Six Samurai Yaichi, and Tuningware.

_This Field Spell is trouble..._ he thought. _If I summon any of these Samurai, they'll be caught in its time warp..._

_The only way to keep a Monster on the field is to Special Summon it..._

He looked at the two facedown cards in front of him.

_And with a little unintended help from Jinx, I think I can bring out one of my big guns!_

"I send one of my cards to the Graveyard..." he said.

He discarded Tuningware.

...in order to Special Summon Quickdraw Synchron!"

The cute robot cowboy appeared, drew its six-shooter, and gave it a twirl. (700 ATK)

"Now, I use its effect..."

Quickdraw Synchron's projector flashed, and the other Synchron Tuners appeared in front of it in the odd shooting gallery. They started to spin around, and the little cowboy fired its weapon, shooting a hole through Nitro Synchron's card.

"...which lets it emulate any Tuner with the word 'Synchron' in its name," continued Shichiro. "In this case, Nitro Synchron.

"Next, I'll activate my partner's Trap Card..."

A facedown card lifted up.

"Limit Reverse. I can now bring a Monster with 1,000 Attack Points or less back from my Graveyard..."

Tuningware appeared next to Quickdraw Synchron. (100 ATK)

"Then, I activate Tuningware's effect. When used for a Synchro Summon, it can count as a Level 2 Monster.

"You like Fire? I'll give you Fire!"

Quickdraw Synchron and Tuningware faded into seven glowing stars, that flew into the void...

"_An engine fueled by high-octane and a spirit of blazing energy, waiting to be unleashed! Clustering stars form a fiery dynamo of power!_

"_Synchro Summon... Nitro Warrior!"_

Nitro Warrior landed, and glared at Fortune Lady Fire. She gulped. (2,800 ATK)

"Now, I use Tuningware's other effect, to draw one card..."

He made a draw.

"Attack!" shouted Shichiro. "Dynamite fist!"

The Synchro rushed at the Fortune Lady, and she screamed as its fists slammed into her. She blew into shards.

"Ergh..." grunted Hebi-Na.

**(S & J: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (H & M: 5,600)**

"Now, I'll summon Six Samurai – Nisashi," said Shichiro.

Nisashi appeared, holding his glowing katana blades. (1,400 ATK)

"The effect of Future Visions activates!" shouted Hebi-Na.

Nisashi vanished.

"I'll throw this facedown, and end my turn," said Shichiro, as a reversed card appeared.

"Don't screw up, Msskim..." growled Hebi-Na.

Msskim made a draw.

"You may recall," he said, "that last round, Future Visions sent Fortune Lady Light one round into the future. Well, that future is now."

In a flash of light, Fortune Lady Light appeared again. (200 ATK)

"I activate the Trade-In Spell Card," he said, as a Spell Card appeared in front of him. "I just have to trash one Level 8 Monster, and then I get to draw two cards."

He discarded a card, and then made two draws.

"Shichiro, be careful!" said Jinx. "He used that trick when I dueled him to send Imprisoned Queen Archfiend to the Graveyard."

"I don't see what good it will do him there," replied Shichiro. "It needs Pandemonium to be a threat, and a team where each player uses a different Field Spell is a _losing_ team."

"Maybe I have something else planned," replied Msskim. "A _winning_ team uses their heads.

"To wit, I will set a Monster, and then two facedown cards, and then end my turn..."

Two more reversed cards appeared, followed by a reversed Monster.

Jinx stepped up, and drew a card.

Nisashi reappeared, glowing with energy. (1,400 ATK)

_Four facedown cards..._ she thought. _This could be dangerous... But I can't risk Hebi-Na using Fortune Lady Light's effect again!_

"I activate my partner's Trap Card," she said, as Call of the Haunted lifted up. "Urz, welcome back."

Urz appeared again, and gave an angry look at Fortune Lady Light. (1,600 ATK)

"Nitro Warrior, punch Fortune Lady Light's lights out!"

Nitro Warrior flew at the Fortune Lady Light.

"Not this time," said Msskim, as one of his Spell Cards lifted up. "I play Enemy Controller, to move your Nitro Warrior to Defense Mode."

Nitro Warrior backed down, and then knelt and crossed its arms. (1,800 DEF)

"Nice..." said Jinx. "Got another one? Urz, _you_ attack!"

X-Saber Urz made a slash with his blade, and Light let out a pitiful wail before she shattered.

"Msskim..." said Hebi-Na.

"Huh?" said Msskim. "Oh, right..."

Another facedown card lifted up.

"I uh, think this was the one I was supposed to activate... Inherited Fortune?

"Uhm... Its effect doesn't come into play until my partner's turn, so I'll let her explain it then."

"Nisashi, attack his facedown Monster!" shouted Jinx.

Nisashi made a rush at the reversed Monster...

Dark Resonator appeared on the card, and Nisashi's blade bounced off. (300 DEF)

"Sorry..." said Msskim, "but it can resist on attack per round."

Jinx set a card on her Disk.

"Then I'll set a Monster, and end my turn."

A reversed Monster appeared.

**(S & J: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (H & M: 4,200)**

"My move..." said Hebi-Na, making a draw.

"Since my partner activated Inherited Fortune last turn, I'm allowed to Special Summon not one, but _two_ Fortune Ladies from my deck this turn. And they aren't going to be a pair of weaklings like the last two were!

"I summon Fortune Lady Water and Fortune Lady Earth!"

The first Fortune Lady appeared in a stream of bubbles. Her skirt and halter were blue, as was her hair. The second wore dun brown, had brown hair, and wore glasses.

"Fortune Lady Water is on a higher tier than her younger sisters Light and Fire," said Hebi-Na. "Her scores are 300 times her Level, and she starts at Level 4."

(1,200 ATK)

"And Earth is one of the two eldest sisters," she continued. "Her scores are 400 times her Level, and she starts at Level 6!"

(2,400 ATK)

"Plus, due to Water's effect, I get to draw one card for each Fortune Lady I have."

She made two draws.

"Now, a Trap Card," she said, as a facedown card lifted. "It's called Give and Take. First, I give you one Monster from our Graveyard, like Imprisoned Queen Archfiend."

Jinx stepped back in shock as the horrid Archfiend appeared kneeling in front of her in Defense Mode. (1,700 DEF)

"In return for that," continued Hebi-Na, "one of my Monsters gains one Level for each Level it has. That bonus is going to Water."

"Wait..." said Jinx. "If your Fortune Lady gains eight Levels..."

"She also gains 2,400 Attack Points!" laughed Hebi-Na. "You're learning..."

Fortune Lady Water cackled as she glowed with intense energy. (3,600 ATK)

"Now, Water is going to attack X-Saber Urz..."

Water pointed her staff at the X-Saber.

"...and while she's doing that, I'll activate this..."

Another Trap Card lifted up.

"Magician's Circle. Both players are allowed to Special Summon a Spellcaster with 2,000 Attack Points or less from their decks."

"I don't have one!" shouted Jinx.

"Well, I do..." said Hebi-Na. "Meet Catoblepas and the Witch of Fate."

A shimmering portal opened, and a strange Spellcaster flew out. It was an old crone wearing a witch's hat, riding what looked like a large, fat ram with long horns. (1,800 ATK)

"Now where was I? Oh yes... Fortune Lady Water was about to attack Urz..."

The Fortune Lady blasted a stream of high-pressure water from her staff, and Urz sputtered and fell backwards before he shattered.

"Now, to make sure you can't use that Archfiend against us..."

The Witch of Fate aimed her cudgel, and cast a glowing hex, blowing the evil queen to shards.

"Now let's see..." said Hebi-Na. "I could do more damage by attacking Nisashi...

"No, I'll handle him later. I think I'd better get rid of that Synchro of yours first.

"Fortune Lady Earth, attack with cursed thorn!"

Earth twirled her staff above her head, and then slammed it to the ground. Sharp spikes erupted from blow, impaling Nitro Warrior and blowing it to pieces.

"I was hoping you'd do that, snake..." said Jinx.

Her facedown card shot up.

"I activate Pride of Saber! Since you just destroyed our Synchro Monster, I now get to summon two non-Tuner X-Sabers from my deck.

"So long as their combined Levels don't exceed that of the Synchro Monster you just destroyed.

"Since Nitro Warrior was Level 7, I can easily Special Summon X-Saber Anabelera, and XX-Saber Reijigra."

First, the armored female Warrior appeared. (1,100 DEF) Then the humanoid gecko wearing a scarlet cape and holding two daggers appeared. (1,000 DEF)

"And since I summoned Reijigra, I get to recover an X-Saber from my Graveyard."

X-Saber Urz slipped out of her discard slot. She took it.

"Humph," said Hebi-Na. "I'll set this..."

A facedown card appeared in front of her.

"...and end my turn, which means the effect of Give and Take wears off."

Fortune Lady Warrior fell back to an Attack Score of 1,200.

**(S & J: 4,000) - - - - - - - - - - (H & M: 4,200)**

Shichiro stepped up, and made a draw.

He looked at the four Monsters in front of him.

_Jinx is planning something..._ he thought. _But I have to protect her Monsters until she can pull it off..._

"Nisashi moves to Defense Mode," he said.

Nisashi sheathed his swords, and knelt. (700 DEF)

"Then I summon Six Samurai Zanji."

The Samurai holding his glowing naginata appeared in front of him. (1,800 ATK)

"Unfortunately, due to the Field Spell, he can't stay."

Zanji vanished.

"I'll set these, and end my turn..."

Two facedown cards appeared in front of him.

"It's my move..." said Msskim, making a draw.

He looked at the card.

"One thing you should know about Fortune Ladies," he said. "With each round that passes, they go up one Level. You know what that means..."

Both Fortune Ladies glowed with energy, and Water increased to an Attack Score of 1,500, while Earth rose to 2,800.

"And when Earth's Level increases... Your Life Points decrease!"

Shichiro grunted as Earth pointed her scepter at him and shot a small bolt of energy, hitting him in the chest.

"Now, back to what I was doing..." continued Msskim. "This Monster is Level 5, but I'm allowed to Normal Summon it with no sacrifice due to its effect.

"I summon Mist Archfiend!"

A cloud of mist and smoke appeared on the ophidia's side of the field. The Archfiend that appeared looked very much like a Fiend, with wings, claws, and a bony carapace, surrounded with eerie mist. (2,400 ATK)

"Why'd he do that?" squawked Gabriel. "The Field Spell will make it go bye-bye!"

Indeed, Mist Archfiend vanished.

"Actually, it was a smart move," said Gears. "When Mist Archfiend is summoned with no sacrifice, it's destroyed during the End Phase of the turn it's summoned, and the controller loses 1,000 Life Points.

"But since it won't be around during that End Phase, Msskim will avoid that side effect entirely."

"You got it!" laughed Msskim. "Now... Fortune Lady Earth... Attack X-Saber Anabelera!"

Fortune Lady Earth twirled her staff over her head...

"I activate... Staunch Defender!" shouted Shichiro, as one of his facedown cards shot up. "Now I can draw all your attacks to one Monster, and I choose Nisashi!"

Earth cast her cursed thorn, and Nisashi was blown to shards.

Msskim growled.

"I end my turn!" he shouted.

**(S & J: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (H & M: 4,200)**

Jinx quickly made a draw.

Zanji reappeared. (1,800 ATK)

"I Flip-Summon X-Saber Palomlo into Attack Mode!" she shouted.

The reversed Monster flipped up, and Palomlo appeared, thrusting his spear forward. (200 ATK)

"Now, I Tune together Palomlo, Reijigra, and Anabelera..."

The three Monsters faded into six glowing stars, and flew into the void...

"_The Code of the Samurai reborn in the body of a powerful warrior! Spirits of the land endowing strength to her mighty blade! Clustering stars bring tradition to the modern era…_

"_Synchro Summon... XX-Saber Hyunlei!"_

In a flourish, Hyunlei appeared, striking a pose with her gleaming katana. (2,300 ATK)

"Well hello again..." said Msskim.

"And goodbye! I activate the effect of Catoblepas and the Witch of Fate! When you Special Summon a Monster, I can remove a Monster with an indeterminate Attack Score in my Graveyard from play to destroy it!"

The phantom of Fortune Lady Fire appeared behind the Witch, and turned to energy. The Witch cackled, and shot a bolt of energy at Hyunlei.

"Not so fast!" shouted Jinx, throwing a card into her Disk. "I activate My Body as a Shield! I pay 1,500 Life Points, and your Witch's effect is turned against her!"

The Witch of Fate screamed. Then she and her strange mount shattered.

"Oh, crud..." said Msskim.

Jinx sighed in relief. She turned to Shichiro.

"Sorry..." she said. "I... should have asked..."

"No, you did great..." said Shichiro.

"Now," said Jinx. "I use Hyunlei's effect to destroy this blasted Field Spell!"

The four portals shattered, and then the void faded, like a dark mist rising.

Jinx pointed, and the other card Shichiro had set lifted up.

"I activate Shrink," she said. "To cut Fortune Lady Earth down to size."

Fortune Lady Earth held her stomach. (1,400 ATK)

"Zanji, attack!" shouted Jinx. "Rising sun strike!"

Zanji leapt at the Fortune Lady, and made a slash with his weapon. She screamed and shattered.

"Hyunlei, destroy Fortune Lady Water!"

Hyunlei charged at the other Fortune Lady. She grunted, and tried to block the blow with her staff, but Hyunlei cleaved it in two, and then ran her through. She exploded into a burst of bubbles.

Jinx took two cards from her hand.

"I set a Monster and a facedown card," she said. "And that will be all..."

A hidden Monster and a reversed card appeared.

**(S & J: 2,100) - - - - - - - - - - (H & M: 3,000)**

"I hate to tell you this, Msskim," said Hebi-Na, as she drew a card, "but with the Field Spell gone, Mist Archfiend isn't coming back...

"But no matter... Another Monster is...

"I activate Call of the Haunted."

Her facedown card lifted up, and Fortune Lady Earth appeared again. (2,400 ATK)

"Next, I'm going to give her a little more firepower..."

She played a Spell Card.

"It's called Time Passage. It lets her gain three Levels for this round."

(3,600 ATK)

"And since Fortune Lady Earth's Level just increased, her effect activates, and you lose 400 Life Points."

Jinx groaned as Earth cast her hex on her this time.

"Attack!" she shouted. "Destroy Samurai Zanji!"

Earth slammed her scepter to the ground, and the cursed thorn spread towards Zanji...

"Go, Klein's Labyrinth!" shouted Jinx, as her facedown card shot up.

"This will swap your Monster's Attack and Defense Scores."

"Big deal!" laughed Hebi-Na. "Her Defense Score is exactly the same as her Attack Score!"

"But my Trap also reduces the damage I take to zero, and prevents Zanji from being destroyed," said Jinx.

Zanji lifted his hand, and the cursed thorn was halted.

Hebi-Na frowned. She set her last two cards in her Disk, and two new facedown cards appeared.

She waved her hand, and Earth fell down to 2,400 Attack Points.

**(S & J: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (H & M: 3,000)**

"My move..." said Shichiro.

He drew a card.

"First, I summon Junk Synchron," he said.

He played the card, and the cute droid appeared, hovering over the field. (1,300 ATK)

"Next, I flip my partner's Morphing Jar into Attack Mode."

The card flipped up, and the Morphing Jar appeared. Hebi-Na shrugged. Shichiro discarded the last card he had, and they both made five draws.

"Next, I play... Monster Gate," said Shichiro, as he played a Spell Card. "I'll sacrifice one Monster..."

Morphing Jar vanished.

"Then, I pick up cards from my deck until I get a Monster. Then I Special Summon it."

He drew one card. Gateway of the Six.

"No..." he said.

He drew the next card. De-Synchro.

"No..."

H drew the next one. It was Six Samurai – Yariza.

"That's the one!"

He played the card, and a Samurai wearing a mask, dressed in leather armor and a peaked helmet appeared, holding a spear. (1,000 ATK)

He discarded the two Spell Cards he had drawn.

"Now, Junk Synchron, Zanji, Yariza... Let's take this chick down..."

Junk Warrior yanked its ripcord, and both it and the room went dark. Both it and the two Samurai flew upwards, and the three blazing suns appeared...

"_Entrusted with the legacy of billions of souls, given incredible strength by the power spawned in the universe's creation! Hero of a deceased race… Three suns aligned, call forth an ancient force… _

"_Synchro Summon, Trymus the Conqueror!"_

Trymus appeared, striking a pose. (2,600 ATK)

"Trymus, take down Fortune Lady Earth!" shouted Shichiro. "Blade of the north wind!"

Trymus made a rush at the Fortune Lady...

"I don't think so, Shadowchaser..." said Hebi-Na, with an evil smile.

Her facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Class Change! This raises Earth's Level by one. You remember what happens when a Fortune Lady gains a Level don't you?"

(2,800 ATK)

"In fact, you probably know that with Earth, something else happens."

Shichiro grunted in pain again.

Trymus tried to hit Earth with his sword, but she swatted him away effortlessly.

"HUH?" said Hebi-Na. "Your Monster wasn't destroyed?"

"No," replied Shichiro. "With our Life Points below 3,000, Trymus has his first and second effects. The second prevents him from being destroyed by battle."

He fit two cards into his Disk.

"I'll set these, then move Hyunlei to Defense Mode, and end my turn..."

Hyunlei sheathed her katana, and knelt. (1,300 DEF)

**(S & J: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (H & M: 3,300)**

"My move," laughed Msskim, drawing a card.

"Fortune Lady Earth goes up another Level!" he laughed.

(3,200 ATK)

Shichiro screamed as the aura of magic surrounded him.

"That may be so..." he gasped, "but now that our Life Points are below 1,000, Trymus gains his third effect, and gains 1,000 more Attack Points..."

(3,600 ATK)

"I see..." said Msskim, playing a card.

"In that case, I'll summon Archfiend Soldier..."

In a dark shadow, the horned, caped demon holding a sword appeared. (1,900 ATK)

"Now, I'll Tune it together with my Dark Resonator..."

Dark Resonator, whom both Jinx and Shichiro had almost forgotten about, hit its tuning fork with its mallet. Both it and Archfiend Soldier turned into seven glowing stars, and a globe of black energy appeared.

"I Synchro Summon," exclaimed Msskim, _"Archfiend Chaos King!"_

The globe burst and a horrid-looking demon appeared where it had been. It was thin almost to the point of being gaunt, dressed in what looked like a nobleman's outfit, with bony framework on its arms that were attached to its back. Its face had two glaring eyes, and no other features, and dark smoke emitted from where hair would be on most humans. (2,600 ATK)

"Okay, that's very scary," said Shichiro. "But my Monster is stronger."

"Not for long," said Msskim. "When Archfiend Chaos King attacks, the Attack and Defense Scores of all your Monsters switch for the rest of the Battle Phase.

"Your Monster may survive, but you sure won't...

"Attack! Hell inferno!"

Archfiend Chaos King fired a burning blast of hellfire at Trymus. The Titan grunted and fended it off as his Attack Score was reduced to 2,000.

**(S & J: 100) - - - - - - - - - - (H & M: 3,300)**

"Time to finish this," said Msskim. "Fortune Lady Earth..."

"I activate Emergency Provisions!" shouted Shichiro, as one of his facedown cards shot up. "Since Limit Reverse was just taking up space anyway, I'll send it to the Graveyard to gain 1,000 Life Points as a buffer!"

"Curse you!" shouted Msskim. "Why won't you just die?"

Fortune Lady Earth cast her cursed thorn, and Trymus grunted again as he stood his ground.

Both Trymus and Shichiro panted for breath.

**(S & J: 300) - - - - - - - - - - (H & M: 3,300)**

"Well, they made it through that round," said Gears.

"Yeah, but for how much longer?" asked Ember. "If Fortune Lady Earth's Level goes up one more time, they've had it!"

"I'm not done," said Msskim, as he played a Spell Card. "I activate my Pot of Avarice."

Imprisoned Queen Archfiend, Dark Resonator, and Archfiend Soldier slipped out of his discard slot, while Fortune Lady Water and Catoblepas and the Witch of Fate slipped out of Hebi-Na's. He shuffled his deck, and made two draws.

"First thing's first..." he said. "I'm getting rid of that blasted Hyunlei!

"I play Shield Crush!"

A Spell Card appeared, and a bolt of energy shot out of it, blowing Hyunlei to shards.

"Next, I activate my partner's Trap Card..."

The facedown card lifted up.

"Graceful Revival. Now I can bring back a Level 2 or lower Monster from my Graveyard."

Fortune Lady Light appeared again. (200 ATK)

"Next, I play this..."

Another Spell Card appeared.

"A Ritual Spell?" gasped Shichiro.

"That's right," said Msskim. "The Zera Ritual."

A sinister looking man in armor seated on a throne carved in the shape of a demon appeared in front of him.

"For this ceremony, I'll offer Archfiend Chaos King and Fortune Lady Light as sacrifices."

The eyes of the throne glowed, and two beams of light shot from them, striking the two Monsters. Then they and the throne itself vanished.

With a roar, Zera the Mant appeared in all its glory. (2,800 ATK)

"You're probably wondering why I swapped a Monster with a powerful effect for one with slightly more Attack Points and no effect. Well, here's why..."

He played the last card in his hand.

"It's a Continuous Spell called Block Dugout. With this card in play, you can't declare an attack unless the combined total Levels of all your Monsters is at least equal to ours."

"That's why he Ritual Summoned Zera!" gasped Ember. "It not only has a high Attack Score, it's one Level higher than Archfiend Chaos King."

"You got it," said Msskim. "The combined Levels of our Monsters equal sixteen. Unless you can match that, you won't be attacking next turn.

"And my turn is over now."

"Jinx, it's all up to you..." said Shichiro.

He looked at her. She saw that Trymus was looking at her too.

She made a draw.

It was X-Saber Airbellum.

She looked at it, and then looked at Shichiro's Trap Card.

She smirked.

"I summon X-Saber Airbellum!" she shouted.

Airbellum appeared, baring his claws. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, I activate this," she said, as Shichiro's last facedown card lifted. "The dreaded Double-Edged Sword Technique!

"This Trap lets me Special Summon two of the Six Samurai from my Graveyard. So I'll bring out Yariza and Zanji!"

Yariza appeared first, aiming his spear at the ophidia's two Monsters. (1,000 ATK) Then Irou appeared, holding his naginata up high. (1,800 ATK)

"So much for your Block Dugout..." grumbled Hebi-Na.

"Relax," chuckled Msskim. "This chick obviously didn't know that Double-Edged Sword Technique has a rather nasty side effect. When her turn ends, those two Samurai will be destroyed, and she'll take damage equal to their Attack Scores."

"You're assuming two things," said Jinx. "One, that they'll be here when I end my turn. Two, that we'll even get to the end of my turn.

"Neither of your assumptions is true...

"I Tune together Airbellum, Irou, and Yaichi..."

The room went dark again, and the three Monsters flew upwards. The three suns appeared again...

"_Strength of legend, beauty beyond compare, entrusted by billions to carry their heritage, given the power unleashed at the moment of Creation! Mighty champion of a deceased race… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force… _

"_Synchro Summon, Shannalla the Fierce!"_

Shannalla landed, as the suns vanished. She turned to Trymus, and the two Titans nodded to each other. (2,600 ATK)

"Both our Monsters are each Level 10," said Jinx. "That makes your Block Dugout worthless.

"Continuing, I can remove a Warrior or Beast-Warrior in my Graveyard from play, and boost Shannalla's Attack Score by its Attack Score. And I think I'm gonna do that with Nitro Warrior."

(5,400 ATK)

The two Titans leveled their swords at the two Monsters.

"Go!" shouted Jinx. "Let's end this!"

Trymus leapt at Fortune Lady Earth, and made a powerful cut with his blade blowing her out of existence. Then Shannalla made a swipe with her mighty sword, cutting Zera the Mant in twain. Msskim screamed...

**(S & J: 300) - - - - - - - - - - (H & M: 0)**

"Enough of this, you two..." said Shichiro. "You're under arrest."

Then Hebi-Na's bracelet started to beep.

"Please tell me your ritual is finished..." she whispered into it.

"Actually, it's been finished for about ten minutes," replied Taramanda's voice. "But the duel was so fun to watch I couldn't bear to interrupt it."

"Who's that?" asked Gears. "Who are you talking to?"

The four Shadowchasers drew their swords.

Hebi-Na held up the bomb.

Then she looked shocked. It was dead.

"Don't worry," said Taramanda's voice. "I'm sending your ride. Just don't forget the card, or you're both dead."

Hebi-Na picked up the card from the table. She and Msskim backed up as the four Shadowchasers closed in on them.

_Hurry up, your highness..._ thought Hebi-Na.

Then a portal started to form behind them.

"Another time, Shadowchasers!" she laughed.

Then Hebi-Na and Msskim dove through the portal.

"Follow them!" shouted Gears.

Before they could, the three Titans appeared and blocked their path.

"_Not_ advisable," said Il Mathman. "That portal leads to a place where Seghulerak's influence is dominant. I don't know if humans could even survive there."

Ember sighed. The portal started to close.

"So they got away," she said. "And we're no closer to finding out what their plans are than we were before."

"Maybe so, Eiko," said Trymus, "but now that the three of us have reached the limit of the power we can achieve in this spiritual form, we can tell you the whole story...

"We can help you find the final Titan, who will be of considerable aid against the threat you face..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ten minutes later, they were sitting outside the restaurant, on outdoor chairs.

"Two-hundred years ago," started Trymus, "Jetta was forced to respond to an emergency call for help on her own. A planet was in danger of being hit by several small comets that looked incredibly similar to the ones that destroyed our respective races. She would not let another planet fall victim to the fate that befell ours.

"She used all the strength she could muster, and rerouted the paths of the comets, sending them into the heart of a star. She thought she had averted a disaster…

"But by preventing an apocalyptic disaster, she created a small one. By diverting the path of the comets, they flew too close to a space station owned by the Psurlons. Thirty of them were on board, and they were supposedly killed when the comets caused their heat shields to malfunction."

"The Psurlons?" asked Shichiro.

"Creatures of infinite greed, whom you'd never want to meet," replied Shannalla. "They run the biggest trade consortium in that galaxy, and deal in all sorts of goods. They have enough money to buy this planet several times over.

"Basically, in her act which saved billions of innocents, Jetta caused an accident that killed thirty scoundrels.

"That was their claim, anyway. The coroner reports they presented just seemed wrong, and they wouldn't provide the original ones. But they weren't required to do so, initially. They had acquired several privileges, mostly due to the fact that a member of the Harmonium arrested one on a charge that turned out to be false, and the lawsuit that followed would have ruined the whole organization if the Psurlons didn't get a contract from them, giving them several exclusive privileges.

"But what Jetta did caused something that the Psurlons didn't like, and they weren't going to let it go unpunished. Their egos would not allow it."

"Hold on," interrupted Gears. "These Psurlons... Can you give a physical description of one?"

"Actually, no," replied Trymus. "They are never seen in public, and conduct all business with other races through servants. Most races assume that they are a non-humanoid race who, like most such races, prefers their privacy. No-one ever actually sees a psurlon except some very well-paid attendants or an officer who has a search warrant."

"That's another privilege they won in that false arrest plea bargain," said Shannalla. "And in effect, this policy worked to our advantage in the long run."

"We'll get to that in a minute," said Il Mathman. "Anyway, this has not been officially proven, but the Harmonium has no authority here, so we'll say it anyway. The Psurlons clearly bribed the two officers sent to arrest Jetta."

"Wait, wait, back up..." said Jinx. "This Harmonium you keep mentioning... They're the constabulary in your neck of the woods, I assume?"

"Yes," said Trymus, "and maybe we'd better explain them a bit. You see, the Harmonium isn't your average law-enforcement organization. For one thing, they're a _big_ group.

"They were founded roughly three-thousand years ago on a world called Orthos. They started as a small group with big ideas. I believe they started with only six members..."

"That's almost how the Shadowchasers started..." gasped Shichiro.

"Mmm," said Trymus. "But they had other goals. They wanted to bring peace and harmony to their world. Thing is, unlike most groups, they actually went out and did it.

"They expanded and grew, and their numbers soon measured in the dozens, then hundreds, and then thousands. They fought to end conflict, war, and crime, often forcing their ideals of harmony on some, but eventually, they brought peace to Orthos. Those who visit the place today say it's a very orderly and rigid place, a safe place to live so long as you follow the Harmonium's law. Thing is, it's a pretty boring place."

"There are rumors," said Il Mathman, "that a few races would not conform to their ideas no matter what they did. And the Harmonium exterminated them in order to achieve their ideal world. They claim that this rumor is a lie, but I doubt they'd ever admit to it if it were true."

"Anyway, boring as their society had become, the Harmonium was satisfied with it," continued Trymus. "Then they wondered, why stop there? They could spread their message of peace galaxy-wide.

"Let me ask you something... Do you know what the proper way is to conquer a world? Or even a galaxy?"

"No..." said Gears.

"It isn't by using terrorism or dark magic like so many would-be conquers are fond of," replied Trymus. "The proper way to domination is politics. Investing well is good too. Money talks, as they say on this planet. After all, it's said believed the Psurlons gained control of their current homeworld by buying it."

"Or in a hostile takeover..." said Shannalla.

"Uhm, yes..." said Trymus. "Well, the Harmonium already had one world under their control, which in our galaxy was the equivalent of being head of state of a nation. So they were on the right path.

"They gained a seat on the Galactic Council, and grew in power slowly. They gained allies and political strength. Eventually, they established themselves as the peacekeepers and law enforcement of the galaxy. But they soon learned that bringing harmony to a whole galaxy would be a far greater task than bringing it to their homeworld.

"Their heads started to swell. As they enforced the law, they started to think they were above it. Corruption polluted the upper ranks of the Harmonium, and the lower ranks weren't happy, many of them accepting bribes from those who wanted the law to rule in their favor.

"So as I was saying, by the time this happened, the Harmonium had all but lost sight of its original goals, and was a shell of its former self. The two officers who came to arrest Jetta had clearly been bribed."

"She didn't resist," said Shannalla, "because we had a feeling that it would not go unchallenged by our supporters either. You see, as you might imagine, the Harmonium didn't have the best reputation at the moment. Frankly, it had been going downhill ever since they gave a ten-year-old a citation for selling fruit juice on a street corner without a permit."

"Anyway," continued Il Mathman, "we knew that the Psurlons would try to bribe any judge who tried to decide matters, but we didn't think it would come to trial, because the Harmonium would only suffer more.

"And they did. As we expected, an outcry started across the galaxy. The Harmonium was really getting a bad name. Members were refused entrance to every restaurant, club, and sports arena on every planet where we were known. One high-ranking officer even claimed that his book club had thrown him out, saying they didn't allow tyrants. The Psurlons were getting a bad name too. Calls for boycotts of their trade consortium spread, and their competitors took the advantage."

"But what eventually happened was bad news for both sides," said Trymus. "The Harmonium appointed a member of the Divinic race as judge and overseer of the case."

"How was that bad for both sides?" asked Gears.

"Divinics are incredibly powerful beings," said Shannalla, "known for their honesty and sense of justice. In appearance, they look kind of like the demons, but they're rigid in regards to the law of society. They'll never take a bribe, and would probably have someone thrown in jail just for trying."

"That was good, right?" asked Jinx.

"Well, yes," replied Il Mathman, "but if this Divinic determined that Jetta had actually done something illegal, she would be punished for it, plain and simple!

"The trial was long and very detailed. He didn't allow the media in, and he didn't tolerate any nonsense. As you might expect, there was no jury. A Divinic always decides a case himself.

"We scored a victory early on. The judge enforced a law that no previous judge ever had the guts to enforce against the Psurlons. He stated that to try a defendant for a crime as serious as murder, all witnesses for the prosecution had to testify in person and all evidence must be presented in original form for both attorneys, no exceptions. The Psurlons, as you recall, would not appear in person, and would not provide the original coroner reports. They argued that they were not required to do either due to the plea bargain they had obtained when one of their members was falsely arrested, but the judge repeated that a defendant could not be charged for murder without those conditions, period. They had their lawyer search the books to find a loophole to get around the law, but as he did so, they passed the judge's deadline for deciding, and he reduced the charges to involuntary manslaughter. They threw a fit, but he would not change his mind.

"He then questioned the honesty of the two arresting officers, and whether the complaint was not based upon a desire for revenge. He also questioned what the space station's purpose was, which the Psurlons never stated, and refused to state when he asked.

"Eventually, he found Jetta guilty of the reduced charge, but said he would commute her sentence to time served, unless the Psurlons proved otherwise by agreeing to a very unique arrangement. Apparently, this judge was more creative than most."

"What was it?" asked Shichiro.

"Jetta would be imprisoned in a private facility," replied Shannalla, "until such time as a sponsor was found, one from a world where the Titans had never visited, who was willing to offer a third party opinion. Now, to make certain that this sponsor was worthy of making that opinion, four guardians would be posted at four checkpoints leading to her jail. Their job would be to test any prospective sponsor.

"And this was the important part. The first three guardians would be those two arresting officers and the prosecutor in the trial."

"They didn't like that, of course," added Trymus. "But – and again, this isn't proven – the Psurlons forced them to agree to it, not wanting Jetta to be released so easily."

"They agreed to it pretty quickly," said Il Mathman. "We think the Psurlons had learned that this judge was serious about deadlines for his decisions being met."

"Then the judge said that, to be fair, and to make sure the rules were followed, he'd personally guard the fourth and final checkpoint."

"We then started on a campaign to find a sponsor," said Trymus, "but we ran into some difficulties in crossing the boundaries between the galaxies… A battle with… something kind of incapacitated us…"

"Say it, Trymus," said Shannalla, "it blew us to pieces…"

"Right," said Trymus, "our bodies were destroyed, but we couldn't die. We were still immortal. After two centuries, we found a way to assume this spiritual form you see here. We found a place where we felt we could do some good in this form... We witnessed the Signers' struggle with the Earthbound Gods; we could have helped stem such an influx of negative energy. But we couldn't interfere then."

"How come?" asked Ember. "Wouldn't the Signers be more worthy recipients?"

The Titans sighed.

"There are certain unwritten rules that exist among beings like us," said Shannalla. "Beings that also include the Crimson Dragon. By gaining the Power Primordial, we were included in them. One of them is, basically, 'no rivalries'."

"So..." said Gears. "You didn't want to join the Signers because that would be competing with their Dragons for attention?"

"Yes," replied Trymus. "We didn't want to horn in on the Crimson Dragon's 'turf', so to speak. But when we saw that the Dark Synchros were returning under a different hand, we thought we had found the perfect ones who could mutually benefit.

"You four could help us free Jetta, and in return, we could help defeat the Dark Synchros. It's win-win for all of us."

"Ember…" said Shannalla, putting her hand on Ember's shoulder, "Jetta is a being of Fire, just like the Monsters in your deck… She'd be honored if you sponsored her… Please… She's been stuck in that cell for so long…"

"Well, uhm..." said Ember.

Then the three Titans froze. They looked around nervously, and then vanished.

"Where'd they go?" said Gears, getting up.

"I think they caught wind of something bad..." said Shichiro, looking around.

"I'm afraid that you folks aren't going anywhere," said a familiar voice.

They all turned, and saw that Trueman had appeared on the patio above them.

"You want to free Jetta, Ms. Eiko?" he said. "That's not going to happen..."

Ember looked at Trueman, and this time, she looked downright annoyed.

"Trueman, enough is enough," she said. "I want an explanation.

"Why are you doing this? Just what makes you tick?"

Trueman looked at her. He crossed his arms...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CLASS CHANGE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A butterfly that has just emerged from a chrysalis.

**Card Description:** Increase the Level of 1 face-up Monster you control by 1.

_Note: "Class Change" was first used by Carly in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Shadows of Doubt (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BLOCK DUGOUT (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image: **A mob of angry peasants trying to storm a monolithic fortress.

**Card Description:** If the combined total Levels of face-up Monsters you control is greater than the combined total Levels of face-up Monsters your opponent controls, your opponent cannot declare an attack.

_Note: "Block Dugout" was first used by Cid in "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" Episode 076. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**PRIDE OF SABER (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **X-Saber Anabelera kneeling before XX-Saber Gatmuz in a shrine as he holds the glowing Sword of Sparkles over her.

**Card Description:** Activate when a Synchro Monster you control is destroyed. Special Summon from your hand or deck up to 2 non-Tuner "X-Saber" Monsters whose combined Levels equal less than the Level of the destroyed Monster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Ember: Just who is Trueman's mysterious master? If I can defeat him in this duel, we may find out... But it's not going to be easy, because he's dropped his usual dramatic strategy and replaced it with a clever one. And even if our questions are answered, it may just lead to more questions...**

"**Veil of Darkness" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Zaou, the Snakeblooded Snakehead  
**  
Human trafficking is a growing concern in the modern world. In China starting in the 20th and 21st centuries, groups of criminals began ferrying immigrants out of China illegally, sometimes at the encouragement of the government. The process that such immigrants go through is commonly called "Riding the Snake", and the criminals who conduct it are referred to as the Snakeheads. The Snakeheads exploit the immigrants anyway they can, charging them ridiculous amounts of money, and when they can't pay it off, force them to do work for them in America. Some are simply sold into slavery.

Within the last few years, the greatest of these Snakeheads is a man called Zaou, the illegitimate son of a party official; his mother was an ophidia that had seduced her way into the CCP in order to grab power in China. Zaou is snakeblooded, though he has no real loyalty to the ophidia. In fact he prefers to keep away from the large ophidia presence in Southern China.

As a front, Zaou is a legitimate businessman, the head of Zaou Industries, a company with connections everywhere and in most industries, primarily shipping. Zaou Industries has a large fleet of cargo ships that ship everything from lumber to ore, but that's only the legitimate side of Zaou's organization. Zaou runs a smuggling ring, trafficking guns, drugs, stolen goods, and anything else that is worth smuggling. But the primary thing smuggled is lives; be them humans or Shadowkind, it doesn't matter to him.

Zaou's smuggling operation has recently spread past China, and now his people will smuggle immigrants out of any country, for a price, and that price tends to be their freedom. Men typically are forced into laboring in sweatshops or as enforcers for crime lords and gangs that don't ask too many questions. (Or are on Zaou's payroll.)

What is known to only a few is that, Zaou is actually part of a Triad, the Chinese organized crime groups. He is Number 2, the second in command of the Triad. With his contacts and power, he is typically the public face for the Triad, while also running the smuggling. Exactly who the Number 1 and Number 3 are is unknown; they are most likely Shadowkind, but no one can tell for sure.

**Story Ideas:** Zaou and his Triad have very few real aspirations at the moment; they do not plan world domination or anything similar, at least not yet. They are also not limited to China; Zaou has bases in several other countries, including the United States, Japan, Mexico, and parts of Europe, including Great Britain.

A plot involving Zaou and his allies would most likely involve illegal immigration to an extent; the minions might even be desperate illegals, trying to find a better life in the United States or wherever. But any plot that involves Zaou would also include the rest of the Triad, and beyond that the possibilities for a plan are endless, perhaps such as using illegal immigrants to increase their influence in other countries.

If you want an idea of what to expect from groups of Snakeheads, the novels _Flood Tide_ and _Dark Watch_ by Clive Cussler deal with the subject.

**Deck Ideas:** Zaou doesn't use any sort of Reptile deck, which would be too much of a cliché. He doesn't even duel that often, but when he does, he tends to use any type of Dark Monsters, specializing mostly in warriors and any types of fiends. He is also known to use a deck of Dark Dragons, which includes Diabolos, King of the Abyss.

Numbers 1 and 3 of the Triad, who are currently unknown when it comes to any identification, could use any kind of deck.

_Zaou was a creation of fanfic writer, Ruin Queen of Oblivion._


	34. Veil of Darkness

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL THIRTY-FOUR**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Veil of Darkness**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Hebi-Na and Msskim walked into Taramanda's throne room, where the anathema was reclining on her couch, drinking bottled water. Her attendants in charge of fanning her were working more vigorously to do so.

Truth be told, she looked exhausted. But then, she had just completed a very complex and powerful ritual at her private shrine, and such rituals always took a lot out the worshipper.

"We got you a little souvenir from the restaurant's gift shop while we were there," said Hebi-Na.

She handed her something. It was a snow globe with a model of Neo Domino inside.

"Funny," said Taramanda, putting it aside. "Where's the card?"

Hebi-Na took the card out of her satchel and handed it to her.

"Good..." said Taramanda.

"You gonna let us in on the big secret?" asked Hebi-Na. "Exactly how are you going to use this to kill Jalal?"

"Jalal has survived hundreds of attempts on his life over the past thousand years," added Msskim.

Taramanda tossed the empty water bottle aside, and picked up another one.

"More than hundreds," she replied. "He told me in our last encounter that attempts on his life happen every week. He's the one Shadowchaser who isn't protected by the pact that he has with... that unmentionable being. But he doesn't need protection to survive. Know why?"

"Uh, because he's immortal?" asked Hebi-Na.

"Exactly," replied Taramanda. "The gift of immortality given to him by his father, who got it from Athentia, makes him invulnerable.

"Poison doesn't work on him. Disease doesn't hurt him. You fire ten rounds from a machine gun into his chest, it only tickles him.

"You cut off his head, he'll put it back on his shoulders, good as new. Even if you chopped him into little bits, he'd regenerate from the smallest piece of flesh.

"Thus... To deal with him once and for all, I had Seghulerak enchant the spirits of these two cards with her own venom."

"Uh, can that kill him?" asked Msskim.

"What's the difference between the venom of an American rattlesnake and that of an Indian king cobra?" asked Taramanda.

"A rattlesnake's poison is hemotoxic," replied Hebi-Na, "while the cobra's is neurotoxic."

"Exactly," said Taramanda. "Hemotoxins affect the heart, while neurotoxins affect the nervous system. Some of the deadliest snakes in the world have poison that is _both_ hemotoxic and neurotoxic."

"When did this suddenly turn into biology?" asked Msskim. "You just said that Jalal is immune to poison."

"He is," replied Taramanda. "But certain venomous beings of the Lower Planes, including Seghulerak, add a third factor. They are hermotoxic, neurotoxic... and _metatoxic._

"Poison that is metatoxic is, for all practical purposes, magical. It is capable of injuring a creature's very soul. Jalal's body may be invulnerable, but he has no defense against this type of attack..."

"So if you defeat him with these cards..." said Hebi-Na.

"He'll collapse into a slumber full of nightmares from which he'll never awaken," replied Taramanda. "Survive he will, but it will hardly matter. This is the way to succeed where so many have failed.

"All we have to do now, to make certain of it, is wait for the Festival of the Fang, when we will issue our challenge. You didn't forget about that, did you?"

The Festival of the Fang was a holy day (or rather night, which was when the festivities were held) for the ophidia, which was held four times a year. It was said that Seghulerak's power on the mortal world was the strongest during these four days. The next one was the night after tomorrow night.

"Of course I didn't forget about it," grumbled Msskim, crossing his arms. "I still don't have a date for it..."

"Well everyone who _does_ will be cancelling it," said Taramanda. "Because that is the night we strike.

"We'll give Jalal an ultimatum that will force him to accept my challenge. I'll duel him face-to-face this time, to make him think that I'm sincere... He'll never realize that I'll hold the key to his undoing...

"With their leader gone, the Shadowchasers will experience a power vacuum unlike any they've had in their millennium-long history. In their attempts to find a replacement, they'll be vulnerable and unprepared for serious threats. That will leave us free to shake them up..."

She started shaking the snow globe.

"...any time we want..."

She looked into the globe, and watched the snowflakes fall on the model...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"You want to know what makes me tick, Ms. Eiko?" asked Trueman. "I warn you... Those who peer too deeply into my mind usually don't like what they see."

"I still want answers, Trueman," said Ember. "And after all you've put us through, I think we deserve them."

Trueman crossed his arms.

"Very well..." he said. "Fine by me... I suppose I can give you that...

"When Yukai defeated Darkness, my previous master, I lost the source of my power. My multiple bodies had already been destroyed by Rainbow Neos, and without Darkness, I had no way of reforming.

"All that remained of me was a bodiless, barely-conscious vestige, drifting through dimensional limbo, until recently, when my current employer called me back to the mortal realm, and reconstructed my body, albeit with only a small fraction of my former power.

"The deal was simple... Do a few favors, and get back my full power... I did whatever I was told towards some goal that it kept secret, hoping that once I possessed my full power, I could find my true master..."

"Darkness?" asked Shichiro.

"So why does this new employer of yours even need you?" asked Ember.

"It belongs to a race that the veil which hides Shadowkind cannot easily conceal," replied Trueman. "So it stays in a secret location, and needs someone else to interact with other beings.

"So now you know... And knowing won't help you. I won't let you free Jetta, and I'm going to dispose of you right now."

"All right," said Ember, as she walked up to the patio, "you're on, pal...

"Jetta saved my life... And my soul... I'm going to spring her from that jail, and you're not gonna stop me..."

Both Duel Disks activated.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Trueman: 8,000)**

"I'm going first, gruesome," said Ember, making a draw.

She looked at the six cards in her hand.

She set a card on her Disk, and a set Monster appeared.

"That will be all," she said. "It's your move..."

"I draw," said Trueman.

"I'm sure you'll remember this," he said, as he played a card. "Come on out, Dark Archetype!"

In a dark shadow, the patchwork aberration appeared, crouched on all fours. (1,400 ATK)

"Not _that_ thing again!" said Shichiro, with a look of disgust.

Trueman grinned evilly, and fit a card into his Disk. A facedown card appeared.

"Your move..." he said.

_Probably that Zero Gazer thing again..._ thought Ember.

She drew a card.

_Well, let's see him use it once I summon this bad boy..._

"I sacrifice my Neoflamvell Garuda..." she said.

Her reversed Monster vanished.

"For Flamvell Commando!"

With a roar, the muscular Pyro armed with a heavy duty flamethrower appeared in an aura of fire. (2,400 ATK)

"Attack!" she shouted. "Toast that thing extra-crispy!"

Commando aimed his weapon...

"I activate... Mutual Benefit!" exclaimed Trueman, as his facedown card lifted up.

"This card lets me increase your Monsters Attack Score by any amount up to 2,000. In exchange for that, I gain twice as many Life Points.

"So, I choose to increase your Monster's Attack Score by 700."

Flamvell Commando's score shot up to 3,100. He blasted a wave of fire, reducing Dark Archetype to ashes.

**(E: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,700)**

"Now, I use Dark Archetype's effect, which I'm sure you remember," said Trueman. "I choose a Monster in my deck with an Attack Score equal to the amount of damage I took.

"Then I discard Monsters from my hand whose combined Levels equal the Level of that Monster..."

He discarded one card, Newdoria.

"...and as a result... I summon Gellenduo!"

In an aura of light, two small, adorable-looking pixies appeared, one pink and one green, each with a halo around their small bodies. (0 DEF)

"They may have zero Defense Points, but they can't be destroyed by battle."

Ember looked at her hand.

_Maybe so,_ she thought, _but if Trueman takes any damage, they'll be destroyed by their effect..._

_And if I use Commando's effect, I can a Fire Monster with 200 Defense Points in my Graveyard from play to inflict damage equal to its Attack Points._

_Trouble is... I don't have one there right now..._

She paused.

"It's your move, Trueman," she said.

Trueman drew a card.

"I play Golden Sarcophagus," he said, as he played a Spell Card.

An elaborate, golden chest with the Eye of Wdjat on the front appeared in front of him.

"Now, I can take any card I desire from my deck, and seal it in the Sarcophagus."

The chest lowered into the ground.

"In two short turns, it will be mine.

"My turn is over..."

"It's clearly a high-Level Light-Attribute Fairy," said Gears. "That's the reason he summoned Gellenduo. It can count as two sacrifices for such things."

"But what?" asked Shichiro. "Athena? Splendid Venus?"

"My move..." said Ember.

She drew a card.

_Hmm,_ she thought.

She placed a card on her Disk, and a set Monster appeared.

_If he attacks Flamvell Baby,_ she thought, _I'll be able to use Commando's effect._

"Your move..." she said.

Trueman drew a card.

"I set a Monster," he said, as a reversed Monster appeared.

"And that will be all."

"My move!" shouted Ember, making a draw.

_Hey..._ she thought.

"I play Instant Fusion!" she said, as she played a Spell Card. "I give up 1,000 Life Points, and I get to summon a Level 5 or lower Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck.

"Come on out, Flame Swordsman!"

In a bonfire of flame, the armored, fiery Warrior appeared, holding his bronze sword. (1,800 ATK)

"Next, I flip Flamvell Baby into Attack Mode."

The card flipped up, and the grinning, fiery infant appeared. (800 ATK)

"Then, I Tune together my Baby and my Swordsman..."

The two Monsters burned fiercely, and flew into the sky. They faded into six glowing stars.

"_Born in the fiery core, rage empowered by white hot flames, strength of an erupting volcano! Clustering stars form a spark to light a roaring fire! _

"_Ignite… Flamvell Urquizas!"_

The ball of flame crashed to Earth, Urquizas appeared, blazing like a beacon. (2,100 ATK)

"Urquizas..." shouted Ember, "attack Gellenduo with fist of flame!"

Urquizas roared, and socked the two pastel-colored pixies. Trueman cringed a little.

"Thanks to his trampling effect," said Ember, "you lose 2,100 Life Points. And due to Gellenduo's effect, they're history."

The dual Fairy shattered. Urquizas went up to 2,400 Attack Points.

"Flamvell Commando, torch his other Monster!"

Commando fired his flamethrower at the reversed card. Skelengel appeared on the card right before it shattered.

"I get to make one draw..." said Trueman, drawing a card.

"At least I stopped you from summoning whatever is in that Sarcophagus," said Ember. "It's your move..."

**(E: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 5,600)**

Trueman drew a card.

"First, I'll recover the card in the Sarcophagus," he said.

The Golden Sarcophagus rose to the surface. A card appeared in his hand, and the chest vanished.

"And you didn't stop me from summoning it. You foiled my plan-A, but I have a plan-B."

He played a Spell Card.

"Soul Exchange?" asked Ember. "You can't sacrifice both my Monsters with that!"

"I'm only going to sacrifice one," replied Trueman, "and I'm not going to sacrifice it to summon a Monster at all."

He played a second Spell Card.

"I'm sacrificing Flamvell Commando in order to use Mystik Wok."

Flamvell Commando vanished into grains of light.

"So I gain 2,400 Life Points. Now to summon the Monster...

"I play a Field Spell... Mausoleum of the Emperor!"

He fit the card in his Field Slot, and the scenery changed. He and Ember were on two altars, each with a flaming brazier flanked by two obelisks and two statues of soldiers with spears. Between them was a dark pit, spanned by a bridge.

"In this field, a player can Normal Summon a high-Level Monster without sacrifices," continued Trueman, "so long as he pays 1,000 Life Points for each sacrifice the Monster would require.

"So, I'll pay 2,000 Life Points... And summon Vanity's Ruler!"

A beam of light shot down from the heavens...

The creature that appeared looked like an odd cross between an elven prince and a vampire, if it were even possible to combine those two concepts. Its gender looked androgynous, for lack of a better term; it had green hair, pointed ears, and was dressed in a white robe with gold trim. (2,500 ATK)

"Vanity's Ruler?" said Jinx. "I've heard of Vanity's Fiend, but who's this guy?"

"This guy is more powerful than Vanity's Fiend," said Gears, who looked worried. "Vanity's Fiend prevents both players from Special Summoning.

"Vanity's Ruler is harder to summon, being Level 8 and only able to be summoned via Normal Summon... But it only prevents your opponent from Special Summoning. Trueman will be able to Special Summon all he wants."

"At least Trueman can't attack this round," said Shichiro. "He used Soul Exchange."

"I'm aware of that, Mr. Osaka," said Trueman. "For now, I'll play Emergency Provisions."

He played the Spell, and the Mausoleum faded away.

"Not only do I gain 1,000 more Life Points, I don't have to worry about the Field being used against me.

"I'll set this..."

He played his last card, and a facedown card materialized.

"...and my turn is over."

**(E: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,000)**

Ember made a draw.

_No problem..._ she thought.

"I summon Flamvell Firedog!" she shouted.

In another aura of flame, the burning hellhound appeared. It barked at Trueman. (1,900 ATK)

"Now, I'll Equip it with Salamandra!"

She played the card, and Firedog burned with an even fiercer aura. (2,600 ATK)

"Attack!" she shouted. "Roast his Vanity's Ruler!"

Firedog blasted a cone of flaming breath at the sinister Fairy...

"I activate... Dust Tornado!" shouted Trueman, as his facedown card shot up.

The Tornado blew across the field, and the Salamandra shattered. Firedog fell down to 1,900 Attack Points, and Vanity's Ruler simply swatted the blast aside. The Beast groaned as its attack fell back on it, blowing it to pieces.

"Uh..." said Ember, starting to sweat.

_If I move Urquizas into Defense Mode,_ she thought, _I'll likely take more damage if he summons a second Monster..._

"I... I end my turn..."

**(E: 6,400) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,000)**

"My move..." said Trueman, making a draw.

He looked at the card. It was My Body as a Shield.

"Vanity's Ruler," he ordered, "destroy Flamvell Urquizas with light of pride!"

Vanity's Ruler formed a glowing ball of light in its hands, and hurled it, forming a burning beam of energy that eradicated Flamvell Urquizas.

Trueman set the Spell Card in his Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"That's all for now," he said.

**(E: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,000)**

Ember drew a card.

_Call of the Haunted??_ she thought. _Just the card I didn't need!_

She took a Monster from her hand.

_This will cost me some Life Points,_ she thought, _but I don't see any other way..._

"I summon Royal Firestorm Guards!" she shouted.

In a burning aura, the bizarre looking Pyro appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"By summoning him," she said, "I get to take four Pyros from my Graveyard, and return them to my deck..."

Flamvell Urquizas, Flamvell Commando, Neoflamvell Garuda, and Flamvell Baby slipped out of her discard slot.

"...then I reshuffle..."

The Disk reshuffled the deck.

"...and then make two draws..."

She drew two cards.

"I think I'll end my turn there..."

Trueman drew a card.

He smirked slightly. It was Mirror Force.

"I set this facedown," he said, setting it in his Disk.

"Then I attack with Vanity's Ruler!"

The Fairy shot its beam of light at the Firestorm Guards, eradicating it.

"It's your move..."

**(E: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,000)**

Ember paused.

She drew a card.

"I set three cards facedown," she said, setting it in her Disk, "and then summon Blazing Inpachi."

Three facedown cards flashed into existence, and the burning wicker man appeared. (1,850 ATK)

"Next, I play Double Summon," she said as she played a Spell Card. "Now I can also set a Monster.

She played her last card, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"It's your move..." she said, narrowing her eyes.

"You think you can scare me with Trap Cards?" asked Trueman, drawing a card.

He looked at it.

"Well, you can't! Vanity's Ruler, attack her Blazing Inpachi!"

Vanity's Ruler prepared to cast its evil spell again.

"I activate... Martyr's Flame!" shouted Ember, as one of her facedown cards lifted up. "Now, your attack is turned into a direct attack, and the damage is cut in half!"

Ember groaned as the Fairy's beam hit her in the chest.

She panted for breath.

**(E: 4,250) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,000)**

"You won't be so lucky next time..." said Trueman.

He set the card in his Disk, and it appeared facedown.

_Okay..._ thought Ember. _Hope this works..._

She closed her eyes, and drew a card.

She opened them.

"I sacrifice both my Monsters..." she shouted.

Blazing Inpachi and the hidden Monster vanished into a globe of light.

"...so I can summon Infernal Flame Emperor!"

There was a loud bellow, and the huge centaurian king of Pyros appeared. (2,700 ATK)

"I'm afraid I can't allow that," said Trueman.

The facedown card he had set last turn lifted up.

"I activate Solemn Judgment! I pay half my Life Points, and I can..."

"You won't do anything except fall flat on your face," said Ember, interrupting. "You did just what I hoped you would do."

Her second facedown card lifted up.

"WHAT?" shouted Trueman. "You set a Counter Trap??"

"One to counter _your_ Counter Trap," said Ember. "It's called Flamvell Counter. And its cost isn't as steep as Solemn Judgment.

"I just have to remove from play a Fire Monster with exactly 200 Defense Points in my Graveyard..."

Flamvell Paun, which was one of the Monsters she just sacrificed, slipped out of her discard slot.

"...and like I said, you fall flat on your face."

Trueman made a scowl as Solemn Judgment shattered.

"Now that I've managed to summon this guy," said Ember, as she held up two cards, Flame Swordsman and Royal Firestorm Guards, "all I gotta do is remove these two from play, and..."

Infernal Flame Emperor blasted a wave of fire at Trueman's two reversed cards, and they were reduced to ashes.

"Who's laughing now, Trueman?" asked Ember. "Infernal Flame Emperor, destroy that blasted Vanity's Ruler!"

The Pyro put its hands over its head, and conjured up a huge ball of flame. It hurled it at the evil Fairy, and Vanity's Ruler let out a scream before it was eradicated.

Trueman growled.

"Now that that's done with," said Ember, "I can activate Call of the Haunted."

Her last facedown card lifted up, and Flamvell Firedog bounded onto the field again. (1,900 ATK)

"Attack him directly!" shouted Ember.

Firedog howled, and blasted a stream of flames at the messenger of Darkness. Trueman shielded himself with his arm, but was nonetheless sent to his knees.

**(E: 4,250) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 1,400)**

"Ready to throw in the towel?" asked Ember.

Trueman looked at her with a look of hate.

"Never..." he hissed.

"Oh, come on, Trueman!" said Jinx. "When your turn comes, you'll only have one card! How can you possibly beat both of those Monsters with one card?"

Trueman got up. He brushed himself off, and made a draw.

He looked at it.

"I'll show you how, Ms. Noriko," he said. "I can easily defeat those two Monsters with this one...

"To summon it, I have to remove from play three Light-Attribute Fairies, and one Dark-Attribute Fiend..."

The phantoms of Vanity's Ruler, Gellenduo, Skelengel, and Newdoria appeared behind him.

"Fortunately, that combination is present in my Graveyard at this moment."

The four phantoms vanished into nothing.

"Now behold the terror of... _Sky Scourge Enrise!"_

A beam of light shot from the heavens again...

The Monster that appeared was technically a Fairy, but it looked even more unpleasant than Vanity's Ruler. It had feathered wings, but the similarity to the typical Fairy ended there. It had long, white hair, pale skin, and odd symbols were tattooed on its shirtless chest. It wore leather pants and gloves, a sash around its waist that looked like an ammunition belt, and its eyes were covered by a metal visor. (2,400 ATK)

"I've heard of the Sky Scourges," whispered Shichiro. "Beings that represent the dual nature of Chaos. Enrise is supposedly the side that represents Light..."

"But quite deadly, as your Infernal Flame Emperor would attest," said Trueman.

Then Ember was shocked as Infernal Flame Emperor vanished into nothing.

"...or rather, it would," continued Trueman, "but Enrise can remove a Monster from play every round.

"Fortunately for you, it can't attack after doing that, so I'll just end my turn."

Ember paused.

_Now what?_ she thought. _I've got no cards in my hand, and only a few Monsters in my whole deck that can stand up to that thing unaided... Even if I summoned Urquizas again, he couldn't do the job..._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember opened her eyes wide. She was in a void of stars.

She knew this place. The Astral Plane. She had taken a trip here on her way to confront Sonja.

And she wasn't alone.

Standing next to her was a tall woman, one with skin the color and consistency of bronze, with flaming red hair. Her eyes were like orbs of molten gold. She wore a white halter and a short skirt.

She was translucent, like a ghost. Ember could see through her, slightly.

"You're her, aren't you?" asked Ember. "You're Jetta, right?"

The strange woman nodded.

"This is my astral form," she said, in a powerful voice. "I've learned a few things in the past two centuries. It's how I appeared to your cousin. And I can appear to you now."

"You are going to get in big trouble if they ever catch you doing this," said Ember.

Jetta chuckled.

"They know that jail can't truly keep me in," she said. "They know I could leave whenever I want, and they'd be powerless to stop me.

"But I want to leave via legal means, rather than live as a fugitive. You'll know why eventually. And to do that, I need you to get there. And the first step is to finish this minion of Darkness. To finish for good what Yukai started."

"I don't know..." said Ember. "The whole thing depends on this next draw... I'm kinda scared to do it..."

"Then let me help..." said Jetta.

She offered her hand.

Then she and Ember reached for the top card of the deck at the same time...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember whipped the card off the top of her deck.

She opened her eyes, and looked at it.

_This will do,_ she thought. _Thanks for the pep talk, Jetta..._

"I summon Flamvell Archer!" she shouted.

The fiery bowman appeared, aiming his burning arrow. (1,000 ATK)

"And now that I've done that, I can Tune him and Firedog together..."

The two Flamvells flew into the sky, and faded into seven glowing stars.

"_Fires ignited in the throes of passion, stunning loveliness that can burn with a glimpse! Clustering stars shine your lights upon the one who can use beauty as a weapon!_

"_Synchro Summon... Flamvell Enchantress!"_

In a bonfire, the buxom beauty in a scarlet dress and a golden crown appeared, brandishing her staff.

"And her Attack Points are equal to the Attack Points of the Monsters I Tuned to summon her, combined!" shouted Ember.

(2,900 ATK)

"Flamvell Enchantress," she ordered, "take Sky Scourge Enrise down! Burning passion!"

The Spellcaster flew into the air. The wicked Fairy looked up with an expression that might have been construed as fear...

Then the Enchantress cast a fiery spell, and Sky Scourge Enrise exploded into flames and sparks of light.

"It isn't over!" shouted Trueman.

"I'm afraid it is," said Ember. "Because now, you lose Life Points equal to your destroyed Monster's Attack Points."

Flamvell Enchantress aimed her staff at him, and cast the flaming spell again. Trueman let out a scream...

**(E: 4,250) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 0)**

Trueman looked up. He took some deep breaths.

"It won't end, Shadowchasers," he cursed. "So long as I even have an iota of my power, it won't end..."

"_But I'm afraid you won't even have that any longer, Trueman,"_ said a voice they had not heard before.

Everyone slowly turned around...

Hovering in mid-air was a globe of pulsating energy. And in the center of the globe was a hideous-looking creature.

It was fully twenty feet long from stem to stern, and combined the features of a fish, eel, and toad. Its body was long and tubular, with a fish-like tail, two fins near the head, and a dorsal fin on the back. It had four long tentacles slightly back from the head, two on the topside and two on the underbelly. The head was roughly triangle shaped, with a circular, lamprey-like mouth. Above the mouth were three eyes, each one set atop the other. The eyes were large, but had no irises or pupils, and were covered with a thick film. The whole body was covered with a coating of slime.

"Holy..." said Jinx.

"Not the right word, Jinx," said Shichiro.

Trueman looked even more scared than they were.

"Master, please..." he said.

"_Save, it, Trueman..."_ said the creature. _"I wish I could say I regret this, but the truth is, I never really intended for you to accomplish much anyway. You helped me sow the seeds of my plan, but now that the seeds have blossomed, the package they came in is nothing but trash."_

Its voice seemed to sound in their minds rather than resonate in their ears, and it spoke in a formal tone that was stiff and bossy.

"You used me??" shouted Trueman.

"_Did you really expect me to restore your full power when you'd obviously use it to try to find Darkness?"_ asked the creature. _"You're pathetic, Trueman. You may have been formidable once, but your time is long passed,_

"_If you ever do find Darkness, tell him he's no better."_

Then Trueman let out an unholy scream. Before the four Shadowchasers could react, he exploded into shards of blackness.

It was here that Gears noticed something about this creature.

_That mark..._ he thought. _That mark on what passes for its face... That's the Indelible Imprint!_

"So..." said Shichiro, "Mr. Big finally decides to show up… That is, if 'mister' is indeed the right word here. Who are you?"

"_My actual name is unpronounceable by the tongues of inferior races such as yours,"_ said the creature.

"Inferior?" shouted Jinx. "Come down here and say that, you big toad!"

"_I am no toad, Ms. Noriko,"_ said the creature, _"nor do I associate with such creatures. Toads are vertebrates, a type of creature I despise."_

"You must hate a _lot_ of people," said Shichiro.

"_Humph..."_ said the creature. _"You seek to free the last Titan? Fine... Do so if you have the strength..._

"_I can't stop you now, as your link to those meddlers shields you from my power. But with Truman gone, the time has come for a change of plans._

"_Truman could not prevent you from gaining the Titans... So I'll find other minions whose job will be to slay them..._

"_And you along with them."_

And then, it vanished.

"Not all too subtle, was it?" asked Gears.

"Is it gone?" asked Gabriel, who was hiding under a chair.

"Come out of there, you big baby..." said Shichiro.

Then his cell phone rang.

"Yeah?" he said, answering it. "Jalal?

"Okay, we'll be right back..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

They had not seen Jalal this worried in a long time. As they sat in the lounge at the townhouse, the hologram showed him pacing.

"It was an aboleth, people," he said. "Incredibly bad news."

"Tell me about it," said Gears. "That thing had the Indelible Imprint, Jalal. You know what that means."

"Indelible Imprint?" asked Jinx. "Isn't that the mark that's put on someone who..."

"...murders a Shadowchaser?" said Shichiro, finishing the question.

"Yes," replied Jalal. "Due to an epic-level curse cast by a cabal of Incantifers allied with us eight centuries ago, when a Shadowchaser is killed by a malicious action by another sentient being – murder, in other words – that mark is permanently branded on its face. It can only be seen by Shadowchasers, and identifies the killer as such, and records the crime in a special tome at headquarters.

"But identifying that aboleth's victim will take some time. Casualties have happened several times when we've fought aboleths, and not all the cases involving them were closed in the eight-hundred years since the curse was cast."

"Hold it..." said Jinx. "Are you saying that overgrown amphibian could be eight-hundred years old?"

Jalal sighed.

"Kaede," he said, "I have yet to meet an aboleth who couldn't prove it was less than _ten-thousand_ years old, and many of them are _much_ older than that.

"It's hard to explain, but I'll try. The aboleth species is old beyond imagining. On the homeworld of Shadow, they were forming subterranean empires when most other life was crawling out of the primordial muck. And like most nonhumanoid races, they have _incredible _superiority complexes.

"What truly makes aboleth frightening is how their memories work."

"Memories?" asked Gears.

"Aboleths claim that they'd live forever unless they're killed, and they don't reproduce often," explained Jalal. "But when they do, they reproduce asexually, and a young aboleth is born with all the memories of the parent. Since all members of the race have this trait, they have the memories of the whole race, starting at their beginnings… Countless eons ago…

"Also, they're omnivores, and can eat almost anything... But if an aboleth consumes a sentient being, it absorbs that being's memories as well.

"And even worse, it seems that the transference into our world can't make them lose those memories! Aboleths know ancient secrets of the beginnings of everything.

"They can bring any memory to the front of their minds in an instant. Indeed, if an aboleth has nothing better to do, it can spend many blissful hours reliving a particularly enjoyable part of its life.

"Because they witnessed the origins of almost all other creatures, aboleths consider themselves superior to everyone, especially humanoid beings. They have _incredible _egos. They respect illithids, because they apparently don't know anything definite about their origins… But that's pretty much it."

"So..." said Jinx. "Are these things truly... Immortal?"

"Kaede," said Jalal, "with creatures like this, there's only one true way to know if they're immortal. First, do something like I did to become immortal yourself. That's the easy part. Second, capture the being in question alive, lock it in a magically warded cell, and make sure it doesn't get out. That's a great deal harder. Third, sit back and watch. If it eventually dies, you'll know that it wasn't immortal. But if you're both sitting there Judgment Day, you'll know that it was."

"We have another problem," said Gears.

He walked to a bookshelf, and took down an old book.

"The Titans said they had issues with an alien race called the Psurlons," he said, turning the pages. "While I never heard of _that_ name...

"I did recall something with a similar name..."

He opened to a page that had a pencil sketch of an ugly creature. It looked like a humanoid lamprey dressed in a long, flowing robe. Its hands had long, sharp claws.

"See those?" said Gears, pointing to the claws. "Those are actually special teeth. See, this thing's limbs end in secondary mouths, and it can use those long teeth in the same way humanoid beings use hands."

"What the heck is it?" asked Ember.

"It's called a Psurlac," said Gears. "This race of Shadowkind lived on Earth up to about three-thousand years ago, long before the Shadowchasers were even founded. They were all powerful sorcerers, and powerful alchemists, and their goal as a race was to create the Philosopher's Stone."

"That's the thing that can change lead into gold, right?" asked Ember.

"It can theoretically do that, and much more," replied Jalal. "Cure any illness, grant eternal life, or even create life."

"Yukai Judai once used an enchanted Spell Card called Philosopher's Stone Sabatiel that reflected this," said Gears. "It could duplicate any card in the user's deck.

"But the Psurlacs were only motivated by greed. They experimented to create the ultimate tool of alchemy only for the great wealth it could bring them."

"So why aren't the Psurlacs around any more?" asked Shichiro.

"That's the weird part," said Gears, closing the book. "Three-thousand years ago, every member of the race on Earth just vanished, without a trace."

"So..." said Jinx. "You're thinking that the Psurlacs and the Psurlons may be the same species?"

"It seems possible," said Gears, "although I have no idea how they traveled to another galaxy."

"Even with magic," said Jalal, "the technology at that time wouldn't have been enough to build a flying machine, much less a spaceship capable of intergalactic travel.

"Anyway, you continue what you were doing. The aboleth will have a hard time causing trouble until these new minions it mentioned actually show up. We'll stay on a Code Blue for now.

"I'll try to do some research on the aboleths, and maybe on the Psurlacs. Although... I may have to go back to the Black Library..."

Shichiro laughed nervously. They all knew how much Jalal didn't like doing that...

The Black Library was located on another world. It had an extensive collection of books on magic and the histories of races and cultures. Unfortunately, it belonged to the ruler of that world, and no-one was allowed in without his permission.

To get his permission, you had to feed his already inflated ego, using flattery, and more often than not, expensive gifts as well. Jalal would not do that. His attempts to make proper deals using diplomacy with the pompous ruler had failed, so each time he needed to use the Black Library, he had to force his way in.

Fortunately, he had always managed to fight his way past Xvartnar, the guardian oni who was in charge of guarding the place. The guy might have been successful keeping the average intruder out, but not once in the past two-hundred years had he successfully kept Jalal out.

So, once again...

As Jalal vanished, Trymus, Shannalla, and Il Mathman appeared.

"Guys," said Shichiro, "that aboleth doesn't seem to like you very much... Do you know anything about it?"

"We have no idea, actually," said Il Mathman. "In our entire careers, we have never met an... aboleth, much less opposed one."

"Well, I'm ready to do what has to be done," said Ember. "Just say when."

"We'll go in the morning," said Trymus. "It's been an eventful day."

"Here," said Shannalla. "This is the most help we can give you..."

Two cards appeared in mid-air. Ember reached out and took them.

"Nice..." she said. "But... I'm going to be dueling these testers?"

"Yes," said Il Mathman. "The spirits of Duel Monsters span the universe, and folks adapt everywhere. That's why you'll need all your strength. Where we'll be going, dueling takes more effort and stamina than it does here. It isn't truly a Shadow Duel when a duel happens in this place, but it can hurt considerably more than it does on Earth.

"That's why it makes such an efficient test."

"And I have to do it four times in a row..." sighed Ember. "Great."

"We'll be there to give you support," said Shichiro. "I assure you, you'll never have to fight alone again."

"I hope not..." said Ember.

She looked at the two cards.

_I'm going to need all the help I can get..._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MUTUAL BENEFIT (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Marauding Captain and Command Knight charging through a broken-down door.

**Card Description:** Activate only when your Attack Position Monster battles another Attack Position Monster. If you activate this card, you cannot activate any other Spell or Trap Cards during the same Battle Phase. Increase the ATK of the opposing Monster by any amount (in increments of 100) up to 2,000. Increase your Life Points by an amount equal to the amount of Attack Points gained x2.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Shichiro: The jail where the fourth Titan is held is in our sights, but what's this? Another ophidia is standing in our way! How did this guy even get here? According to him, even he doesn't know, but just like Hssimim, he makes claims of nobility, and wants to duel.**

**Looks like someone is playing with us, and maybe with him as well. One thing's for sure, I'm going to have to duel him if we want any answers. **

"**D.D. Borderline" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**The Dual-Sided Cult, Demonic Cooperation**

Demons are terrible creatures, but not too hard to understand. One that is very complex, however, is the one that is arguably the most powerful, Demogorgon, the Prince of Demons, a terrible demon lord who commands fear and respect from demons, devils, and deities like. Pictured as a giant beast with a reptilian body, tentacles, and two heads that resemble savage mandrills, Demogorgon is more confusing than most denizens of the Abyss.

His title of Prince of Demons is often disputed, but thus far, no-one has successfully wrested the title away from him. The demon lord who likely came the closest was one called Amoth. Eons ago, before the two demons battled, Demogorgon only had one head. Demogorgon won the battle and slew Amoth, but not before a blow from Amoth's mighty sword split him nearly down the middle. Demogorgon healed, but his head remained split.

Since that day, the Prince of Demons has had two heads, and two minds. His two personalities are named Aameul and Hethradiah. They rarely cooperate, and are often fierce rivals. Aameul favors deception, while Hethradiah favors destruction. Strangely, this war within himself often turns out in Demogorgon's favor. For example, stories are told about how Hethradiah formed an alliance with a powerful lich queen, which left her vulnerable to assassins sent by Aameul. When they killed her, Demogorgon gained her power and lands, so both sides of him benefited.

Demogorgon has worshippers, as most demon lords do. Cultists always worship one of his two personalities, rather than both. Bloodthirsty pirates and highwaymen are drawn to Hethradiah, while professional assassins sometimes revere Aameul. Cultists are always rivals with each other, with one notable exception.

The Dual-Sided Cult, a secretive society that appears to work out of Mumbai, is the only known cult on Earth that reveres both of Demogorgon's two selves. Led by twin rakshasa brothers, the members of the cult cooperate in a way that is almost unheard of among demonic cultists.

The cult has become very powerful among the Indian underworld in modern times, becoming involved in many illegal activities, including drug running, slave trading, murder for hire, and pretty much anything typical for a crime syndicate in that part of the world. Most folks have no idea of the horrible rituals they conduct in their demonic god's name. They openly welcome Shadows into their ranks, and many sahuagin, ophidia, and dark elves that have rejected their respective gods for some reason often join. The Shadowchasers have dealt with individual members of the Dual-Sided Cult many times, but defeating individual members of such a group is like crushing individual ants that are part of a large colony. Only by destroying the nest will they ever wipe the cult out completely.

**Story Ideas:** Dealing with demon worshippers is tricky. Dealing with worshippers of Demogorgon is trickier than most, given that he is Prince of Demons. That doesn't make him the ruler of all demons, but it puts him in high standing in the Abyss. He has many powerful allies and servants, including Dagon, another demon lord who is a font of ancient knowledge, and the Abyssal marauders, murderous berserkers said to be created from the souls of the most loyal cultists.

The one saving grace is, demons cannot come to Earth via their own power, and Demogorgon is no exception. They can only be summoned. The Dual-Sided Cult may well be mad enough to try to do so, however, if they think they could profit from it. A plot involving the Cult trying to summon their lord to Earth and the heroes trying their hardest to prevent it might be the centerpiece of a whole story.

Any story involving Demogorgon or his followers tends to use tropical or sub-tropical locations as the central point of the story. Demogorgon's home in the Abyss is a jungle realm bordering a warm sea, and he tends to attract worshippers from similar places. As previously stated, the Dual-Sided Cult is from Mumbai, but places with similar climates would also suffice.

**Deck Suggestions:** Members of the Dual-Sided Cult can duel with the best of them, but what really makes them stand out is their skill in team duels. A worshipper of Aameul often designs his deck to work with that of a worshipper of Hethradiah so that they can make a lethal combination. They aren't above cheating to win at times; they might wear microphones under cowls in order to communicate with each other privately like Lumis and Umbra did. Their strategies aren't perfect, of course. It's possible to defeat them if one knows how to team duel without falling into the most common pitfalls.


	35. DD Borderline

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL THIRTY-FIVE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**D.D. Borderline**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Ember's sleep wasn't exactly pleasant. She dreamed of cold, slimy, clammy things, not just the aboleth, but other strange creatures. Some were no bigger than the average cat, while others were behemoths the size of buildings. She saw them crawling out of the waters of an ancient sea, an ocean whose waves had lapped upon the shores of the Earth long before humans ever existed...

She slowly woke up. It was five in the morning.

The book she had been reading last night was next to her pillow.

It was _Weird Tales; The Best of Lovecraft._

"Ugh, why was I reading _that_?" she muttered. "It's not like it would have any information on gruesome..."

She opened the book, directly to a lavish illustration of the terrible Cthulhu standing in front of the sunken city of R'lyeh.

She sighed. She knew it was gonna be a long day.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the shadows of the Kaiba Dome, many small businesses stood. One was the Red Wagon Café. A place with good food and a friendly atmosphere.

The four Shadowchasers decided to give Boris a break, and eat there for breakfast.

"Here you are, hon," said the waitress, putting a plate in front of Ember. "The lumberjack's special."

The lumberjack's special was simply steak and eggs, but it was still a lot.

"Any reason you have a sudden craving for protein?" she giggled.

"Ember's going to need it today," said Shichiro, as she gave the rest of the orders out.

"So..." said Jinx, "any idea what they're talking about over there?"

They all looked towards a table about twenty feet away. Trymus, Shannalla, and Il Mathman were sitting there, unseen to all but their eyes.

"Probably making plans of their own..." said Gears.

"I feel kinda bad eating in front of them," sighed Ember.

"They're bodiless spirits, Ember," said Gears. "They can't eat."

"Couldn't we help them with that?" asked Ember. "Couldn't the Incantifers find a way to restore them? Like...

"I dunno... Maybe clone them, like they did with that sheep..."

"Dolly?" asked Jinx.

"Yeah, that was her name," replied Ember.

"Ember," said Jinx, "the Incantifers aren't even able to clone normal humans yet.

"And these guys aren't even human... Plus, they absorbed the Power Primordial. Even if they could somehow supply a DNA sample, it would be a draconian task."

"It just doesn't seem fair..." said Ember with a sigh. "I mean, even if we defeat the Dark Synchros once and for all, what will they do then?"

They all looked at the Titans, but none of them could say anything.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

When nothing remained but greasy plates, they paid the check, and walked outside.

"So now what?" asked Gears.

"Now..." said Trymus. "It's time..."

The three Titans were in front of them.

"Where are we going?" asked Shichiro.

"Far, far away," said Shannalla, "to quote a line from your popular culture. The jail where Jetta is kept is located on a small, unnamed planet in a very empty area of space... There are very few stars, and even fewer planets."

"The place was designed more to repel an attack from the outside," added Il Mathman, "rather than keep a prisoner in."

"Why is that?" asked Gears.

"You'll find out soon," said Trymus. "Now, once the portal appears, you'll feel it pulling at you. Do not resist. If you struggle against it, the journey might make you nauseous."

"Lovely..." said Jinx. "I can't even fly commercial without getting airsick..."

Then the Titans vanished, and a pulsating, swirling vortex appeared in front of them.

_Well..._ thought Ember, as she felt it pulling at her, _here goes nothing..._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At the Empress's Palace on Snakeskin Island, Hebi-Na, Msskim, and Csimith were relaxing in a lounge that was reserved for the nobility. (Taramanda was getting a spa treatment.)

It was a spacious room, much like a rec room, with several couches, a wet bar, a television (with satellite, naturally) and a video game system.

Hebi-Na was reading something she'd found in the palace library. (It was a book on Incan mythology.) Csimith was going over the cards in his deck.

Msskim sighed.

"You two don't mind if I smoke, do you?" he asked.

He took a pack of cigarettes out of his toga.

"No," said Hebi-Na. "Not if you don't the rest of them shoved down your throat..."

Msskim frowned, and put them away. He turned towards Csimith.

"You've been looking at those same three cards for ten minutes," he said.

"A deck has limited size, genius," replied Csimith. "If I want to put a better card in, I have to take a worse card out."

"Why bother?" asked Msskim. "The Empress is the only one who's going to be dueling."

"So she says," replied Csimith. "I'm not taking any chances...

"Besides, I..."

Then he grunted, and held his head for a minute.

Then he mumbled something incomprehensible. He shuffled his deck, and then loaded it into his Duel Disk.

Then he got up, and walked out the door.

"So where's he going?" asked Hebi-Na.

"Eh," said Msskim with a shrug. "Probably had to go to the john..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In another place...

Shichiro, Jinx, Gears, and Ember were in on an alien terrain. The best thing to compare it to was the pictures that the _Viking_ probes took of the surface of Mars. It was the same rocky, burnt red surface, and the same pink sky.

Jinx clutched her stomach. Apparently the trip had indeed made her nauseous.

"Jinx?" said Shichiro.

"I'll be fine..." she said. "I just need some fresh air..."

"Well, we can breathe here at least," said Gears.

Trymus appeared next to them.

"Yes," said the Titan, "in fact, the atmosphere here has slightly higher oxygen content than Earth."

"So where do we go?" asked Shichiro.

Trymus pointed.

Down about a quarter mile was a large structure made of concrete and iron. It looked more like a fortress than a jail.

"Seems pretty big," said Jinx. "How many prisoners does it accommodate?"

"Only one," said Trymus. "Jetta. Like we said, it's a private facility."

"They built a jail that big for _one_ prisoner?" asked Gears. "If the Harmonium is rich enough to do that, why do they accept bribes?"

"The upper ranks are rich," replied Trymus. "They have the resources of a whole planet. But the salary of the typical soldier is no better than that of a constabulary on your world."

"Well," said Shichiro. "I guess a short walk will be good for us..."

They started to walk forward...

And then a large stone statue of a cobra burst out of the ground.

Then two more joined it, one to each side. Then two more, to either side of those. Then more, and more, and more.

Before the Shadowchasers knew it, there was a wall of the statues stretching as far as the eye could see in both directions.

Then they noticed Csimith standing in front of them, still holding his head.

"Eh?" he said. "What the?"

He looked at them, and looked startled.

"An ophidia?" gasped Shichiro. "Here?"

"Who are you?" asked Gears. "Why are you here?"

"Uh..." said Csimith. "Answer to first question, my name is Csimith, and I am the chamberlain to the Empress of the ophidia...

"Answer to second question... I don't have the foggiest idea..."

He looked at his Duel Disk.

"I think I'm supposed to duel someone..."

The eyes of the statues started to glow menacingly.

"Yeah..." he said, nervously, "maybe that's the best bet..."

"This snake expects a duel from us?" asked Ember. "The ophidia's status..."

"Uh, Ember?" interrupted Jinx. "The Shadowchasers have no authority here."

"And I'm getting bad vibes from those statues," said Gears.

He took a device out of his pocket and turned it on.

"They were clearly created by dark magic," he said, "by a spell beyond the power of any ophidia we've ever encountered."

"I suppose trying to smash them isn't going to work," asked Shichiro.

"I wouldn't try it if I were you," said Gears. "I'd advise against even going near them. Whoever brought Csimith here likely won't let us by until someone duels him."

Shichiro looked at Csimith.

"Well..." he said. "It's not like we're on a deadline..."

He stepped up to face the ophidia.

"Shichiro, be careful," warned Trymus. "In this realm, a battle of Duel Monsters can hurt as much as a true battle. It's a test of stamina as well as cards."

"All right, I'll keep that in mind..." said Shichiro.

"Who the heck are you talking to?" asked Csimith.

"No one," said Shichiro. "Let's get this over with..."

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Csimith: 8,000)**

"All right, snake, I'm drawing..." said Shichiro.

He looked at his six cards.

He threw three cards on his Disk, and a set Monster appeared, with two set cards behind it.

"That will do for now."

"Sneaky," said Csimith, making a draw.

"I'll also set a Monster..."

A hidden Monster appeared.

"And I'll end my turn there."

_He didn't attack,_ thought Shichiro. _Well, just makes this easier..._

"My move..." he said.

He made a draw.

His facedown Monster flipped up, revealing Tuningware. (100 ATK)

"Next," he said, "I'll toss this card..."

He discarded Junk Synchron.

"...to Special Summon Quickdraw Synchron."

The little cowboy appeared, and drew its six-shooter. (700 ATK)

"Next," he said, as one of his facedown cards lifted up, "I activate Level Retuning. I'll reduce Quickdraw Synchron's Level from 5 to 4.

"Now, let's do it..."

Quickdraw Synchron and Tuningware flew into the sky, and turned into five glowing stars.

"_Treasure from trash, relics from refuse. A powerful fighter formed from the debris neglected and thrown away! Clustering stars call a new force…_

"_Synchro Summon... Junk Warrior!"_

The Dark Synchro Warrior landed in front of Shichiro in a flourish. (2,300 ATK)

"I get to draw once, due to Tuningware..."

He made one draw.

"Attack his Monster!" he shouted.

Junk Warrior flew at the reversed card, fist-first. Sangan appeared crouching on it, and was blown to bits.

"Terrific..." said Shichiro, as Csimith took a card from his deck.

He set a card in his Disk.

"I'll set a new card, and that will be all," he said, as it appeared facedown.

"My move..." said Csimith.

He drew a card.

"Just like you did last turn," he said, "I set two cards and a Monster..."

Two facedown cards followed by a facedown Monster appeared.

"...and my turn is over."

"That all?" said Shichiro, making a draw.

"I summon Six Samurai – Zanji!" he shouted.

In a flash of light, Zanji appeared, leveling his weapon at the ophidia. (1,800 ATK)

"Time for a change of scenery," said Csimith.

One of his two set cards activated.

"I activate _Macro Cosmos_!"

The background warped, and the whole group was transported to a void of stars.

"Not this again!" shouted Jinx.

"Ah, at least Csimith doesn't have Gravekeeper's Servant," said Gears.

"I'm not playing any Stall Deck!" laughed Csimith. "Who needs to stall when you've got this?"

His other facedown card lifted up.

"The Quickplay Spell, Grand Convergence!"

Then there was a rumble that sounded like thunder, and the stars themselves trembled.

"It creates a cataclysm that destroys all Monsters on the field, and deals 300 points of damage!"

Junk Warrior, Zanji, and Csimith's Monster were blown to shards.

"Ugh..." said Shichiro. "I end my turn..."

"I activate the effect of my Monster that was destroyed," replied Csimith.

"But it was removed from play!" shouted Shichiro.

His eyes narrowed.

"Or is that the whole point?" he asked.

A dark portal opened, and a small robot floated out. It was a spherical in shape, with an eye on the front, and two spindly arms that ended in lenses. (800 ATK)

"D.D. Scout Plane," said Ember. "My cousin told me about that thing. If it's removed from play, it automatically comes back during the End Phase. So long as Macro Cosmos is in play, it's almost impossible to get rid of it."

**(S: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 8,000)**

"My draw..." said Csimith.

He drew a card.

"I play the Spell Card, Remove Bomb," he said, playing a card. "I remove from play the top five cards from my deck, and for each one that's a Monster, you get blasted for 300 points of damage.

"So let's see..."

He took five cards off of his deck.

He grinned, and turned them forward. They were Bazoo the Soul Eater, Chaosrider Gustaph, Dark Grepher, Gren Maju Da Eiza, and a Spell Card that Shichiro didn't recognize.

Shichiro braced himself as four explosions erupted around him.

"Why..." he gasped. "Why would you throw away four perfectly good Monsters?"

"I have my reasons," said Csimith, placing them inside his toga. "Next, I summon Dimensional Alchemist."

A new Monster appeared in an aura of light. It was a humanoid figure, wearing fancy plate armor and a blue cape, along with a Guy Fawkes mask. (1,300 ATK)

"It's Attack Score may only be mediocre, but I can increase it substantially by removing one more card from my deck from play."

He took the top card from his deck (it was Spirit Reaper) and placed it inside his toga. Dimensional Alchemist conjured up an orb of dark, crackling energy... A Dark Core. (1,800 ATK)

"Attack him directly!" shouted Csimith.

The Alchemist prepared to hurl the Dark Core...

"I activate... Spirit Force!" shouted Shichiro, as one of his set cards lifted up. "Now, I not only take no damage, but I get to recover a Warrior-Type Tuner from my Graveyard."

The Core was halted by an invisible shield. Shichiro took Junk Synchron from his discard slot.

"In that case," said Csimith, "I'll move Scout Plane to Defense Mode..."

The Machine shielded itself with its arms. (1,200 DEF)

"...and end my turn."

Dimensional Alchemist's Attack Score fell back down to 1,300.

**(S: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 8,000)**

Shichiro wiped his brow as he made a draw.

"I summon Six Samurai – Irou," he said.

Irou leapt onto the field, drawing his katana. (1,700 ATK)

"Destroy his Alchemist!" he shouted. "Setting sun strike!"

Irou made a slash with his sword, cutting the armored figure in twain. It vanished into sparkles of light.

Shichiro placed a new card in his Disk, and a new facedown card appeared.

**(S: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 7,600)**

He wiped his brow again.

_Trymus was right,_ he thought. _This is rather taxing..._

_And I can see that Csimith is sweating it out too... Well, he would if he wasn't a reptile..._

"Csimith!" he said. "If I'm not mistaken, you're being forced into this duel as much as I am. Maybe if we just refused to continue, whoever is doing this would have no choice but to abort its plan. Whatever it is."

Csimith paused. He thought about it.

_Maybe he's right..._ he thought. _I'm of noble birth, after all... My mother was an ophidia abomination! One of the blessed ones... Since when has a member of my family done the bidding of any being other than the Empress?_

Then he heard a voice in his head.

"_And since when did ANY ophidia take the advice of a human?"_ it asked. _"Look at him, Csimith. He and his whole race are your enemies. _

"_If your mother knew you accepted his help, she'd die of shame."_

Csimith stopped short.

"That's true..." he hissed.

"It's my move, human!" he said, drawing a card. "I may not have asked for this duel, but you know what? I welcome it!

"Remember that Spell Card I removed from play when I played Remove Bomb? Well, it was this one..."

He held up a Spell Card.

"Card From a Different Dimension. Since I removed it from play last turn, I add it to my hand this turn, and we both draw twice."

"Whatever you say," said Shichiro.

They both made two draws.

"Next," said Csimith. "I sacrifice Scout Plane..."

D.D. Scout Plane vanished into an orb of light.

"...to summon Caius the Shadow Monarch!"

In an explosion of shadowy energy, a fifteen-foot-tall parody of Ember's Firestorm Monarch loomed over the field. It wore black plate armor, and a ragged, tattered cape, and its head resembled that of a bat. (2,400 ATK)

"Ho-boy..." said Shichiro.

"Now I can remove any card on the field from play," continued Csimith.

Shichiro grit his teeth as Irou vanished into nothing.

"What's more," said Csimith, with an evil grin, "since that guy was a Dark Monster, you lose 1,000 Life Points."

Shichiro grunted as a shadowy aura surrounded him with a crushing embrace.

"Caius... Attack him directly!"

The Shadow Monarch conjured up a Dark Core of its own, much larger than that used by Dimensional Alchemist. It hurled it at Shichiro.

Shichiro grunted, and one of his facedown cards shot up, revealing Draining Shield. He braced himself as the surge of energy flowed through him.

"You can't keep that up forever," said Csimith. "I end my turn."

D.D. Scout Plane appeared again. (800 ATK)

**(S: 7,900) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 7,600)**

_He's right,_ thought Shichiro. _I have to go on the offense..._

He looked at his facedown card, one he had set on his first turn. It was Call of the Haunted.

_A fat lot of good that does me,_ he thought. _Thanks to Macro Cosmos, the only Monsters in my Graveyard right now are Tuningware and Quickdraw Synchron._

"Draw!" he shouted, making a draw.

He looked at the card.

"I play Six Samurai United," he said, as a Continuous Spell Card appeared.

"Next, I summon Spirit of the Six Samurai."

There was an eerie moan, and a suit of Japanese style armor with ghostly smoke where the wearer's body would be, materialized in front of Shichiro. (500 ATK)

"A haunted suit of armor?" asked Csimith.

"Armor once owned by the founder of the Six Samurai's clan," said Shichiro. "And since it counts as a Six Samurai, my Six Samurai United gains a Bushido Counter."

The Spell Card glowed with energy.

"Next, I Special Summon Grandmaster of the Six Samurai."

Grandmaster appeared, looking sternly at Csimith. (2,100 ATK)

"So now, United gains another Counter.

"So then I can..."

He stopped short.

_Crud,_ he thought. _I just realized something... I can't use Six Samurai United's effect, because Macro Cosmos prevents me from sending it to the Graveyard!_

_Well, I'll make do..._

Spirit of the Six Samurai flew apart into its component pieces. Then the armor materialized on Grandmasters. The gauntlets appeared, then the boots, leggings, breastplate, and helmet, and then a glowing naginata appeared in his hands.

"Huh?" said Csimith.

"Spirit of the Six Samurai is a Union Monster," replied Shichiro. "And while wearing it, a Samurai gains 500 Attack and Defense Points!"

(2,600 ATK)

"Dethrone his Emperor!" shouted Shichiro. "Ancestral blade!"

Grandmaster leapt at the hulking Fiend, and made a quick slash down the middle. Caius shivered for a moment, and then burst into shards. Csimith hissed.

"In addition," said Shichiro, "whenever a Samurai slays a Monster while wearing the Spirit, I get to draw one card."

He made a draw.

"And I end my turn..."

**(S: 7,900) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 7,400)**

"My draw..." said Csimith, making a draw.

He grinned again.

"I sacrifice Scout Plane..." he said.

Scout Plane vanished into an orb of light yet again.

"...to summon my Golden Homunculus!"

An overwhelming aura of golden light permeated the field, and another huge, hulking Monster appeared in front of Csimith. It was a Warrior, but it more suggested a Rock than any other Type. It looked like a big statue made of gold, its arms and legs disproportionately large. (1,500 ATK)

"Big deal," said Ember. "Its bark is worse than its bite."

"Oh, it can bite much more than it seems," said Csimith. "Because for each of my cards that has been removed from play, it gains 300 Attack and Defense Points!

"And since this duel started, ten of my cards have been removed from play..."

Ten cards flashed past him – Grand Convergence, Remove Bomb, Bazoo the Soul Eater, Chaosrider Gustaph, Dark Grepher, Gren Maju Da Eiza, Spirit Reaper, Dimensional Alchemist, Caius the Shadow Monarch and D.D. Scout Plane.

(4,500 ATK)

"Destroy his Grandmaster!" he shouted. "Golden Harvest!"

The giant roared, and blasted a volley of golden shards at the aged Samurai. Shichiro braced himself as an explosion lit up the cosmic scene...

**(S: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 7,400)**

"Your sensei has given his last lesson!" laughed Csimith.

"Better take another look," said Shichiro.

The smoke cleared. Grandmaster was holding his chest and breathing hard, and the armor was gone, but he was still standing.

"What?" said Csimith.

"My Monster had a Union Monster equipped to him, remember?" said Shichiro. "When a Monster loses a battle while Equipped with a Union Monster, only the Union Monster is destroyed."

"Oh, uh..." said Csimith, taking a card from his hand. "Yeah, I knew that..."

He fit the card in his Disk.

"I'll end with this."

A facedown card appeared, and D.D. Scout Plane appeared again. (800 ATK) Golden Homunculus fell to an Attack Score of 4,200.

"My move!" shouted Shichiro.

He made a draw.

_Sweet..._ he said.

"I summon Six Samurai – Kamon!" he shouted.

In an aura of flames, the Samurai armed to the teeth with explosives appeared. (1,500 ATK)

"Now, I'm going to use his effect," said Shichiro. "Since I have at least two Samurai on the field, I can forfeit his Attack this round to destroy one face-up Spell or Trap Card.

"So say goodbye to your Macro Cosmos!"

Kamon threw a lit grenade at the Continuous Trap, and Csimith shielded himself as it exploded, and the spacescape faded away.

"You may have taken out the Trap," said Csimith, but the cards it removed from play remain so."

"Yeah, well," said Shichiro, "now that I can send cards to the Graveyard, I can use the effect of Six Samurai United. Since it has two Bushido Counters, I can get rid of it, and draw two cards."

The Spell Card vanished, and he made two draws.

"I play Double Summon!" he shouted, playing one of the cards. "I'll use my second Normal Summon to call out Nitro Synchron."

The small, propane droid appeared. (300 ATK)

"Then, I Tune together Nitro Synchron with my Grandmaster..."

The needle on Nitro Synchron's gauge turned to the red. Then it and Grandmaster flew into the sky, and faded into seven glowing stars.

"_An engine fueled by high-octane and a spirit of blazing energy, waiting to be unleashed! Clustering stars form a fiery dynamo of power!_

"_Synchro Summon... Nitro Warrior!"_

Nitro Warrior landed with a crash. (2,800 ATK)

"My Homunculus will turn that to toast," said Csimith.

"Don't be so sure," said Shichiro, as he played a Spell Card. "I play... Shrink!"

"You made a mistake, and wasted a powerful card!" laughed Csimith. "Shrink only reduces my Monster's _base_ Attack Score by half. So it's still too strong for your Synchro!"

Golden Homunculus fell to an Attack Score of 3,450.

"I knew that," replied Shichiro. "But in addition to making your Monster weaker, playing _any_ Spell Card makes my Monster stronger."

Nitro Warrior burned with flames. (3,800 ATK)

"Attack Golden Homunculus!" he ordered. "Dynamite knuckle!"

Nitro Warrior roared, and punched the huge construct with both fists. It shattered into burning pieces of gold.

"Ooh, you'll pay for that..." muttered Csimith.

**(S: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 7,050)**

"My draw!" he shouted, drawing a card.

"I activate my Trap Card, Escape From the Dark Dimension!

"Now I can Special Summon a Dark Monster that's been removed from play."

"Oh no..." said Ember. "That could only mean..."

Caius the Shadow Monarch reappeared. (2,400 ATK)

"Don't panic," said Gears. "It can only use its effect if it's Normal Summoned."

"True," said Csimith. "But I doubt it makes a difference to Kamon."

Caius hurled its Dark Core, and Kamon shattered into burning embers. Shichiro winced in pain.

"I'll set a Monster and a facedown card, then move Scout Plane into Defense Mode," said Csimith.

A hidden Monster appeared, then a reversed Spell or Trap appeared, and then Scout Plane shielded itself. (1,200 DEF)

"...and then you go."

**(S: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 7,050)**

"You just made a mistake," said Shichiro, as he drew a card.

"I summon Six Samurai – Yariza!" he shouted.

The ground split open, and the masked Samurai holding a glowing spear leapt out. (1,000 ATK)

"First thing's first. Yariza, attack his mystery Monster."

Yariza lunged at the hidden Monster with his weapon. Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and was impaled.

Both players discarded the cards in their hands, and made five draws.

"With a new hand, new possibilities abound," said Csimith. "Dangers lie around every corner... You have no idea what nightmares lie in my deck, where Monsters must cross the very dimensional boundaries to achieve their fullest potential..."

"Very dramatic," said Shichiro. "Nitro Warrior, crush his Shadow Monarch!"

Nitro Warrior lunged at the wicked Monarch, and threw a haymaker at its chin. Caius was thrown backwards, and burst into globs of darkness.

"Now I use Nitro Warrior's effect," continued Shichiro, "to move D.D. Scout Plane to Attack Mode, and attack a second time!"

Scout plane floated up into an attack stance. (800 ATK)

"Uh oh," said Csimith.

Nitro Warrior punched the small drone, and Csimith toppled backwards.

**(S: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 4,650)**

"All right!" shouted Ember. "Since it wasn't removed from play, it isn't coming back!"

"I'll set this facedown," said Shichiro, as a reversed card appeared, "and then turn it over to you..."

Csimith chuckled as he got up. He made a draw.

His Trap Card lifted up.

"I activate D.D. Dynamite!" he exclaimed. "This blasts you for 300 points of damage for each one of your cards that have been removed from play!"

Shichiro let out a scream as a fiery explosion erupted around him.

**(S: 3,300) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 4,650)**

Csimith then held up a Spell Card.

"Now I play Soul Release," he said. "It's an old card, but one that never lost its uses. Now I can remove five cards from play from either Graveyard.

"I think... I'm gonna remove them from mine."

Five cards, Sangan, Caius, Golden Homunculus, Macro Cosmos, and Grand Convergence slipped out of his discard slot.

"Wait..." said Shichiro. "You could have removed five of my cards from play... I would have lost 2,500 more Life Points when you used D.D. Dynamite."

"True," said Csimith, as he put the cards in his toga. "But I want my cards back, just in case this next move doesn't work."

"I don't understand..." said Shichiro.

"You will in a minute," replied Csimith. "I summon my favorite Monster..."

A dark, creeping shadow fell across the field...

"I summon... _Necroface_!"

The creature that appeared was hideous. It looked like some rotting doll's head, with some disgusting tumor taking up the upper right corner, and fiendish tendrils growing out of it. (1,200 ATK)

"That..." said Jinx. "That's the doll that Dark Necrofear carries... Only without Dark Necrofear..."

"But it's plenty deadly on its own," replied Csimith. "You see, when it's Normal Summoned, all the cards that have been removed from play go back to our decks."

Csimith added thirteen cards to his deck, while Shichiro added five to his, and one to his Extra Deck. The Disks reshuffled them.

"And for each card returned to our decks," continued Csimith, Necroface gains 100 Attack Points!"

(3,100 ATK)

"Good lord..." said Ember.

"I've been nice about this so far," said Csimith. "But... Necroface, annihilate Samurai – Yariza with necro blast!"

The demonic doll burned with cold fire, and then a blast of the same energy shot at Yariza...

"I activate... Attack Guidance Armor!" shouted Shichiro, as his facedown card shot up. "Now, your blast will be hitting Nitro Warrior instead!"

A fiendish suit of armor fitted itself around Nitro Warrior. Necroface's blast struck the Synchro, blowing it to flaming debris.

"Sorry, Nitro Warrior..." said Shichiro.

"Fine by me," said Csimith.

He set a card on his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

"At least now your stronger Monster is gone. It's your move..."

**(S: 3,000) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 4,650)**

Shichiro drew a card.

He quickly threw another card into his Disk.

"I play the Warrior Returning Alive," he said. "I think I'll bring back my little friend Junk Synchron again..."

He took the card from his discard slot. Then he threw the card on his Disk, and the Tuner appeared again. (1,300 ATK)

"And I'll use its effect to bring Tuningware back from the grave."

The small droid appeared, kneeling and crossing its arms. (300 DEF)

"To bring down that demented doll, I need some serious firepower," he said, as Junk Synchron yanked its ripcord. "So I'll Tune together all three of my Monsters..."

Junk Synchron, Tuningware, and Yariza faded into seven glowing stars...

"_Clustering stars form an arrow shot from the heavens to strike like a bolt from the blue! Appear!_

"_Synchro Summon... Junk Archer!"_

In a flash of light, the scrap-iron bowman appeared, drawing back an arrow on its bowstring. (2,300 ATK)

"Since you're so fond of removing cards from play," said Shichiro, "Junk Archer is going to give you a little taste of your own medicine.

"There's your target! Dimension shoot!"

Junk Archer aimed its bow at Necroface and fired, obliterating the Zombie.

"Not the brightest idea!" laughed Csimith. "When Necroface _itself_ is removed from play, so are five cards from both our decks!"

Shichiro gasped as the top five cards from his deck flew off and vanished.

He grit his teeth at Csimith.

"Laugh at this!" he shouted. "Attack directly! Scrap arrow!"

Junk Archer fired his bow at the ophidia, who grunted and took two steps backwards before falling on his behind.

**(S: 3,000) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 2,350)**

"I'll set a card facedown, and end my turn," said Shichiro, as a reversed card appeared behind the Synchro. "That means Necroface comes back..."

The hideous Zombie reappeared.

"But... It comes back without the bonus it previously had."

(1,200 ATK)

"So it does..." said Csimith, getting up.

He drew a card.

"Well, let's remedy that..."

His facedown card lifted up.

"First, I activate Call of the Haunted to bring back D.D. Scout Plane," he said.

The small drone appeared again. (800 ATK)

Then his other facedown card lifted up.

"Never saw that Trap before," said Jinx.

"Neither have I," said Gears. "Looks kinda like Compulsory Evacuation Device... But it's a Continuous Trap..."

"This is a similar card, called Compulsory Return Device," said Csimith. "It does what the more familiar Trap does, but I can use the effect any number of times... On my own Monsters only.

"I have to discard a card each time I do so, however. So I'll discard one card to return Necroface to my hand..."

He made a discard, and Necroface vanished.

"Now, I'll summon it again..."

Necroface reappeared in the same aura of darkness. (1,200 ATK)

"Once again, the ten cards that were removed from play go back to our decks," said Csimith, "and once again, Necroface gains 100 Attack Points per card."

(2,200 ATK)

"HA!" laughed Ember. "It's 100 points short!"

"Laugh while you can," said Csimith. "I also have this..."

He played a card, and an iron sword and a shield with a demonic face on it appeared in Junk Archer's hands.

"You put an Equip Spell on my Monster?" asked Shichiro.

"Yup," said Csimith. "It's called Calamity's Armaments, and it makes your Monster weaker, not stronger. It loses 600 Attack Points for each Monster I have."

Junk Archer fell to an Attack Score of 1,100.

"Attack his Monster!" shouted Csimith. "Necro blast!"

Necroface fired its lethal beam at Junk Archer. Shichiro quickly hit his Disk, and his facedown card shot up.

"Go, Invincible Hero!" he shouted. "Now your Monster can't destroy mine!"

"But you'll still feel the blow..." said Csimith.

Indeed, Shichiro felt the blow, and so did Junk Archer, apparently. As the Synchro Warrior struggled to keep its footing, Shichiro's knees buckled.

After a few seconds, he fell to one knee.

**(S: 1,800) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 2,350)**

"Still standing," said Csimith. "Good... I should let you know that Calamity's Armament's is incredibly hard to get rid of. If it goes to the Graveyard, I can immediately Equip it to one of your Monsters again.

"I'll end with this..."

Another facedown card appeared.

Shichiro made a draw.

_Nisashi..._ he thought. _I can do this... If I use Junk Archer's effect on Necroface again, I can inflict enough damage to win this duel..._

"Junk Archer..." he said. '"Use your effect on Necroface again!"

"Trap activate!" shouted Csimith. "Skill Shock!"

His facedown card shot up.

"I sacrifice one Monster..." he said.

D.D. Scout Plane vanished, and Junk Archer looked stunned.

"...and your Monster can neither attack nor use its effect for the rest of this turn."

Shichiro looked at Csimith. Then he looked at his cards.

"In that case, Csimith," he said, "it's time to say adieu to Junk Archer."

"Guess again," said Csimith, "Skill Shock also prevents you from sacrificing it."

Shichiro played a Spell Card.

"Didn't say I was going to," he said. "This Spell is called Variety Comes Out. First, I send my Synchro Monster back to my Extra Deck."

Junk Archer vanished into grains of light, and the evil sword and shield fell to the ground with a clatter. Both dissolved into nothing.

_Damn,_ thought Csimith. _With no other Monsters on his field, I can't use its effect!_

"Next," said Shichiro, "I Special Summon Tuner Monsters from my Graveyard whose combined Levels equal that of Junk Archer's."

Quickdraw Synchron appeared first, kneeling and crossing its arms. (1,400 DEF) Then Nitro Synchron appeared, also shielding itself. (100 DEF)

"Next," said Shichiro, "I'll finally activate this..."

His Call of the Haunted, that had been sitting unused all duel, lifted up.

Six Samurai – Kamon leapt onto the field. (1,500 ATK)

"That's all well and good, Mr. Osaka," said Csimith, "but I happen to know that you aren't allowed to make a Synchro Summon this turn, since you played Variety Comes Out.

"The Empress didn't appoint me chamberlain because I was stupid, you know..."

"Did I call you stupid?" asked Shichiro.

"Uh... no..." replied Csimith.

"Then don't put words in my mouth," said Shichiro. "Next, I summon Six Samurai – Nisashi!"

There was a gust of wind, and Nisashi leapt onto the field, holding his glowing paired swords. (1,400 ATK)

"I'm sure you remember Kamon's effect, right?"

Kamon threw an explosive at Compulsory Return Device, and it exploded into shards.

He set a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared in a flash of light.

"I end my turn..." said Shichiro.

"Let me get this straight..." said Csimith. "First you swap your Synchro Monster for a kiddie cowboy and a walking propane tank. Then you summon those two simply to destroy that Trap Card..."

He drew a card.

"You're up to something..."

He looked at the card.

"But I'm going to nip it in the bud! I summon Breaker, the Magical Warrior!"

In a blast of magical energy, the red-robed Spellcaster with the peaked hat, holding a sword and shield appeared. (1,600 ATK)

Shichiro smirked.

"I was hoping you'd do that..." he said.

His facedown card shot up.

"I needed you to summon another Monster for this Trap to work. Since the number of Monsters on your side of the field equals the number of Tuners on mine, I can activate Tuner Bomb!"

"Tuner Bomb??" gasped Csimith.

"That's right," said Shichiro, as both the Synchrons vanished. "By sacrificing my Tuners...

"Well... See for yourself..."

Csimith was thrown off his feet as an explosion shook his side of the field, blowing Necroface and Breaker to pieces.

"Cheap shot!" he shouted.

"You also take 1,000 points of damage per Monster destroyed," said Shichiro.

Csimith groaned.

He slowly got up. He looked at the last card in his hand, and then threw it into his Disk. It appeared facedown.

**(S: 1,800) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 350)**

"My move!" said Shichiro, making a draw.

"I summon an archer of a different sort," he said. "Six Samurai – Yaichi!"

There was an aura of blue energy, and the Samurai fletcher appeared. (1,300 ATK)

"Like his ally Kamon, Yaichi can destroy Spells and Traps... Only he destroys set ones."

Yaichi fired an arrow at the reversed card, which turned out to be a second Macro Cosmos.

"A bluff..." said Shichiro. "Ah, well...

"Nisashi... finish this!"

Nisashi flew at Csimith, and with one swipe of a blade, knocked the ophidia over.

**(S: 1,800) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 0)**

Csimith didn't have time to say anything. He simply vanished, and the cobra statues crumbled into dust. Within a minute, it was as if they had never been there.

"Shichiro!" shouted Jinx.

They all saw that Shichiro was breathing hard.

"I'll... I'll be fine..." he said. "Just took a lot out of me..."

"Uh, people..." said Gears. "Just how far did we walk before that guy showed up?"

Apparently, distances were not measured the same way here, because the fortress was now looming over them, the entrance not twenty feet away.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Csimith sat up with a start.

He was in his personal quarters back in the palace on Snakeskin Island. His Duel Disk was on his arm, and he had a throbbing headache.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Okay, Csimith, retrace your steps... Got up, had breakfast... Decided to rework the deck..."

Then it came to him.

"No... NO!" he said, holding his head. "I must have fallen asleep..."

He held his head again. He almost never dozed off in the middle of the morning. After all, his family line was modeled after a subspecies of snake that was strictly diurnal...

He shivered.

"Have I lost my mind?" he muttered. "Maybe I should see if Magdalene is busy... She can help..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The four Shadowchasers walked up to the front gates, where two sentries were posted. They were huge, hulking creatures, ten feet tall and five feet broad, seemingly made of onyx, and wearing bronze armor with Spartan-style helmets.

They looked at the four humans, but didn't say a word.

"What are those?" asked Jinx.

Shannalla appeared behind them.

"They are maruts," she said. "Living constructs similar to golems that are created to guard. These maruts were told to let nobody inside but the one wishing to sponsor Jetta, and those accompanying that person."

"Uh..." said Ember. "That's me, right?"

"Maybe you should tell them that," said Gears.

Ember gulped.

She cautiously walked up to the behemoths.

"Uh, hi?" she said. "I'm... My name is Eiko Michiko and, uh...

"Uh, I came to sponsor Jetta... The one who's being held here?"

The two maruts looked at her. Then they looked at each other.

One of them nodded. Then they both grabbed hold of one of the door handles, and pulled it open, standing aside.

Ember looked at the others with a look of disbelief. They walked in.

"That was incredibly easy," she said.

"Maruts know when someone is lying," said Shannalla. "Anyway, we were told that the first checkpoint would be easy to enter. Directions to the others would be given when the tests were passed."

A small hallway opened into a large room. On the end opposite theirs, two more maruts were standing by a pod, like the type seen in science fiction movies.

"Is that what I think it is?" asked Gears. "A cryogenic chamber?"

"It's similar," said Il Mathman, who had just appeared. "When someone has to be in a place for what may be a long time, they use suspended animation until they are needed. The maruts don't get bored, but a mortal guard would be driven stir-crazy."

One of the maruts pulled down a lever, and a cloud of mist escaped the chamber as it slowly opened...

The figure inside looked human, and was female. She was dressed in what looked like a spandex halter and trousers. Closer inspection revealed that it wasn't spandex, but a silvery fabric. She had long, black hair down to her waist.

Shichiro looked the outfit over. It showed a good deal of cleavage.

_A little revealing for a member of law-enforcement,_ he thought.

The strange woman held her head, and shook it to get the fog out.

"Uh, hi," said Ember. "I, uh..."

"Can you give me a minute?" was the reply, which was not at all friendly.

The woman opened her eyes. They were green. Deep, sea green.

"I mean, I've been in that thing for..." she continued.

She stopped short.

"How long _have_ I been in there?"

Not waiting for an answer, she took a device off her hip that looked like a blackberry, and pushed a button.

"What..." said Ember.

"I'm looking up the date!" she shouted.

Then the woman let out a long sigh.

"Terrific..." she grumbled.

She put it back on her belt, and then looked at Ember.

"So, you're here to sponsor Jetta?" she asked. "What in blazes took you so long?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**REMOVE BOMB (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A pair of hands using a remote control to use a crane to lower a bomb into a powder keg.

**Card Description:** Remove the top 5 cards on your deck from play. For each removed card that is a Monster Card, inflict 300 points of damage to your opponent.

_Note: "Remove Bomb" was first used by Sho in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" Episode 164. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CARD FROM A DIFFERENT DIMENSION (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A weird machine, crackling with energy, with a Duel Monsters card being created inside it.

**Card Description:** When this card is removed from play, return it to the owner's hand during his next Standby Phase. When this card is returned to the owner's hand this way, both players draw 2 cards.

_Note: "Card from a Different Dimension" was first used by Kaiser in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Graduation Match (Part 1)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SKILL SHOCK (Trap Card)**

**Counter Trap**

**Image: **Sasuke Samurai surrounded by bolts of lightning.

**Card Description:** Activate when your opponent activates the effect of an Effect Monster. Tribute one Monster to negate the activation of that effect. The Effect Monster cannot attack or be Tributed this turn.

_Note: "Skill Shock" was first used by Judai in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" Episode 162. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TUNER BOMB (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A large explosion radiating out of a central point.

**Card Description:** Activate by Tributing Tuner Monsters you control equal to the number of Monsters your opponent controls. Destroy all Monsters your opponent controls, and inflict 1,000 points of damage to your opponent per Monster destroyed.

_Note: "Tuner Bomb" was first used by Yusei in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" Episode 67. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**COMPULSORY RETURN DEVICE (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image: **Raiza the Storm Monarch being shot out of a Compulsory Evacuation Device.

**Card Description:** By sending one card from your hand to the Graveyard, you can return one Monster you control to your hand.

_Note: "Compulsory Return Device" was first used by Jack in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" Episode 69. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Ember: This chick is pretty pissed about having to put her life on hold for two-hundred years... I wouldn't blame her if she wasn't blaming everyone except herself. She seems determined to take it out on yours truly any way she can... Which means dueling to the best of her ability. If that duel with the ophidia made Shichiro so exhausted, can I get through all four checkpoints without collapsing? **

**Maybe, maybe not. I've beaten tougher. **

"**Hate Buster" is coming soon.**

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Jalie Squarefoot, the Lich-Fiend**

Liches are formidable adversaries. Devils are formidable adversaries. Is there any confusion then, as to why one of the Shadowchasers greatest enemies is a being who is both? The name of this evil is Jalie Squarefoot, the Lich-Fiend, a dangerous resident of Hell who has many interests in the mortal world.

His history was discovered in books of black magic found by members of Morgana's Kin at the Origin Universe, a library where any knowledge can be found if one knows where to look. Many millennia ago, he was a pit fiend, one of a powerful subclass of devils who form the nobility of Hell. He worked his way up the ranks, becoming more powerful, until he earned a place in the court of Mephistopheles, the Lord of the Eighth Circle.

But Jalie's rise to his position came at the expense of his vicious rival, another pit fiend named Duke Belphagon. The vengeful fiend and his coterie, jealous of Jalie's meteoric rise, concocted a number of plans for his assassination. After escaping numerous attempts, one finally left Jalie barely alive, and mere inches from a humiliating demotion. He needed a weapon – and he found one.

He discovered the secrets lichdom, a process that is normally unavailable to fiends, as only a mortal body can provide the necessary vessel to become a lich. (Indeed, despite legends of mortals learning dark magic from devils and demons as part of unholy pacts, the truth is that wizardry is one of the few things fiends learned from mortals.) But this would not stop Jalie. He left a doppelganger duplicate behind at his court, and then hid away to prepare a lich's phylactery. Then, he used a secret incantation to take mortal form just long enough to ritually destroy his body and make the horrid change to unlife.

The assassination attempts continued after the change, and eventually, one was successful. Belphagon assumed Jalie's office and lands, serving for exactly three days before Jalie's body reformed. With the advantage of total surprise, Jalie tricked Belphagon's own followers into murdering their lord. He quickly seized back his title, and has held it ever since.

Jalie was once no different than any other pit fiend in appearance – a hulking, winged, goat-legged, horned, fanged devil shrouded in flames. Now, however, he is gaunt and skeletal, his wings reduced to tatters, and he wears a dark cloak. His eyes that once burned with the fires of Hell are now little more than faint embers in empty sockets. His left hoof has become a club-like knob; Mephistopheles himself was the first one to call him "Squarefoot" because of this deformity, and the nickname stuck.

Jalie gained a lust for power that is exceptional even by the standards of devils. Eventually, he learned how to travel to the mortal world without being summoned, something that fiends normally cannot do. He has dozens of plans being played out; some of them are typical for devils (like offering mortals power in exchange for souls) but many have outcomes that can only be guessed at. Some of his plans won't see completion for thousands of years, but he has the time.

To that end, Jalie has fought the Shadowchasers numerous times, almost from the time of their founding. Shadowchasers have clashed with his minions, which have included practically every Shadowkind race that might work for an evil overlord. However, they have yet to inflict any serious harm on Jalie. Jalie has learned from old devils like Dispater and Mephistopheles, and knows to be cautious. Every time a plan was about to fail, he has salvaged what remained of it, and left for his home realm.

**Story Ideas:** If Jalie Squarefoot appears in a story, he should be the archvillain in it. He does not work for anyone except his lord, Mephistopheles. (And more than likely, his plans involve eventually seizing the throne of the Eighth Circle for himself.)

When using someone like Jalie, one should think big. Devils usually work towards making infernal pacts with mortals, with the intent of gaining souls, but this is not the only thing on Jalie's agenda. His plans should affect the entire world, or at least a nation. He may desire to draw Atropus, the World Born Dead to Earth in order to study it and increase his personal power. He may want to take over a large cult of devil-worshippers, or start one of his own. Or he may seek to awaken some giant evil concealed in a hidden location. (Look to the works of H.P. Lovecraft for examples of this.)

Of course, Jalie cannot hide from the Shadowchasers, as he gained the Indelible Imprint centuries ago. He thus tends to stay hidden while his minions do much of his work, only showing himself when he truly wants to take credit for something.

**Deck Suggestions:** Any duel with Jalie should be saved for the grand finale of the story. Thus, any deck he uses should probably be special. If you've ever made your own archetype of incredibly powerful cards, and you think they'd be good in the hands of a boss-villain, Jalie might use them.

Just because Jalie is a devil doesn't mean he'll use Fiends, and just because he's a lich doesn't mean he'll use Zombies. Devils love keeping their opponents guessing, so he'll likely use something completely unexpected.


	36. Hate Buster

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL THIRTY-SIX**

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**Hate Buster**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

"Seven cycles of Mechanus I've spent waiting for a sponsor," said the woman, with a bitter voice. "All this time, I've been as much a prisoner here as Jetta is...

"Of course, who would ever question the ruling of a Divinic? When it comes to interpreting the law, they're perfect!"

"Oh, I'm sure no-one is perfect..." said Gears.

"They are, according to articles published by the five most popular periodicals in our galaxy," replied the woman. "In fact, after Jetta's trial, only one newspaper posted an editorial with a negative view of his rulings.

"Practically overnight, it went from the second-most read newspaper in its region, to a tie for eighteenth with two supermarket rags. They fired their editorial department and made a public apology, but they hadn't recovered by the time I came here.

"And the Divinics _are_ perfect! Look as far back as you want into the records of one of them, and you won't find the slightest blemish on it. Not even a parking ticket."

"How would you know?" asked Gears. "Did you purposely try to dig up dirt on this judge?"

The woman glared at him.

"Are you making an accusation, buddy?" she said, through her teeth.

"Sorry," said Gears. "Forgot... Nothing was ever proven."

"So now what?" she asked. "What will I do once this is over? The lease on my apartment is expired... My boyfriend will obviously have found someone else... And when I go back to active duty, I'll most likely be demoted to shopping mall patrol."

"Hey, maybe this will teach you not to take bribes!" snapped Shichiro.

"If you're gonna keep making accusations, pal," she replied, "you'd best be prepared for a lawsuit."

"Not advisable," said Jinx. "Our boss has excellent lawyers."

"ENOUGH," boomed a voice.

Everyone turned towards the two maruts. It had come from one of them.

"Officer Zeyeye, you have a job to do," it said. "You will test the sponsor in a battle of Duel Monsters. Will we ensure that no cheating – on either side – is involved.

"Ms. Eiko... Is your deck prepared?"

"Uh, yes..." said Ember.

"Then, let the first test begin," said the marut.

"So, they _can_ speak," said Jinx, nervously.

Zeyeye stepped forward, and with a flash of light, a streamlined, silvery Duel Disk appeared on her arm.

"Fine..." she said. "Anything if means my ticket out of this place...

"But if you want to get Jetta out of here, I'm going to make you work for it..."

"Good luck, Ember," said Jinx.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Zeyeye: 8,000)**

"Well, what are you waiting for?" said Zeyeye, rudely. "An engraved invitation?"

"If you wanted me to go first, just say so," said Ember, making a draw.

She had a feeling she was going to hate this chick.

"I'll set these, and end my turn."

Two set cards, one a Monster, the other a Spell or Trap, appeared.

"Not much of an opening move..." said Zeyeye, making a draw.

"I summon Infernity Necromancer."

There was a ghostly moan, and a fiendish-looking phantom floated onto the field in front of her. It wore a tattered, purple robe, and had a bare skull for a face, topped with a fright wig. (0 ATK)

"An Infernity Monster??" exclaimed Shichiro.

"Eh, it has zero Attack Points," said Jinx.

"But since I Normal Summoned it, it quickly moves to Defense Mode," replied Zeyeye.

The Fiend shielded itself with its bony arms. (2,000 DEF)

"I'll set one card facedown, and that will be all."

A reversed card appeared behind Infernity Necromancer.

Ember drew a card.

"I sacrifice my Monster..." she exclaimed.

Her reversed Monster turned to an orb of light.

"...to summon a Fiend of my own! Meet Flamvell Devil!"

There was an explosion of fire, and the fiery demon stepped out. It roared in bloodlust. (2,100 ATK)

Ember paused.

_That facedown card could be a nasty surprise..._ she thought. _But... I think she's bluffing!_

"Attack!" she shouted. "Burning wave!"

Flamvell Devil spouted a blast of hellfire from its maw, and the Necromancer groaned before exploding into pixels.

"Wasn't so hard..." said Ember.

"But it's about to get much harder..." said Zeyeye, with a big grin.

Her Trap Card lifted up.

"I activate... Rope of Life! To pay the cost of this card, I have to fold my entire hand..."

She discarded her four cards to the Graveyard.

"...and in return, guess who's back?"

Infernity Necromancer appeared again. (2,000 DEF)

"What..." said Jinx. "No... She threw away her whole hand to bring her Monster back?"

"Yes..." said Shichiro. "And she meant to do so all along. Clearly, she's using Infernities.

"It's one time when a duelist can actually _benefit_ from having no hand.

"Poor Kiryu used these cards when he was a Dark Signer... The condition attached to them represented his situation... He had lost everything he had, but had become powerful because of it."

"Uh..." said Ember. "I end my turn... I guess..."

"I draw one card," said Zeyeye.

"And I summon Infernity Mirage!"

The air in front of her rippled, and a humanoid figure appeared. Like its name implied, it was translucent, like a mirage. It was dressed like a Native American Shaman, with a headdress made of brown feathers. (0 ATK)

"Do all of your Monsters have zero Attack Points?" asked Ember.

"See for yourself," said Zeyeye. "Because when I have no cards in my hand, I can sacrifice Mirage..."

The fiendish shaman vanished.

"...to Special Summon _two_ Infernity Monsters from my Graveyard!

"So first I'll summon Infernity Archfiend."

Another Fiend appeared. This one was tall, thin, and lanky, with blue skin and orange hair styled in a peak, wearing a grey bodysuit with blue scarves. (1,800 ATK)

"And then, Infernity Dwarf!"

Another figure appeared, this one a sinister looking dwarf wearing overalls and a floppy hat. He held an axe that burned with an aura of fire. (800 ATK)

"Then I'll use Infernity Necromancer's effect," continued Zeyeye. "It lets me Special Summon an Infernity Monster from my Graveyard every round, so long as I have no cards in my hand.

"So say hello to Infernity Destroyer!"

There was a blast of fire, even more intense than the one that had heralded Flamvell Devil's arrival, and a far more hulking Fiend appeared from out of it. It had horns, claws, and a black, armored carapace, with a silvery breastplate over it. (2,300 ATK)

"Still with me?" asked Zeyeye.

"Hanging onto every word..." said Ember, nervously.

"The final card I tossed when I played Rope of Life bears especial remark," continued Zeyeye. "It's a special Trap Card called Skill Successor."

The card slipped out of her discard slot, and she placed it in the holster on her belt.

"By removing it from play while it's in my Graveyard, one Monster on the field gains 800 Attack Points for one round. Think I'll give that bonus to my Archfiend."

Infernity Archfiend glowed with an aura of green energy. (2,600 ATK)

"Now, time to show you what sort of a bitch I am! Infernity Destroyer... Attack..."

"I activate my Spell Card!" shouted Ember.

"Eh?" said Zeyeye.

Ember's facedown card lifted up.

"Enemy Controller," she said. "I have to sacrifice my Monster..."

Flamvell Devil vanished into grains of light.

"...but he would have been destroyed anyway, and by seizing control of your Archfiend, I'll save myself a LOT of damage this round."

Infernity Archfiend vanished, and then reappeared on Ember's side.

Zeyeye closed her eyes and smirked.

"Smart..." she said. "I guess you're full of tricks too...

"I end my turn, so gimme back my Monster!"

Infernity Archfiend reappeared back on her side of the field, and its Attack Score fell back to 1,800.

"My move!" shouted Ember.

"All right, Miss Anger Management Issues," she said, "I'm removing Little Chimera from play to Special Summon Inferno in Defense Mode."

She pocketed the card, and a roaring bonfire appeared on her side of the field. (1,900 DEF)

"Then I'll set a Monster."

A reversed Monster appeared.

"And I end my turn..."

Zeyeye drew a card. She grinned again.

"I summon Infernity Beast!" she laughed.

There was a loud howl, and a demonic-looking hound with strange looking sacks behind its jaws leapt onto the field. (1,600 ATK)

"Five Monsters?" gasped Gears.

"Infernity is a combination of both swarm and beatdown," said Shichiro. "So long as you have no hand, the Monsters are incredibly easy to summon fast."

"By the way, newbie," said Zeyeye, "defending isn't going to work so long as Infernity Dwarf is on the field. He gives all my Monsters a trampling effect, so long as I have no hand."

Then she pointed, and Infernity Destroyer unleashed a wave of lightning, vaporizing. Inferno.

"And, also because I have no hand, Destroyer deals out 1,600 extra points of damage whenever it... destroys."

Ember groaned as flames licked at her shoulders.

"Next," said Zeyeye, "my Archfiend is going after your little scardy-cat Monster..."

Archfiend reached forward, and its claw turned into fiery energy. It reached for the hidden Monster...

A large, fiery buzzard with a scaly hide appeared, crouching behind its wings. (1,800 ATK) The claw halted.

"Afraid Neo Flamvell Garuda's Defense is a bit too much," said Ember.

Zeyeye sighed.

"In that case," she said, "I end my turn..."

**(E: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 8,000)**

Ember made a draw.

_Okay, let's see here... _she thought._ She has five Monsters, and all of them are trouble..._

_Especially that Necromancer... It can revive any Infernity that I destroy. _

_But... She can only do it once per round..._

"I summon my own four-legged friend," she said. "Flamvell Firedog!"

There was another howl, and Firedog bounded onto the field. (1,900 ATK)

"Time to go on the offensive!" she shouted. "Firedog, toast Infernity Dwarf!"

Firedog breathed a blast of flame from its jaws, roasting the evil dwarf to a crisp.

"Ergh..." grunted Zeyeye.

"Now, I'll use Firedog's effect to bring out Neo Flamvell Shaman!" continued Ember.

A fiery portal opened, and the flaming, masked medicine man leapt out, twirling his fiery baton. (1,700 ATK)

"Attack Infernity Beast!" she ordered. "Tiki torch!"

Shaman blasted flames out of the mouthpiece of his mask, and Infernity Beast howled. It shattered into black pixels.

**(E: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 6,800)**

"Yeah!" said Jinx.

"I move to my second Main Phase," said Jinx, "and play... Double Summon."

The Spell Card appeared.

"I'll use it to set a Monster."

A reversed Monster appeared along with her other ones.

"Now I move to my End Phase, where the effect of Neo Flamvell Garuda kicks in. Since I have at least one other Flamvell Monster, I can remove one card in your Graveyard from play."

Infernity Beast fell out of Zeyeye's discard slot.

"Ooh, you'll pay for that," said Zeyeye, as she placed it in her holster. "It's my move!"

She made a draw.

"I set a facedown, and then use Necromancer's effect to bring Infernity Dwarf back!"

A facedown card appeared, and then Infernity Dwarf appeared on the field again. (800 ATK)

"Now, since your Garuda can remove my Monsters from play, that's the Monster I'm getting rid of first!

"Infernity Destroyer, attack with wave of destruction!"

Destroyer blasted its bolts of energy again, and Garuda exploded.

"And once again, you lose 1,600 Life Points," said Zeyeye, with a smile.

Ember groaned again.

"Archfiend, crush that tiki!" shouted Zeyeye.

Infernity Archfiend reached forward with its flaming claw, and Neo Flamvell Shaman was incinerated.

"Infernity Dwarf, the facedown Monster!"

The evil dwarf rushed towards the hidden Monster, and lifted his axe...

But Zeyeye was shocked when she say what it was.

"Not a Morphing Jar!" she screamed, as the Warrior chopped the jar in two.

"That's right..." said Ember, with a grin. "If you have cards in your hand, your Infernities are powerless... And now you have to draw five.

"Start drawing."

Zeyeye growled, and made five draws. Ember discarded the last card in her hand, and made five draws.

"Fine..." said Zeyeye. "I might as well use one of them..."

She fit a card into her Disk. A reversed card appeared in a flash of light.

"I'll throw this facedown, and end my turn."

**(E: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 6,800)**

Ember drew.

_Perfect,_ she thought.

"I Special Summon Neo Flamvell Origin," she said.

She played a card, and the small campfire with the cute face appeared. (500 ATK)

"What's so special about it?" shouted Zeyeye.

"Boy, if you're like this all the time, I wouldn't blame your boyfriend for leaving you," said Ember. "I'm allowed to Special Summon Origin if I control at least one Flamvell Monster, and _your_ Graveyard has three or less cards in it.

"There are only two cards in your Graveyard right now, Rope of Life and Infernity Mirage. Everything else has been summoned out of it or removed from play.

"Now, getting back to what I was doing... I assume they have heard of Synchro Summoning in this galaxy?"

Flamvell Firedog and Neo Flamvell Origin dissolved into six glowing stars. Ember chanted.

"_Born in the fiery core, rage empowered by white hot flames, strength of an erupting volcano! Clustering stars form a spark to light a roaring fire! _

"_Ignite… Flamvell Urquizas!"_

Urquizas appeared with flames in his eyes. (2,100 ATK)

"I'm not impressed," said Zeyeye, offhand, putting her hand on her hip.

Her facedown card lifted up.

"I activate the Trap Card, Full Salvo! I discard every card in my hand, and for each one, you get blasted for 200 points of damage!"

She discarded the four cards in her hand, and four missiles shot out of the card. Ember grunted as they exploded around her.

"Crud!" said Jinx. "Now her Infernities will be able to use their effects again!"

"Yeah..." said Gears. "But... At least none of them can use their effects during Ember's turn, right?"

"I'm just getting started," said Ember, as she played a Spell Card. "I play the Spell Card, Fire Back. So I'll toss one Fire Monster..."

She discarded Neo Flamvell Saber.

"...to bring back Firedog."

Firedog bounded onto the field again. (1,900 ATK)

"Next," said Ember, since I haven't Normal Summoned yet, I'll summon Flamvell Archer."

Archer appeared, aiming his bow. (1,000 ATK)

"Now I'll use his effect. By sacrificing a Pyro Monster, I can increase the Attack Score of a Flamvell Monster by 800 for one round.

"So I'll sacrifice Archer himself to boost Firedog's Attack Score."

Archer vanished, and Firedog burned fiercer. (2,700 ATK)

"Wait..." said Zeyeye.

"Urquizas!" shouted Ember, "destroy Infernity Necromancer! Fist of flame!"

Urquizas rushed at the skeletal Fiend, and socked it hard. It burst into flaming bones.

Urquizas's Attack Score rose to 2,400.

"Next, Firedog attacks your Archfiend!"

The hellhound blasted its wave of hellfire, and the gaunt Archfiend exploded into raw energy.

"Ergh..." muttered Zeyeye.

"Now, I use Firedog's effect to bring Flamvell Gurnika out of my deck," said Ember.

In a flash of fiery energy, the humanoid dragon-man appeared, hovering over the field. (1,700 ATK)

Ember held up her last card.

"I play Shrink, to bring your Destroyer down to a more manageable size."

Infernity Destroyer shrank to half its size. (1,150 ATK)

"Gurnika, destroy it!" ordered Ember.

Gurnika spit a ball of flame at the reduced-sized Fiend, burning it to a crisp.

"And now for Gurnika's effect," said Ember. "You lose 200 Life Points for each Level that Monster had. And I believe it was Level 6."

Zeyeye grunted as an aura of flames surrounded her and she keeled over.

**(E: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 4,050)**

Zeyeye slowly looked up.

"Heh, heh..." she chuckled. "Not bad... But I have a surprise...

"You see, one of the Monsters I sent to the Graveyard when I used Full Salvo was _this_ guy!"

A small shadow appeared on the field, and a hideous creature appeared. It was a demonic scarecrow, dressed like a cowboy, holding two six-shooters. (0 ATK)

"HUH?" said Ember.

"It's called Infernity Avenger," said Zeyeye. "Since you destroyed an Infernity Monster while I had no hand, I'm able to Special Summon it from my Graveyard.

"What's more, its Level becomes that of the Monster that you destroyed."

"But..." said Ember. "Why would it have an effect like that..."

Then it hit her.

"Unless..."

"My move..." said Zeyeye.

She drew a card. She quickly set it on her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"I thought I was angry before..." she growled. "Now I'm _really_ angry...

"Remember when I said I was going to show you what kind of a bitch I was? Well I lied... I can be a much bigger one...

"In response to your earlier question, we know all about Synchro Summoning..."

"Good lord..." said Shichiro. "That thing is Quickdraw Synchron's evil brother..."

"That's right," said Zeyeye. "And since I summoned it in response to Infernity Destroyer being destroyed, its Level is now 6, meaning it can give my Dwarf a Tune-up!"

The whole room turned dark, and both Infernity Avenger and Infernity Dwarf turned into eight glowing stars. Zeyeye started a chant of her own:

"_An unstoppable engine of destruction, nihilism focused into a mighty death beam! Rise from the infernal pits and lay waste to all before you..."_

There was a low growl, and two glowing eyes appeared in the darkness...

"Synchro Summon... _Infernity Death Dragon_!"

The whole creature, all fifteen feet of it, stepped into view, and snarled at Ember. (3,000 ATK)

Ember had seen Dragons that were this big before. She had seen Dragons that were this strong before (her cousin's was a good example). But she had to admit, she had never seen a Dragon that was this downright _ugly_ before. Its blackened hide was wrinkled and baggy, its claws and wings were crooked, and it had a big horn on its large snout.

"Three-thousand Attack Points?" shouted Gears. "Shichiro... Did Kiryu use this thing?"

"No, he used a Dark Synchro," replied Shichiro, "that One-Hundred Eyes Dragon thing... He...

"What the heck is this?"

"This is the true lord of the Infernities," said Zeyeye. "And while its Attack Score is considerable, it doesn't have to attack to make someone feel sorry.

"When I have no hand, I can forfeit my attacks this round to instead annihilate a Monster, and deal damage equal to half that Monster's Attack Score.

"Infernity Death Dragon, wipe out Flamvell Urquizas with Infernity Death Breath!"

The demonic Dragon roared, letting out a gust of foul breath, blowing Urquizas to shards. Ember held her chest as pain ripped through her torso.

**(E: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 4,050)**

"I'm finished..." said Zeyeye, with an evil grin.

Ember caught her breath, and drew one card.

She set it on her Disk, and a reversed card materialized.

"I move both my Monsters to Defense Mode," she said.

Flamvell Gurnika knelt and crossed its arms. (200 DEF) Flamvell Firedog moved to a sitting position. (200 DEF)

"I end my turn."

Zeyeye made a draw.

"Well, this will be fun..." she said.

She threw a card on her Disk.

"I summon Infernity Randomizer!"

She played the card, and the most unlikely Monster Ember had ever seen appeared. Its body was shaped like a revolver, with a barrel at both ends, with a demonic face on top, and two slender arms under the barrels. (900 ATK)

"This guy's effect is sort of like Russian roulette," said Zeyeye. "I draw one card, and if it's a Monster, you lose Life Points equal to 200 times its Level. If it's not a Monster, I lose 500 Life Points.

"So let's see..."

She drew a card.

She grinned, and held it up. It was Infernity Guardian, which was Level 4.

Infernity Randomizer turned sideways, and fired a blast at Ember. She held her stomach.

**(E: 900) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 4,050)**

"All I need to do now is activate my Dragon's effect to destroy that mutt," gloated Zeyeye, "and you're finished."

"Small flaw in your plan..." gasped Ember. "Your Dragon's effect only works when you have no hand... Since you used Randomizer's effect, you don't meet that condition now..."

Zeyeye stopped short. She looked at Infernity Guardian in her hand.

"Well, well, well," she said. "So I don't...

"Well, why don't I activate this, then..."

Her facedown card lifted up, revealing itself to be Reckless Greed.

"Well, that will just give her two more cards," said Jinx.

"True," said Gears, "but if one of them is a Spell that lets her discard the other two, Ember is in big trouble."

Zeyeye drew two cards, and looked at them.

"Okay, you're safe," she said.

_For now,_ she thought.

She took both the cards she drew, and fit them in her Disk. They appeared facedown.

"Well, I still have my Monsters' normal attacks..."

Infernity Death Dragon let out a stream of deadly fire, reducing Flamvell Firedog to ashes. Then Infernity Randomizer fired a second blast, blowing Gurnika to pieces.

"Then, why don't I activate this..." said Ember.

Her facedown Dust Tornado shot up, and blew into one of the two cards Zeyeye had just set, which was Dimensional Prison. It shattered into pieces.

Zeyeye grinned, and closed her eyes.

_She may have gotten rid of that one,_ she thought, _but I still have a far deadlier Trap which will serve as a backup plan if she somehow manages to summon something stronger than my Dragon. Next, turn, when I skip my Draw Phase, I just have to summon Infernity Guardian, and then trigger it..._

_Zero Hole, a powerful Trap that will destroy all cards on the field, so long as I have no cards in my hand... _

_All except for Infernity Guardian, whose own effect renders it indestructible when I have no hand. This duel is mine._

"I end my turn," she said.

Ember drew a card.

"Well, Zeyeye..." she said. "Maybe you had the right idea... You see, I have a little bit of an inner bitch inside me myself...

"It just took an outward one like you to bring her out! I'm taking you down!"

"Yeah, how?" asked Zeyeye.

"With this!" shouted Ember. "The powerful Spell Card, Rekindling!"

Five fireballs appeared on Ember's side of the field, and they quickly turned into five Monsters: Flamvell Firedog (1,900 ATK), Flamvell Gurnika (1,700 ATK), Neo Flamvell Shaman (1,700 ATK), Flamvell Archer (1,000 ATK), and Neo Flamvell Origin. (500 ATK)

"Where did THEY come from??" shouted Zeyeye.

"My Graveyard," said Ember. "Rekindling lets me summon as many Fire-Attribute Monsters from there as I can, so long as they all have exactly 200 Defense Points. They'll all be removed from play when my turn ends, but they'll have done the job by then.

"First thing's first... I Tune Origin and Gurnika together to summon someone new..."

The two Flamvells turned into six glowing stars. Ember started to chant again...

"_Powerful huntsman with a bow of flames and a burning determination! Blaze the trail and bring in your quarry. Clustering stars form a light that leads you to your prey!_

"_Synchro Summon… Flamvell Justicar!"_

Forming a burning wake, the evolved form of Flamvell Archer leapt down to face the huge Dragon. (2,300 ATK)

"Is that supposed to scare me?" asked Zeyeye.

"Maybe this will," said Ember. "When Flamvell Justicar is Synchro Summoned, I get to name one Type of Monster, and he gains 1,000 Attack Points when attacking that Monster."

Zeyeye's confident look vanished.

"So, I'll name Dragons," said Ember, as Justicar pulled his bowstring back, "and he can easily take down tall, dark, and gruesome."

Justicar's Attack Score rose to 3,300. He fired, and an explosion ripped through the chamber as Infernity Death Dragon was blown to flaming particles. Zeyeye struggled to keep on her feet.

"And then there's Firedog!" shouted Ember.

Firedog blasted its wave of flame, and Infernity Randomizer melted into molten steel.

"I use Firedog's effect to summon Flamvell Baby to the field," said Ember.

The small, flaming infant appeared. (800 ATK) It flew up to Zeyeye and spat a tiny fireball at her.

"I'm not through with you!" shouted Ember. "Flamvell Archer, go! Attack directly"

Archer fired his bow, and Zeyeye gasped as the flaming arrow hit her.

"Shaman, you next!"

Neo Flamvell Shaman blasted its Tiki torch, and Zeyeye screamed.

Then she fell to her knees, and collapsed.

**(E: 900) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 0)**

Ember took some deep breaths. Her Monsters vanished into grains of light.

"Man, Ember," said Gears. "I'm glad I'll never have to duel you... You're crazy..."

"Officer Zeyeye," said the marut, "you are dismissed."

Zeyeye crawled to her feet.

"Fine..." she growled. "At least now I can leave this rock..."

Then she simply vanished into sparkling motes of light.

"I guess she didn't want to stick around," said Jinx. "But then, who could blame her?"

The marut who had spoken pulled a switch, and the doors behind it opened.

"Second checkpoint is down the hall and up the stairs," it said. "You may proceed."

Ember took a deep breath. She walked past the two maruts.

But when the others tried to do so, the second one blocked their path.

"Only the sponsor is allowed past this point," it said. "The rest of you will have to wait here."

"Oh, come on!" said Jinx.

"Jinx, I doubt we have much of a choice," said Shichiro.

"I'll be fine," said Ember, with a sigh.

_At least, I hope I will... One duel down, three to go..._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Back on terra firma, at Shadowchaser Headquarters, Jalal was wearing his armor, and his sword was at his hip.

He didn't know what to expect when he confronted Xvartnar this time. The last time he had gone there, the guardian oni had challenged him to a battle of Duel Monsters, thinking it would be "fun".

Jalal had been around too long to see much of anything as "fun". But he had gotten what he had wanted.

He was pretty sure that Xvartnar would try to stop him, like he always did. But he was also certain that he could get by whatever the big jerk threw at him. Hopefully, after this happened enough times, the king who owned the Black Library would agree to a more diplomatic agreement in order for him to use it.

He waved his hand over the full-length mirror in front of him, and a portal of scintillating colors opened in it. He stepped through...

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**ZERO HOLE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A fleet of ships, airplanes, and helicopters being sucked into a huge whirlpool.

**Card Description:** Activate only when you have no cards in your hand. Destroy all cards on the field.

_Note: "Zero Hole" was first used by Jack in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" Episode 69. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**Next:**

**Jalal: Xvartnar's juvenile attempts to mislead me aren't half as upsetting as the credit he's giving my intelligence. When his initial plan falls flat, he challenges me to another duel, and it seems he may have learned a thing or two from our last encounter. **

"**Silver Wing" is coming soon.**

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**The Scourge of Asia, the Four Yokai Clans**

There are understandably few global organizations in modern times that can pose an ongoing threat to the Shadowchasers, or at least not many that last long after they are revealed, but in the deepest regions of Asia exist a collective of beings who, if ever united, would be as great a threat to the Shadowchasers and possibly the world as they are to each other, the Four Houses of the Yokai.

Most human residents of Asia have heard legends of the Yokai; demons, goblins, and other spirits said to represent nature's savagery. The great Minamoto Yoshitsune claimed to have been taught swordsmanship by one of them. In truth, these creatures of folklore are Shadowkind, just like those of other nations, but they are more organized than most.

Each House consists of a clan of Yokai affiliated with their namesake title. The House of the Howling Gale is governed largely by Kenku and Tengu, Yokai affiliated with the air and sky. The House of the Raging Mountain consist of the more earth affiliated Oni. Kappa, Samebito and other water Yokai govern the House of the Shrieking Tempest. And the final clan, the House of the Surging Flame, is predominated by Yokai affiliated with fire. These four clans are run in a manner largely unchanged throughout the thousands of years they have existed.

In general the Four Houses follow a strict code of Feudalism with the ruling members of each House consisting of two figures of power. The Bride, always a female Yokai who is raised to handle all matters of economic, political and social matters within the clan. The other is the Lord, a male Yokai usually, but not limited to, a male of the Bride's species to ensure future generations. The Lord's power is more geared towards each House's military power, and his first priority above all else is to serve and protect the Bride at all costs.

Each House has at least one or in some cases several private armies of well trained Yokai warriors, each division trained in different means of combat depending on their species and background but all showing a preference for Japanese and Chinese warfare before the use of firearms. This seemingly out of date choice of warfare is augmented mightily by each House's courts of sorcerers, who are, without exception, masters of elementalist magic of the type associated with their clan's heritage. For instance the sorcerers of the House of the Raging Mountain are masters of earth elementalism, the arcane art of manipulating earth and stone. Elementalism is often found side-by-side with alchemy, and this craft is often practiced among the Yokai wizards.

**Story Suggestions:** With each House boasting such strictly disciplined military might it is difficult to imagine why they have not launched an all out war against the Shadowchasers, whose efforts contrast directly with their belief of inherited domain over all of Asia and all its people, but the reason is actually quite simple. There is no true sense of allegiance between any of the Four Houses. Each clan is a vehement rival of the other three and are in a constant state of feuding. For the last thousand or more years the four Houses have existed in the midst of a power struggle that shifts back and forth as quickly as the tides change on a beach. Occasionally one or two Houses will form a brief alliance but only until the war has turned in their favor, afterwards one of both houses will turn on the other at the first sense of weakness.

Some philosophers say that this is due to the fact that each House represents a different element, and elements conflict with each other by their very nature. Water opposes Fire, and Wind opposes Earth; at the same time, Water and Earth will not align to oppose Wind and Fire, because Water can dominate Earth. Whether this theory is true or not, it is impossible to tell.

Whatever the case, Jalal has not yet decided a permanent course of action against the Four Houses. As long as they are at direct odds against each other they are more a threat to each other then anyone else. It would take someone or something of _considerable _manipulative or diplomatic skill to convince any of the Four Houses to consider an alliance lasting longer then even a year. But if there was any common ground between them it would be their united opposition to Jalal and the Shadowchasers.

The Yokai view all of Asia as their territory by right, and so far any attempts by the Shadowchasers to oppose them on their home turf, even in force has only served to unite the Four Houses long enough to drive the Shadowchasers and any allies out. They do not recognize the Treaty and are known to make public examples of any within their ranks or those who serve them that show any visible support for Jalal. This also would make any region of China or Japan that is currently Yokai territory an excellent hiding place for any criminals brave enough, or resourceful enough, to elude the Yokai clans. After all because of the ferocity of the feud between the four Houses the deepest depths of Asia remains largely no mans land for Shadowchasers, but again, as long as the Four Houses continue to view each other as enemies, their threat to the world is drastically reduced... for now.

**Deck Suggestions:** One of many words of advice for any unlucky enough to be in the heart of Yokai territory would be NOT to suggest that the Four Houses all run Yokai decks (at least if you want to keep your limbs and internal organs intact). While the Four Houses do not feel compelled to settle their matters more with a Duel Disk then they would with a sharp blade, they have accepted the need to adjust with the coming of Duel Monsters in the occasions when they feel the need for more 'civilized' combat. However in accordance to their traditions the Yokai nobility, each use decks that follow two conditions. The first is that the majority (in fact preferably all) of the Monsters used are of the same Attribute associated with their clan, and the second is that it in some way follows an oriental theme.

An example of this template is the Lord of the House of the Raging Mountain, the Oni warlord Bo-Fe. Bo Fe uses an Earth Attribute deck with a unique strategy designed around his three copies of Zanki, the level five Warrior type monster used by "Ghost" Kotsuzuka against Jonouchi in Duelist Kingdom. While on its own the card may seem outdated, Bo-Fe has built a clever strategy where he summons one with Giant Rat, allows it to be destroyed, summons it again using Birthright, summons the other two with Inferno Reckless Summon, and then uses Delta Attacker and Surprise Attack from the Darkness for a difficult to pull off but potentially lethal OTK. Not every deck used by the Four Houses is this abstract granted, but generally distinct decks like Elemental Heroes, Lightsworns, and other meta level decks are rarely used by the Yokai, although lower ranking members have more leeway in their choice of decks as they have less importance to their respective House's namesake.

_The Four Yokai Clans were a creation of fanfic author Metal Overlord 2.0. _


	37. Silver Wing

_I rarely have to cite sources in my fanfics for anything except the cards, but I have to do so in this chapter. The source I used for Jalal's analysis of the riddle in this chapter came from, in part, _The Annotated Mother Goose_, by William S. Baring-Gould and Ceil Baring-Gould. Credit goes to them._

**0 0 0 0 0**

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**DUEL THIRTY-SEVEN**

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**Silver Wing**

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**0 0 0 0 0**

Jalal stepped out of the portal, into the alternate dimension. Unlike Jinx, he suffered no queasiness from doing so. He had been using supernatural forms of travel for far too long for any of them to give him motion sickness.

The only reason he had never joined Morgana's Kin was because he didn't meet the biggest requisite – he wasn't female. For some reason, only a female body could transverse the dimensions the way they could. He wouldn't need to bother breaking into the Black Library if he was a member. They had easier access to much better stores of knowledge, the least of which was the Origin Universe, probably the biggest vault of information in the cosmos.

But the Kin's current Shadowchasers representative was away at the moment, and Jalal needed answers now.

As he expected, the portal had taken him to a subterranean location; it was a cave system where the ruler of this dimension held his most valuable things.

But the actual place the portal had taken him was a surprise. He was in the center of a large room shaped like a hexagon, similar to an arena. There was a door on each wall.

Jalal tensed. He drew his sword.

"Gee, Jalal," said a voice, "you are so uptight. You think someone's gonna charge in there claws first?"

Jalal frowned. He knew that voice. So incredibly annoying...

"I'm in no mood for games, Xvartnar," he said.

The door in front of him opened, and Xvartnar walked in. The guardian oni was seven feet tall, with blue skin, pointed ears, and long, pale white hair. To most mortals, he would be very intimidating. Jalal was not like most.

Xvartnar hadn't changed his wardrobe since their last encounter, still wearing the leather shirt and pants, black sneakers, and sunglasses. Of course, Jalal hadn't torn his clothes to shreds the last time, so Xvartnar had no reason to change it.

"So, your boss seems to have finally beefed up security here," said Jalal.

"Yup," said Xvartnar. "You should have seen him after you came last time... Boy, was he angry..."

"So I suppose that even if I take you down," said Jalal, "I'd have to fight my way past a horde of booby traps to get to the Black Library...

"Xvartnar... Have you ever seen _me_ angry? I mean _really_ angry?"

"Well, uhm?" said Xvartnar.

"I want this to end, Xvartnar," said Jalal. "If I have to truly _kill_ you to get your selfish, spoiled brat of a boss to leave his endless parties and come to a proper negotiating table, then that's what I'll do..."

For the first time since Jalal had known him, Xvartnar looked scared. He gulped.

Then he smiled again.

"Tell you what, Jalal..." he said. "No need to fight... I'll turn off the system if...

"Uh... If you can answer a riddle."

"A riddle??" said Jalal, clearly annoyed.

"Yeah," said Xvartnar. "Yah like riddles?"

"Frankly, no…" replied Jalal. "But I'll hear it if it will get me past you without a fight."

"Kay…" said the oni. "Listen closely… Ahem…

_As I was going to St Ives,_

_I met a man with seven wives;_

_Each wife had seven sacks;_

_Each sack had seven cats;_

_Each cat had seven kits;_

_Kits, cats, sacks, wives;_

_How many were going to St Ives?"_

Jalal sighed.

"What?" asked Xvartnar. "Too hard for you?"

"No," replied Jalal, "I'm just upset that you think I'm dumb."

"Dumb?" said Xvartnar.

"Xvartnar, I know that little nursery rhyme," said Jalal. "I'm British, remember? Britain is where that little ditty originated. There are several towns in Britain and other parts of Europe named St. Ives.

"And that _isn't_ a true riddle. It can't be answered, because it simply doesn't give enough information. In any assumptions that someone answering it must make, the rhyme only tells us that the second party has been 'met', and gives no further information about the intentions of the group, only that of the narrator."

"Say what?" said Xvartnar, making a dumb look.

"Look…" explained Jalal. "If we assume that the narrator has overtaken the man and his party, and both are going to St. Ives, then it's a simple mathematical problem. The answer in this case is 2,802, consisting of the narrator, the man, seven wives, forty-nine sacks, 343 adult cats, and 2,401 kittens."

"So is that your answer?" asked Xvartnar, with a grin.

"NO!" shouted Jalal, with such force that the oni stepped backwards. "I'm not done. You see, Xvartnar, that is only one possibility based on one assumption. Another assumption is that the narrator met this party coming from the opposite direction, coming _from_ St. Ives. In that case, the answer to the supposed riddle would be one, only the narrator."

"Well, uhm…" said Xvartnar.

"Alternatively," continued Jalal, "based on that same assumption, another answer to the riddle, based on pure logic, is zero. The question _specifically_ asked is how many kits, cats, sacks, and wives were going to St. Ives. That would exclude even the narrator, and none of the four stated categories are going, so the answer would be zero.

"_Alternatively,_ one could even assume that when the narrator 'met' this party, they were not traveling at all. They could have been met while at their house or at a public place. Again, depending on which logic you used, the answer would be one or zero."

"All right! All right already!" shouted Xvartnar, throwing up his arms. "Good grief, I thought the answer was one! I saw it in an old movie…"

Jalal put his hand on his hip.

"_Die Hard With a Vengeance_, right?" he asked. "Not exactly the cutting edge of culture, even for its time…"

"Damn it, Jalal, do you always have to be so serious?" growled Xvartnar. "You don't have a funny bone in your whole body!"

Jalal stared at him. Then he closed his eyes, and recited the same rhyme, only somewhat different.

_While I was going to St. Ives,_

_I met a man with seven wives._

_Of course, the seven wives weren't his,_

_But then, sometimes, that's how it is._

Xvartnar looked at him, flabbergasted.

"Hey..." said the oni. "You told a joke... YOU told a joke! Jalal actually told a joke!"

"Yes, I did..." muttered Jalal, under his breath. "Unfortunately, my doing so is one of the impending signs of the apocalypse."

"What did you say?" asked Xvartnar.

"Nothing," said Jalal. "I'll tell you later..."

Xvartnar sighed.

He took a Duel Disk off his back, and slipped it on his arm.

"Alright then..." he said. "Since the riddle idea bombed, I'll make a deal with you...

"We settle this the same way we did last time... I win, you leave for now, and I'll give your message to my boss...

"You win, I'll turn off the security system, let you into the Black Library, and when you're done with it, I'll still give your message to my boss.

"At least this way I'll have a chance of lessening some of the anger he's going to have when he finds out that the money he spent to keep you out isn't gonna do so for very long."

For a minute, Jalal considered refusing, and just forcing his way past.

But if he got rid of Xvartnar, a new guardian oni would take his place, and the whole thing would start all over again. This had to end...

"Fine..." said Jalal. "I accept!"

His sword vanished, and his custom Duel Disk appeared on his arm.

Xvartnar smirked a little.

_I still have one advantage,_ he thought, looking at his deck. _The boss also splurged on a new deck, one with several cards that are particularly effective against Jalal's strategy. _

_I may have to give the boss the message, but if I can at least beat him this time, it won't look as bad when I do..._

The half-dragon and the guardian oni looked at each other.

"Let's do this!" they both shouted.

They both drew five cards off their decks.

**(Jalal: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Xvartnar: 8,000)**

"Since you challenged me, I'll make the first move," said Jalal.

He made his first move.

"I summon my Axe Dragonute to the field."

In an aura of darkness a Dragon that looked similar to Ember's Flamvell Gurnika, only with pitch-black scales, materialized. It carried a nasty, two-bladed battle axe. (2,000 ATK)

"I'll set a facedown card for later," he said, as a reversed card appeared, "and end my turn."

"My move..." said Xvartnar.

He made a draw.

"I summon Dunames Dark Witch," he said.

He played the card, and a pretty female Fairy in a red dress with metallic wings appeared on his side of the field. (1,800 ATK)

"I see you've traded in your Fallen Angels for more respectable ones," said Jalal.

_Jalal, old buddy,_ thought Xvartnar, _you don't know the half of it..._

"I give her an Equip Spell," he continued, "the Cestus of Dagla!"

Two sharp blades appeared in Dunames's hands. (2,300 ATK)

"And I activate Threatening Roar!" shouted Jalal, as his facedown card shot up.

A bellow sounded over the field, stopping Dunames cold.

"Eh..." said Xvartnar, as he threw a card into his Disk. "I'll set this... For later..."

"My move..." said Jalal.

He drew a card, and then quickly played a Spell Card.

"I play Dragon Heart," he said. "I'm not allowed to summon a Monster on the turn I use this Spell...

"But I am allowed to select three Dragons from my deck, and send them to the Graveyard..."

He discarded three cards.

"...and in return, one Dragon on the field gains a boost."

Axe Dragonute roared. (3,000 ATK)

"Attack Dunames Dark Witch!" he shouted.

The Fairy wailed as the savage dragon-man struck with its axe, blowing her to pixels.

"Axe Dragonute now moves to Defense Mode," said Jalal.

The axe-wielding Dragon knelt, and held its axe in its lap. (1,200 DEF)

"I think I'll activate this," said Xvartnar.

His facedown card lifted up.

"Jar of Greed. Now I get one draw."

Jalal looked at him strangely.

"I end my turn..." he said.

**(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 7,300)**

Xvartnar made a draw.

"I'll set one Monster, and one facedown card, and that'll be all," he said, as two cards appeared in front of him.

Jalal quickly made a draw.

"I sacrifice Axe Dragonute…" he said.

The axe-wielder vanished into a globe of light.

"…to summon Divine Dragon Excelion!"

The Dragon that appeared looked different than most Dragons in the game. Rather than the Western dragons that dominated the Type, this one looked like an oriental dragon, with a serpentine body, silvery scales, and a mane of long, wispy hair. (1,500 ATK)

"Uh…" said Xvartnar. "A little weak for a Level 5, wouldn't you say?"

"On its own, yes," replied Jalal. "But Excelion has three effects. And I can choose one for each additional Excelion in my Graveyard."

"But…" said Xvartnar.

Then he stopped short.

"Oh…" he said. "You put two of them there when you played Dragon Heart, right?"

"That's right," said Jalal. "So first, I'll choose the effect that gives it 1,000 more Attack Points.

"And then I'll choose the effect that lets it attack a second time after destroying a Monster!"

Excelion roared. (2,500 ATK)

"Doesn't seem so weak now, does it?" asked Jalal. "Excelion, incinerate his Monster with celestial blast!"

The Divine Dragon blasted a bolt of pure light at the reversed Monster. Skelengel appeared on the card briefly before shattering.

"I get to draw one card," said Xvartnar, making a draw.

"Well I'm not done," said Jalal. "It gets to attack twice, remember?

"Attack him directly!"

Excelion breathed its mighty blast again.

"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Xvartnar.

His facedown card shot up.

"Defense Draw. Now, I take no damage, and I get to draw another card..."

The bolt of energy dissipated into sparkles of light. He made another draw.

_Quite a lot of draw power in this deck of his,_ thought Jalal. _He's setting up for something..._

"I end my turn..." he said.

Xvartnar made a draw.

_Sweet..._ he thought.

He quickly played a Spell Card, and some very distinctive music started to echo through the chamber.

Jalal recognized the tune. Being a member of the upper class, he had attended opera enough times to recognize the famous melody from Wagner's _Die Walküre_...

And he knew well the effect of Ride of the Valkyries in a game of Duel Monsters.

Three Valkyries, women in golden armor on white horses, holding shields and swords, appeared in front of Xvartnar. The only noticeable difference between them was the color of their hair. One's was red (1,000 ATK), another's was green (1,600 ATK), and the last one's was pink. (1,600 ATK)

"Impressive, ain't it?" said Xvartnar. "And what's more, each of these Valkyries has a special effect. Let's start with Valkyrie Zweite."

The pink-haired Valkyrie pointed her spear at Divine Dragon Excelion, and it shattered into pixels.

"Next," said Xvartnar, "Valkyrie Erste removes a Monster in your Graveyard from play, and assumes its Attack Score. Like your Axe Dragonute."

The card slipped out of Jalal's discard slot, and the green-haired Valkyrie glowed with golden energy. (2,000 ATK)

"Finally, Valkyrie Dritte gains 100 Attack Points for each of your cards that have been removed from play."

(1,100 ATK)

"Okay ladies... Sick 'em!"

The three Valkyries galloped towards Jalal, swords first. He staged backwards as the points stabbed into him, and then fell on one knee.

**(J: 3,300) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 7,300)**

"Hurts, doesn't it?" asked Xvartnar.

"Enjoy it while you can..." growled Jalal, getting up. "Since you summoned them with Ride of the Valkyries, they'll all go back to your deck when you end your turn."

"I know that," said Xvartnar. "So, since I haven't made a Normal Summon yet, I'm gonna set a Monster..."

A reversed Monster appeared.

"Then I'll set this..."

A reversed card appeared.

"And ladies, it's been a pleasure..."

The three Valkyries vanished.

"Oh, yeah," said Jalal, as he made a draw. "I'm sure you're a hit with all the lady demons…"

Xvartnar frowned.

"I play Cards of Consonance!" exclaimed Jalal, as he played a Spell Card. "I just have to toss one Dragon-Type Tuner with 1,000 Attack Points or less…"

He discarded Debris Dragon.

"…and I get to draw two cards."

He made two draws.

"I'll throw three cards facedown, and then summon Luster Dragon!"

Three reversed cards appeared, and then the beautiful, sapphire Dragon appeared in an aura of light. (1,900 ATK)

"Attack his Monster!" he shouted. "Sapphire spark!"

Luster Dragon blasted a beam of pure energy at the hidden Monster. A Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and was blown to dust.

"I figured as much," said Jalal, as he discarded the one card left in his hand.

They both made five draws. Jalal looked them over.

"It's your move, pal," he said.

Xvartnar chuckled, and made a sixth draw.

He fit two cards into his Disk, and two reversed cards appeared next to the one he already had.

"That'll do for now," he said.

Jalal lifted an eyebrow.

"No Monsters?" he said.

He drew a card.

_This couldn't be as easy as it seems,_ he thought. _I'd better wait before summoning a Monster…_

"Luster Dragon," he said, "attack…"

"I activate… Wotan's Judgment!" exclaimed Xvartnar, as one of his facedown cards lifted up.

A bearded man in a green cloak appeared in front of him, and held a cudgel in front of himself menacingly.

"To play this card, I've got to swap a Spell Card from my hand with the top card from my deck…"

He took the top card off his deck, and placed a card on top.

"…then I shuffle my deck…"

His Disk reshuffled the deck.

"…and your Battle Phase ends right now."

"I'll set a Monster, and end my turn," said Jalal, setting a card.

A concealed Monster appeared next to Luster Dragon.

_Didn't miss a beat,_ thought Xvartnar with a frown. _Can anything at all unnerve this guy?_

He made a draw.

"Just what I was looking for," he said.

"I play the Continuous Spell Card, Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen!"

He played the card, and the arena became immersed in a golden light...

After a few seconds, it had been transformed into a vast hall, with red curtains and marble pillars, with a throne at the far end.

"Fitting I should use this card, Jalal," said Xvartnar. "The Valkyries were the Choosers of the Slain... They took the souls of warriors who died in battle to this grand hall, where Odin was their host..."

"Only half of them, actually," replied Jalal. "The other half went to a similar palace called Fólkvangr, where Freya was the ruler. Valhalla simply gets more attention because it's mentioned in more stories."

Xvartnar growled.

"You always have to one-up me, don't you?" he shouted.

"Well, I tend to read books, rather than horde them like your employer does," said Jalal.

"Uh... touché..." said Xvartnar.

He played a card.

"Well, fine by me, because this Spell lets me Special Summon a Fairy every round, so long as I have no Monsters on the field. So say hello to Valkyrie Brunhilde!"

Another Valkyrie materialized, one who looked much like the others, only with blue hair. (1,800 ATK)

"Brunhilde is known among the Valkyries as a dragon-slayer, Jalal, so much that she gains 300 Attack Points for each one on the field."

(2,100 ATK)

"I could attack your Luster Dragon... But... I got a better idea..."

One of his two facedown cards lifted.

"I activate Call of the Haunted, to bring back Dunames Dark Witch."

Dunames reappeared in an aura of light. (1,800 ATK)

"And then, I sacrifice her..."

Dunames vanished into a globe of energy.

"...for Fortune's Chariot!"

In an explosion of radiance, a golden chariot, pulled by two horses, appeared next to Brunhilde.

Brunhilde quickly dismounted her horse, which faded into light, and mounted the chariot, taking the reigns.

"With my Valkyrie Union Equipped with Fortune Chariot," continued Xvartnar, she's able to attack directly, so long as I cut her Attack Score in half.

"Think I'll do just that...

"Attack directly! Pride of Asgard!"

Brunhilde urged the two horses forward, and the Chariot flew at Jalal. (1,050 ATK) Jalal grunted as she made a swipe at him with her blade.

(J: 2,250) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 7,300)

"Who says opera is always boring?" said Xvartnar, as she landed back on his side of the field. "Next, I'll activate this..."

His last facedown card lifted up.

"Erda's Guidance. I toss one card..."

He discarded a Spell Card, Swan Maiden.

"And I get to take a Trap Card from my Graveyard and set it on the field."

A set card appeared.

"And I end my turn."

_It's obviously Wotan's Judgment,_ thought Jalal. _This guy is persistent, I'll give him that..._

He drew a card. He looked at the Spell Card.

_But that's all I'll give him..._

"I play Stamping Destruction!" he shouted.

He played the Spell Card, and Luster Dragon slammed its foot down, sending a shockwave towards the facedown card, which was, as he expected, Wotan's Judgment. It shattered into pieces.

"Eh, no big deal..." said Xvartnar.

"You also lose 500 Life Points," said Jalal.

"Eh..." said Xvartnar.

"Next, I sacrifice this Monster..." said Jalal.

His hidden Monster vanished.

"...to summon White-Horned Dragon!"

With a loud screech, a new Dragon appeared. It had blood-red scales, an armored hide, large wings, and a horn like that of a unicorn growing from its forehead. (2,200 ATK)

"You big dummy!" laughed Xvartnar. "That just makes Brunhilde stronger!"

(2,400 ATK)

"But White-Horned Dragon has a special effect," said Jalal. "By summoning it, I can remove up to five Spell Cards in your Graveyard from play."

Cestus of Dagla, Ride of the Valkyries, Swan Maiden, and Erda's Guidance appeared above Xvartnar's head, and vanished into nothing.

"And then, its Attack Score is increased by 300 points per card!"

(3,400 ATK)

"Attack Valkyrie Brunhilde!" he shouted. "Horn Drive Buster!"

White-Horned Dragon dive-bombed the Valkyrie, using its horn like a lance. There was an explosion at the point of impact. Xvartnar shielded himself...

When the smoke cleared, the Fortune Chariot was gone, but Brunhilde was still there, once again on her regular mount.

"My Monster survived..." sneered Xvartnar. "She used the Chariot as a shield..."

"Then I'll move Luster Dragon to Defense Mode, and end my turn," said Jalal.

Luster Dragon folded its wings, and curled up in a defensive position. (1,600 DEF)

**(J: 2,250) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 5,800)**

"My draw…" said Xvartnar, drawing a card.

He looked at the Spell Card.

"I'll throw this facedown," he said, as it appeared behind Brunhilde.

"Then I'll attack with Brunhilde!"

Brunhilde charged at Luster Dragon, and with one swipe of her broadsword, cut it in half. Her Attack Score fell to 2,100.

"You're probably wondering why I did that," said Xvartnar. "Well…"

"What, kept her in Attack Mode?" asked Jalal. "I know about her other effect… She can survive a battle if you shave 1,000 points off her Defense Score. And with it at 2,000, it would take three attacks to defeat her."

Xvartnar grit his teeth.

"Then make your move and try it," he dared.

"I'll accept that challenge," said Jalal, making a draw.

One of his three facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Immortal Dragon, to summon Debris Dragon back to the field."

The silvery-scaled Tuner Dragon appeared next to White-Horned Dragon. (1,000 ATK)

"Now, I'll Tune together Debris Dragon and White-Horned Dragon…"

Debris Dragon turned into four glowing stars. Then White-Horned Dragon turned into six. They started circling around the ceiling.

"Ten Levels??" gasped Xvartnar.

Then Valhalla itself started to shake. A wall of fire rose behind Jalal.

"What's going on??" shouted the guardian oni.

Jalal chanted.

"_An inferno of burning fire rises from the flaming pits of Hell. Clustering stars call forth a draconian fury like none other! Rage times three!"_

A huge creature started to rise behind him. Six glowing eyes appeared in the darkness, and then a roar sounded through the great hall that could best be described as three roars combined…

"Synchro Summon… _Trident Dragion_!"

The beast was bigger than any of his other Dragons, and looked far meaner. It had red scales, and no limbs except for the huge wings on its back. Most remarkable, it had _three_ vicious Dragon heads on serpentine necks. (3,000 ATK)

"Heh…" said Xvartnar, nervously. "Okay, that's… impressive… but… Didn't your White-Horned Dragon have more Attack Points?"

"That it did," said Jalal, "but this big guy has a powerful effect. By Synchro Summoning it, I can destroy up to two of my cards, and for each one I destroy, it gets an extra attack."

Jalal's two facedown cards lifted up and shattered into pieces.

"Those were Statue of the Wicked Traps!" shouted Xvartnar.

"Indeed!" replied Jalal. "And that means I get two Wicked Tokens!"

Two ugly Fiends appeared, one to each side of Trident Dragion. They looked like large serpents with demonic faces, wearing Egyptian headdresses. (1,000 ATK x2)

"And because I destroyed those cards," said Jalal, "Trident Dragion can attack three times!

"Attack Valkyrie Brunhilde! Flame Fury!"

A super-hot blast of fire shot out of Trident Dragion's left head. Brunhilde screamed, and her Defense Score fell down to 1,000. Xvartnar struggled, and sweat appeared on his brow.

"Again!" shouted Jalal. "Second Flame Fury!"

Brunhilde screamed again as the fire from the beast's right head roasted her, and her Defense Score fell to zero.

"Finish her off! Final Flame Fury!"

Trident Dragion shot an even more intense blast from its central head, and Brunhilde didn't even get a chance to scream this time. She was incinerated in an instant.

**(J: 2,250) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 3,100)**

"I'm not done with you!" shouted Jalal. "Wicked Tokens… Attack him directly!"

"Ergh…" growled Xvartnar. "I activate my Spell Card…"

His set Quickplay Spell lifted up.

"Celestial Transformation. Now I can Special Summon a Fairy from my hand to defend me.

"Her Attack Score will be cut in half, but I can summon her in Defense Mode!"

In an aura of light, Valkyrie Dritte appeared, holding her shield in front of her. (1,600 DEF)

"In that case," said Jalal, "I'll set this card facedown..."

A reversed card appeared.

"...and my turn is over. That means the Monster you summoned with Celestial Transformation is destroyed."

Dritte shattered into pixels.

"Yeah, yeah..." said Xvartnar, drawing a card.

He quickly played it.

"All right Jalal... I play the Spell Card, Card of Demise... I get to draw cards until I have five... The downside is, after five turns, I lose my whole hand."

"Not bad..." replied Jalal. "But using that card requires that you be actually able to count to five."

Xvartnar growled and held his forehead.

"You know," he shouted, "I think I liked you better when you had no sense of humor!

"Anyway..."

He made four draws. He looked over the four cards.

_Well what do you know..._ he thought. _This is just what I need to get rid of triple-ugly..._

"I play Awakening from Beyond," he said, as he played a Spell Card. "You get to draw twice, but I get to recover a Monster from my Graveyard."

Jalal made two draws, and Xvartnar took Valkyrie Brunhilde from his discard slot.

"Since you seem to know so much about Norse mythology," he continued, "I'm sure you know that death is never permanent for a warrior who fights in Valhalla. Thanks to its effect, Brunhilde returns."

Brunhilde appeared once again, astride her mount. (1,800 ATK) –) (2,100 ATK)

"In case you didn't notice, her Defense Score is set back to its base. But that's not going to matter due to this Equip Spell..."

He played a card, and Brunhilde's normal sword was replaced by a glowing, silver one with a bejeweled hilt.

"Enchanted Sword Nothung!" exclaimed Jalal.

"That's right!" replied Xvartnar. "Simply by activating it, I can remove that three-headed eyesore from play..."

Trident Dragion vanished into ripples of light.

"...AND, the same thing will happen to any Dragon that comes near her!" he. "Plus, the Sword raises her Attack Score by 400!"

(2,200 ATK)

"Go!" he shouted. "Tear down that Wicked Token!"

Brunhilde charged at the Token on the right, and swung Nothung at the evil statue, smashing it to pieces.

**(J: 1,050) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 3,100)**

Jalal frowned, and his facedown Trap Card lifted up.

"I activate... Damage Gate," he said. "It lets me Special Summon a Monster from my Graveyard with equal or less Attack Points than the amount of damage I took."

Golem Dragon appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (2,000 DEF)

"Eh?" said Xvartnar. "Hold up... I thought you had Dark End Dragon in your deck..."

"I do..." said Jalal. "What's your point?"

"So... Why didn't you use Damage Gate to bring back Debris Dragon?" asked Xvartnar. "You could have used Dark End to get rid of my Monster, and..."

"You should study up on Tuners more, Xvartnar," said Jalal. "Level 4 Tuners usually come with strings attached. Debris Dragon can't be Tuned with another Level 4 Monster."

"In that case, Jalal, I end my turn..." said Xvartnar. "I don't see what you're gonna do with those two guys anyway...

"Unless you can attack my Valkyrie three times with something other than a Dragon, she's untouchable."

Jalal drew a card.

"Not quite," said Jalal. "Those two cards I drew thanks to your Awakening from Beyond gave me half of the solution...

"And the card I just drew gave me the other half.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"

The cyclone blew towards Brunhilde, blowing Enchanted Sword Nothung out of her hand. It shattered against the wall of Valhalla.

"Now..." said Jalal. "I sacrifice both my Monsters..."

The Wicked Token and Golem Dragon vanished into orbs of light. Rays of white and black energy shot out from the spots where the two Monsters were.

"Oh... no..." said Xvartnar. "Not this guy again..."

A giant Dragon loomed over the field. It wasn't as big as Trident Dragion, but it was just as menacing. Its right side was pure white, and had a feathered wing. Its other side was pitch black, and had a bat wing. It had two tails, and radiated light one moment, and shadows the next.

(2,800 ATK)

"Ho boy..." said Xvartnar.

"Light and Darkness Dragon..." ordered Jalal, "attack Valkyrie Brunhilde with Dark Baptism!"

The mighty Dragon breathed a blast of pure darkness from its jaws, enveloping Brunhilde in utter darkness...

"I use Brunhilde's effect!" shouted Xvartnar.

"Not a chance," said Jalal.

Light and Darkness Dragon crackled with energy, and its Attack Score fell to 2,300. Brunhilde shattered into pixels.

"Your Valkyrie's effect failed, Xvartnar," said Jalal. "Just like the effect of any card you try to play, so long as my Dragon can deduct 500 points from both its Scores.

"I'll set one card facedown, and end my turn."

**(J: 1,050) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 2,400)**

Xvartnar drew.

He looked at the facedown card Jalal had just set. Then he looked at the four cards in his hand.

Then he smiled.

_You aren't gonna fool me this time, Jalal,_ he thought. _You're pulling the exact same trick you did before!_

_The facedown card is a third Statue of the Wicked. When your Dragon runs out of juice and I destroy it, it will be destroyed too, you'll get another Token, and another Monster from your Graveyard from its effect. Then you'll retrieve that thing from your Graveyard and summon it again._

_Well... This time, I'm ready for ya!_

"I set a Monster, and two facedown cards!" he shouted.

Two vertical reversed cards appeared, and one horizontal.

"Your move..."

Jalal made a draw.

"Light and Darkness Dragon, attack!" he shouted. "Shining Breath!"

This time the Dragon blasted a beam of pure light. Skelengel appeared on the card, and was blown to bits.

"I activate the effect of Skelengel..." said Xvartnar.

"No you won't..." said Jalal.

Light and Darkness Dragon pulsated with energy again. (1,800 ATK)

"It's your move..." said Jalal.

Xvartnar chuckled as he made a draw.

He looked at it. It was Nobleman of Crossout.

"Hmm!" he said.

"I activate Reckless Greed..." he said, as one of his facedown cards lifted up.

The Dragon radiated its aura again, and the Trap Card shattered. (1,300 ATK)

"Next, I activate Shadow Spell," he said, as his other Trap Card lifted up.

Once again, Light and Darkness Dragon reacted, blowing the card to shards. (800 ATK)

"Heh, seems your big bad Dragon is all out of power, Jalal!" he laughed.

He took one of the two cards from his hand.

"I summon Banisher of the Radiance!"

In an aura of light, a faceless, legless figure wearing a cape, with a pulsating mass in its chest appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"When this guy is on the field," he said, "all cards that would normally go to the Graveyard are instead removed from play. So it seems your Dragon's effect ain't gonna work this time...

"Banisher of the Radiance... Attack!"

Jalal smirked as the weird Fairy prepared to fire a beam of light at the huge Dragon.

His facedown Spell Card, which was clearly _not_ Statue of the Wicked, shot up.

"I activate Forbidden Chalice," he said.

"HUH?" said Xvartnar. "Forbidden Chalice?"

"It increases a Monster's Attack Score by 400," said Jalal, "and robs it of its effect until the End Phase."

"Wait..." said Xvartnar, as his eyes opened wide, "if that Dragon loses its effect..."

Light and Darkness Dragon roared... (3,200 ATK)

Xvartnar covered his head as the huge Dragon unleashed its counterattack, reducing Banisher of the Radiance to a pile of smoldering ashes.

**(J: 1,050) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 800)**

"Anything else?" asked Jalal.

Xvartnar hung his head. Light and Darkness Dragon would regain its effect when he ended his turn, which meant that Nobleman of Crossout wouldn't even be useful as a bluff.

"I give up..." he said, with a voice full of bile.

The Duel Disks deactivated, and the Dragon and Valhalla vanished.

"Lead the way, Xvartnar," said Jalal. "And it is in your best interest to keep your word and give your boss my message."

"Because if you have to force your way past me again, you're gonna kill me, right?" asked Xvartnar.

"Remember that joke I made?" asked Jalal. "I said something afterwards, I told you I'd tell you what it was later...

"What I said was, my making a joke is one of the impending signs of the apocalypse.

"Something is brewing in my neck of the woods that may threaten not only my world, but several others. So my having more use of the Black Library will be a benefit to your boss as well as to me..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Down the hall and up the stairs, it said..." said Ember. "It didn't say these stairs went up five floors. Would it kill them to have put an elevator in this place?"

She stopped. She squirmed a little.

Something was moving inside her sweater, on her back.

She reached under and felt... Feathers?

"Gabriel!" she shouted, pulling the young phoenix out.

"Heh..." chuckled Gabriel. "Spell wore off..."

"Spell?" asked Ember.

"I uh..." said Gabriel. "Used a little trick to take the form of a fire opal, and hide in the back of your sweater...

"I know you didn't want me to come, but hey... I felt left out!"

"Gabriel, I swear..." said Ember. "If you ruin this whole thing, you are gonna wish you were never hatched."

"Well... He doesn't seem to mind," said Gabriel.

"He?" said Ember.

Then she saw what he meant. The strange distance warping effect had happened again. She was one staircase up, facing another marut who was in front of a door.

The marut said nothing. It simply opened the door, and stood aside.

"Well..." said Ember. "I can't tell you to go home, since home is several million light years away...

"So just stay out of trouble, okay?"

She walked into the door.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ERDA'S GUIDANCE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A woman in a white dress with green hair in a sitting position holding a staff.

**Card Description:** Discard one card from your hand. Select one Trap Card from your Graveyard and set it facedown on your side of the field.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A collection of ancient palaces amid the clouds.**  
**

**Card Description:** Special Summon any number of "Valkyrie" Monsters from your hand (except those named "Element Valkyrie" or "Cyber Valkyrie"). During the End Phase of the turn, return all Monsters Special Summoned with this card's effect back to your deck. Then, shuffle your deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ENCHANTED SWORD NOTHUNG (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image: **A silvery, glowing sword against a starry, night sky.

**Card Description: **When this card is activated, select one Dragon-Type Monster on the field and remove it from play. The Equipped Monster gains 400 Attack Points. When the Equipped Monster battles a Dragon-Type Monster, destroy that Monster without applying damage calculation and remove it from play.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**WOTAN'S JUDGMENT (Trap Card)**

**Counter Trap**

**Image: **A man in a green cloak and a hood, pointing with a wooden staff.

**Card Description:** Activate when your opponent declares an attack. Draw one card from your deck, and place one Spell Card from your hand on the top of your deck. Then, shuffle your deck. End the current Battle Phase.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SWAN MAIDEN (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A flying swan superimposed over a nymph with her eyes closed.

**Card Description:** Special Summon one "Valkyrie" Monster from your hand (except an "Element Valkyrie" or a "Cyber Valkyrie").

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**VALKYRIE BRUNHILDE (Monster Card)**

Card Specs

Type: Fairy/Effect  
Attribute: Light  
Level: 7  
ATK: 1,800  
DEF: 2,000

Card Description: When this card is in Attack Position, increase the ATK of this card by 300 for each Warrior- and Dragon-Type Monster on the field. If this card is attacked, you can decrease the DEF of this card by 1000. If you do, this card is not destroyed as a result of battle.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**VALKYRIE DRITTE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 1,600

**Card Description:** Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you may increase the ATK of this card by an amount equal to the number of your opponent's Monsters that have been removed from play x100. The ATK increase lasts until the End Phase.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**VALKYRIE ERSTE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 1,600  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you may remove one Monster in your opponent's Graveyard from play. The ATK of this card becomes the ATK of the removed Monster until the End Phase of the turn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**VALKYRIE ZWEITE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 1,600  
**DEF:** 1,600

**Card Description:** When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, destroy one Monster on your opponent's side of the field.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FORTUNE CHARIOT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Beast/Union/Effect  
**Attribute:** Wind  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this card on your side of the field, you may Equip it a "Valkyrie" Monster you control (except an "Element Valkyrie" or a "Cyber Valkyrie") as an Equip Spell Card OR change it back to a Monster in face-up Attack Position. A Monster Equipped with this card can attack your opponent directly; if it attacks directly using this effect, reduce its ATK by half for the damage step only. (One Monster can only be Equipped with one Union Monster at a time. If the Monster that this card is Equipped to is destroyed in battle, this card is destroyed instead.)

_Note: The proceeding ten cards were all used by Ziegfried at various times during the original anime's KC Grand Prix Arc. Creative credit goes to the writers of those episodes._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DRAGON HEART (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image **A classic-looking dragon, with a large ruby over it's heart.

**Card Description:** Select three Dragon-Type Monsters from your deck and send them to the Graveyard, and select one Dragon-Type Monster you control. The selected Monster gains 1,000 Attack Points until the End Phase of the turn. You cannot Normal Summon or set a Monster this turn.

_Note: "Dragon Heart" was first used by Fubuki in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Darkness Within". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CARD OF DEMISE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **An executioner about to chop a deck of cards in half with a guillotine.

**Card Description:** Draw cards from your deck until your hand consists of five cards. On your fifth Standby Phase after the activation of this card, send every card in your hand to the Graveyard.

_Note: "Card of Demise" was used by Kaiba several times in the original anime, originally in "Clash in the Coliseum (Part 4)"_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**AWAKENING FROM BEYOND (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A ghostly face superimposed over a group of coffins.

**Card Description:** Your opponent draws two cards. Add one Monster Card from your Graveyard to your hand.

_Note: "Awakening From Beyond" was first used by the Pharaoh in the original anime episode "The Final Duel (Part 3)". Creative credit goes to the writer of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Police never go on duty alone. An officer always has a partner with him – or her. The duelist I'm facing now was Zeyeye's partner, and was the other officer who arrested Jetta.**

**Thing is, he doesn't seem angry at all. He seems more depressed than anything else. Is he depressed for the same reasons Zeyeye was angry, or is there something deeper to it? **

**A duel can tell a lot about a person, and since I have to face him anyway, I might find out. **

**What's the name of the next chapter? Can't tell you. This time I have to keep it secret for now.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Matthew Greenberg, Artifact Hunter**

When Israel first gained its independence, many governments, mostly those who didn't recognize it, doubted it would last long. Despite this, the Jewish state has persevered to the present day. But so has the conflict it has had to maintain to do so. Anti-Semitism is one evil that has yet to leave the world, and Israel's struggle is far from over.

Matthew Greenberg is a member of the Israeli Parliament who happens to be Aware (in fact, he is the Shadowchasers' government contact in Israel). He has dedicated much time towards finding a weapon that only an Aware would believe exists... An artifact that was said to have defended Jews from anti-Semitism once before. He seeks to find the golem of Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel.

This Jewish legend is well known among scholars. In the 16th Century, the Jews of Prague were persecuted by the Holy Roman Empire, and were to be either expelled or killed. To protect the Jewish community, the rabbi created a golem out of clay.

Of course, clay golems are a dime a dozen to those who craft such constructs, but the legend hints at an exceptional one. It was intelligent, and far stronger than most clay golems. Some versions of the legend said it could see through walls, turn it self invisible, create fire from its hands, and even fly.

Rabbi Loew brought the construct to life via rituals and Jewish incantations. The final step was to inscribe the Hebrew word "emet" ("truth" or "reality") on its forehead. But the golem's construction was flawed. In one version, it became violent, killing gentiles and spreading fear. Some say the golem fell in love, but was rejected, and became a violent monster. In the most extreme version of the legend, it even turned its rage on Jews on occasion, endangering the very community it was supposed to protect.

The Emperor begged Loew to destroy the golem, promising to end the persecution. Loew deactivated it by simply erasing the first letter of "emet", leaving "met" (which meant "dead"). The Emperor realized that this would only render the golem comatose, and able to be revived if it was ever needed again.

Some say that the golem was stored in the attic genizah of the Old New Synagogue of Prague. One urban legend of the 20th Century even claims that during World War II, a Nazi soldier broke into the attic to try to stab the golem, and his broken and battered body was found on the street below the next morning. At any rate, the attic is not open to the public. Some say that the golem was moved from the attic and buried in the cemetery in Prague's Žižkov district, where the Žižkov Television Tower now stands.

Greenberg is certain the golem exists, but he does not believe it is hidden in either place. Wouldn't someone have stolen it and used its power if its location had been so obvious? Greenberg believes that the artifact is hidden in some other, more secure area of the Czech Republic, or perhaps one of its bordering countries, and has spent considerable resources to find it.

Of course, there are some that think his effort is foolish, and not just people who doubt that the golem exists. Some are certain it does, and point to the fact that it was an unstable creation that posed as much of a threat to the Jewish community as it did to those who threatened it. Greenberg is aware of this concern, but he knows that many advances have been made to how golems are handled since the 16th Century, and thinks that this exceptionally powerful golem may be controllable if the right persuasion is used.

**Story Ideas:** It is entirely possible that Rabbi Loew's golem exists, and what Greenberg doesn't realize is, he is walking a slippery slope by trying to unearth it. Artifacts like this one are objects of incredible, unfathomable power that are not meant to be used frivolously. When mortals play with the toys of the gods, bad things tends to happen. Loew likely shouldn't have built it in the first place, but he felt he had little choice.

If Greenberg does indeed find the golem and succeeds in controlling it, his control will likely not last long. Loew's golem is intelligent, and very much a living creature. To make things worse, artifacts are notoriously hard to destroy. It might take a lot of effort and research to find a weakness in this powerful engine of destruction.

**Deck Suggestions:** If he has to duel (which he does occasionally while seeking out information on his goal) Greenberg doesn't use Ancient Gears (as they are golems in name only, in his eyes) but rather Rock-Type Monsters with powerful effects. He doesn't use Exxod, but uses several powerful strategies, like using Inferno Reckless Summon to summon three Mine Golems, and then trigger Minefield Eruption. Another powerful maneuver is to use Stone Statue of the Aztecs combined with Fairy Box. He rarely even has to attack with the Monsters he uses, letting their effects and his Trap Cards do the work.


	38. A Feather of the Phoenix

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL THIRTY-EIGHT**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**A Feather of the Phoenix**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Ember entered another room that seemed to be, in most aspects, identical to the first. The only difference she could see was that there was only one marut guarding the exit.

The marut pulled a switch, and steam shot out of the chamber where the checkpoint's guard was held in suspended animation. Slowly, it opened.

A humanoid figure stumbled out, clutching his head. Ember might have mistaken him for an elf at first, but his ears were even longer, and he was muscular, not svelte like most elves. He wore a vest and trousers made of the same material as Zeyeye's clothing.

He shook his head, and slowly opened his eyes.

"Uh..." he said. "So... You're Jetta's sponsor?"

"You say that like you're disappointed," said Ember.

"I... kind of expected someone older-looking..." said the officer. "Odd... Are you the dominant species on your planet?"

"Uhm..." said Ember. "Well..."

"A member of the clergy I see..." he said.

"What makes you think _that_?" said Ember, not knowing whether to feel offended or flattered.

"I've never seen anyone but a priest or priestess have a phoenix as a companion," replied the alien.

Ember looked at Gabriel and sighed.

"Long story..." she said. "But no, I'm not any religious leader... I'm just..."

She paused.

"I guess I'm law-enforcement, like you are..."

The man sighed.

"Figures..." he said.

"You were Zeyeye's partner?" asked Ember.

"She was rude, I take it?" he asked. "And she denied everything, right?"

"Are you going to admit you were on the take?" asked Ember.

"Why deny it?" sighed the officer. "After the public outcry started, it was the worst kept secret in the galaxy. We were on the take, and so were a few of our superiors. But records were destroyed, and paper trails were purposely misled.

"The judge had obviously hoped his ruling would elect a confession, but double-crossing the Psurlons was simply too dangerous..."

"Officer Zamamnic..." said the marut, with a tone of annoyance.

A Duel Disk similar to the one used by Zeyeye appeared on Zamamnic's arm.

"At least the Psurlons aren't in charge here," he said. "Now that you've finally come, I can do my duty as a true Harmonium..."

"Fine," said Ember. "Let's do it, then..."

The two Disks activated.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Zamamnic: 8,000)**

"I'll make the first move..." said Zamamnic, whipping his first draw off his deck.

He set a card on his Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"Mmm," he said.

_Defending on his first turn? _thought Ember._ Well, this is clearly different than his partner..._

She drew a card. It was Firedog.

Gabriel let out a chirp of delight.

"Button your beak..." whispered Ember, out of the side of her mouth.

"I summon Flamvell Firedog!" she shouted.

In a roaring fire, the hellhound leapt onto the field. (1,900 ATK)

"All right! Toast his Monster!"

Firedog unleashed a stream of flame at the card...

Couching on the card was a chunky, bald man with a grim face, holding a spear, wearing a loose robe and a pair of pantaloons. (1,900 DEF)

"Gravekeeper's Guard!" shouted Ember.

"That's right!" replied Zamamnic. "The battle is a draw, and due to his Flip-Effect, Firedog is returned to your hand."

Firedog vanished, and its card appeared in Ember's hand.

_Lovely..._ she thought, taking another card from her hand.

"I'll set this," she said, as a facedown card appeared, "and end my turn."

Zamamnic made another draw.

"I'll move my Guard to Attack Mode..." he said.

Gravekeeper's Guard stood up, and lifted his spear. (1,000 ATK)

"...and I'll call out one of his friends... Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier."

A younger, thinner-looking man, dressed in a black robe and carrying a decorated spear appeared next to the Guard. (1,500 ATK)

_Gravekeepers, _thought Ember._ The original swarming strategy._

"Spear Soldier," ordered Zamamnic, "attack her directly!"

The spearman made a rush at Ember.

"Sorry," said Ember, as her facedown card flipped up. "I activate Sakuretsu Armor!"

Spear Soldier exploded into black pixels.

"Your Trap saved you from one direct attack," said Zamamnic with a grin, "but not two."

Ember grunted in pain as the Guard jabbed his spear into her torso. She fell on her seat.

"And that's all for now."

**(E: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 8,000)**

"Not the best start," said Gabriel.

"You want to change places?" asked Ember.

She made a draw.

"I'll summon Firedog again," she said.

Firedog leapt onto the field again, and let out a low growl, sounding somewhat annoyed. (1,900 ATK)

"Attack!" she shouted. "Annihilate Gravekeeper's Guard!"

The hellhound let forth a blast of flame, and the rotund Spellcaster shattered into shards.

"Next," said Ember, "I'll use Firedog's effect to call forth Neo Flamvell Saber from my deck."

The fiery swordsman, holding two burning scimitars, leapt in front of Ember. (1,500 ATK)

"And when your Graveyard has less than five cards in it, he gains 600 Attack Points."

(2,100 ATK)

"Ho boy..." said Zamamnic.

"Attack!" shouted Ember. "Flaming saber!"

Neo Flamvell Saber roared, and pounced on the Harmonium, slashing him twice with his swords and knocking him down.

Zamamnic got up, and held his head.

"Man..." he said. "Too bad the Harmonium doesn't recruit on your world... You could've made Sergeant..."

Ember lifted an eyebrow.

"Is dueling a common way of resolving disputes for them too?" she asked.

"Only in special cases," replied Zamamnic. "Duel Monsters is used in many high stakes wagers in some places... Some worlds have rich gamblers who will bet anything... Technology, land, even whole planets if the ante is right.

"And Duel Monsters is often used as the medium in such wagers. The Harmonium had to learn it to deal with these sharks."

Ember looked at him.

"I end my turn..." she said.

**(E: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 5,000)**

Zamamnic drew a card.

"I summon Gravekeeper's Priestess," he said.

"Who?" said Ember.

Ember had seen Gravekeepers many times, but she had never seen this particular member of the group. It was a woman, dressed in white and gold ceremonial clothing, with a headdress and a blindfold over her eyes. She held a golden staff topped with a cobra-shaped knob. (1,000 ATK)

"Okay..." said Ember. "That's... certainly new..."

"With Priestess on the field," said Zamamnic, "All Gravekeepers gain 200 points, for both attacking and defending."

(1,200 ATK)

"Plus, while she is here, the field is treated as Necrovalley."

"Huh?" said Ember. "Then how come she didn't gain 500 more points?"

"She only confers the name," said Zamamnic, "not the effects."

"I don't understand..." said Ember.

Zamamnic set a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"You will soon," he said. "It's your move..."

Ember made a draw.

_Even with 200 extra points, _she thought,_ that Gravekeeper isn't so tough... The facedown card is clearly something bad..._

"I summon Neo Flamvell Shaman..." she said.

The tribal music started, and the flaming medicine man leapt onto the field. (1,700 ATK)

Then Zamamnic's facedown card shot up.

"I activate Threatening Roar!" he exclaimed.

"In that case..." said Ember, "I'll end my turn here..."

Zamamnic drew a card. He considered for a minute.

Then Gravekeeper's Priestess knelt and held her staff on her lap. (1,500 DEF) –) (1,700 DEF) Then a reversed Monster appeared.

"It's your move," he said.

Ember looked at the reversed Monster.

_It's likely another Guard, or a Spy, _she thought._ Those are the Gravekeepers you usually set. _

_The Monsters I have can't beat either Monster's Defense even when they're alone, and Priestess will fortify them even more..._

_She drew a card._

_Big Bang Shot._

_Heh... How lucky can you get?_

"All right, pal," she said, "first I'll set a Monster..."

A hidden Monster appeared next to her other ones.

"Then I'll Equip Saber with Big Bang Shot!"

Neo Flamvell Saber glowed with energy. (2,500 ATK)

"All right! Attack his hidden Monster!"

Saber lunged at the concealed Monster... But to her surprise, it wasn't a Guard or a Spy. It was a small owl wearing a golden crown.

"ERGH!" screamed Zamamnic, as it was smashed to pieces.

Then he caught his breath.

"Normally, the Flip-Effect of An Owl of Luck lets me take a Field Spell from my deck, and place it on top..."

A card slipped out of his deck.

"But with Necrovalley present, I can add it to my hand instead."

"Wait a minute..." said Ember. "Necrovalley isn't..."

She stopped short.

"You now see one card that benefits from my Priestess," said Zamamnic. "There are others..."

"Well then," said Ember, "I'll just get rid of her. Firedog, burn her up!"

Firedog blasted its stream of flames at Priestess. But while she strained a little under the attack, she didn't shatter.

"Huh?" said Ember.

"I discarded a card when you attacked," said Zamamnic, as a Monster Card appeared behind him. "A useful thing called Charm of Shabti. My Monster is unharmed.

"Plus, since my Graveyard now has five cards in it, your Saber loses his bonus."

Neo Flamvell Saber fell to an Attack Score of 1,900.

_Not only that, _thought Ember,_ when the cards in his Graveyard amount to eight, Saber is penalized._

"I have to end my turn," she said.

**(E: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 3,000)**

"Chin up!" laughed Gabriel. "You're winning!"

"Think!" replied Ember. "He was able to take a Field Spell from his deck. What incredibly annoying Field Spell works with Gravekeepers?"

Zamamnic drew a card.

Then he placed the Field Spell into his Disk, and the rocky canyons of Necrovalley rose around the two duelists.

"Oh yeah..." muttered Gabriel.

"Now that the real Necrovalley is present," said Zamamnic, "the Graveyards are sealed off, and my Gravekeepers grow stronger."

Priestess's Defense grew to 2,200.

"Now, I'll sacrifice Priestess..."

Priestess vanished into an orb of light.

"To summon Gravekeeper's Chief!"

In an aura of magical energy, the famed chieftain of the tomb guardians appeared, wearing his ceremonial robes and holding a staff resembling the one used by Priestess. (1,900 ATK) –) (2,400 ATK)

"With him on my side of the field, my Graveyard is unaffected by Necrovalley. And I'm allowed to Special Summon a Gravekeeper from there right now."

Priestess appeared again. (1,700 ATK) The Chief rose to an Attack Score of 2,600.

Ember lifted an eyebrow again.

"Why her?" she asked. "Wouldn't your Spear Soldier be more useful, now that you actually have Necrovalley?"

"She's more useful than you think," replied Zamamnic. "Chief, destroy her swordsman!"

Gravekeeper's Chief formed a ball of magical energy in his palm, and hurled it, blowing Neo Flamvell Saber to pieces.

"Now, I'll attack your hidden Monster with Priestess."

Priestess leapt at the reversed card, twirling her staff above her head. Flamvell Paun appeared on the card, right before she clobbered it and blew it to shards.

"Paun's effect activates," said Ember.

She took Flamvell Archer from her deck, and looked at it.

"I'll set this, and end my turn," said Zamamnic.

A facedown card appeared behind his two Gravekeepers.

**(E: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 3,000)**

Ember made a draw.

It was Inferno.

_Lovely, _she thought,_ just what I didn't need..._

She looked at Priestess.

_This is gonna cost me, _she thought,_ but she has got to go..._

"Firedog, destroy Gravekeeper's Priestess!" she shouted.

Zamamnic gave a look of terror as Firedog blasted its flame at Priestess, and this time there was nothing to prevent the attack. Priestess screamed and vanished in a cloud of ash.

"Uh..." said Ember. "I'll use Firedog's effect to summon Flamvell Gurnika in Defense Mode..."

Gurnika appeared, kneeling and crossing its arms. (200 DEF)

"Then I'll move Shaman to Defense Mode."

Shaman knelt, and held his baton in his lap. (200 DEF)

"I'll set this facedown, and end my turn."

A reversed card appeared in a flash of light.

**(E: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 2,800)**

Zamamnic closed his eyes, and drew a card.

"I activate Rite of Spirit!" he shouted, as his facedown card lifted up.

Priestess appeared once again. (1,700 ATK)

_Again? _thought Ember._ Something is seriously wrong here..._

The Chief cast his dark spell, and Firedog howled before shattering into pixels. Then Priestess walloped Gurnika upside the head with her staff, and it shattered.

"I'll set a Monster," he said, "and take a break."

A set Monster appeared.

**(E: 5,600) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 2,800)**

"All right, time out!" shouted Ember.

"Eh?" said Zamamnic.

"Do you realize how much more damage I'd have taken if you'd brought back Spear Soldier with Rite of Spirit instead of Priestess? I'd have taken 1,800 more, that's how much.

"Why?"

Zamamnic looked a little embarrassed.

"None of your business," he said.

"I'm no fool, pal..." said Ember, "and I doubt you are either... I saw how much it hurt you when my Firedog attacked her. That card means something to you, right?"

There was a long pause.

"She..." said Zamamnic, slowly. "She reminds me of someone... Someone I had to leave behind when the judge made his ruling...

"What, a friend?" asked Ember.

Zamamnic didn't answer.

"Girlfriend?" asked Ember.

Zamamnic looked nervous. Ember's eyes opened wide.

"Whoa..." she said.

"You ever been so in love..." said Zamamnic, "that it makes you careless?

"I wanted to give her everything... I wanted to take her to the royal ball in a golden coach... But on a cop's salary, I could barely afford dinner and a movie.

"You know, this is where the philosophy of the Harmonium becomes a little hypocritical. One of their key points is that family is the way to harmony. Heck, the Supreme Commander – at least the guy who held that position when this whole mess started – was happily married, and had five children when I was sent here...

"He can afford to support a large family... I could never have come close..."

"Are you saying that's the reason you agreed to work for the Psurlons?" asked Ember.

"Would any lawman do differently if offered more from them in a week than your stingy employers paid you in two years?" asked Zamamnic, angrily.

"I _am_ a lawman, pal!" replied Ember. "And I don't even get a salary. I have access to a trust fund! And to answer your question, no, I would _not_ take a bribe from a bunch of greedy merchants and agree to arrest someone on trumped-up charges!"

Zamamnic sighed.

"Yeah, well," he said, "truthfully, I wouldn't either now... When you're cooped up in a place like this for this long, it lets you do a lot of thinking... A fat lot of good it did me. The whole thing just went too far... Before I knew it, the judge had made his ruling, and the Psurlons didn't give me any choice but to agree to it. Once you make a deal with them, you do what they tell you. They have ways of making sure of that.

"I don't want to be lectured, and I don't want to be judged. All I want right now is to finish my job here so I won't owe anything to anyone..."

Ember looked at Gravekeeper's Priestess.

"Seems to me you owe _someone_ a lot..." she said. "It's my move..."

She made a draw.

"I set a Monster, and a new facedown card, and that will be all," she said.

A reversed Monster appeared next to Shaman, and a facedown card appeared next to her other one.

"Then I draw!" shouted Zamamnic, making a draw.

"And I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode."

The card flipped up, and a different female Gravekeeper appeared. She was dressed in a black robe, and wore her black hair short. (1,200 ATK) –) (1,900 ATK)

_Uh-oh, _said Ember._ That one WAS the Spy. And her Flip-Effect..._

"I use Gravekeeper's Spy's effect to summon a second Spear Soldier from my deck," said Zamamnic.

Spear Soldier appeared again, looking somewhat more overbearing than before. (1,500 ATK) –) (2,200 ATK)

"Next," he said, holding up a card, "I'll summon Gravekeeper's Descendant."

In another aura of darkness, another Gravekeeper appeared that was new to Ember. He looked younger than the other male Gravekeepers, had blonde hair, wore a black vest, jacket, and pantaloons, and held a staff much like those used by the Chief and Priestess. (1,500 ATK) –) (2,200 ATK)

Not good... thought Ember, looking at the five Gravekeepers.

"Next, I use Descendant's effect," continued Zamamnic. "By sacrificing one Gravekeeper, other than himself, I can destroy one card."

The Spy vanished, and Descendant pointed his scepter at the reversed Monster. A bolt of burning lightning shot at the card, blowing it to shards.

"Now, my Spear Soldier attacks Neo Flamvell Shaman!" he shouted. "Dark pierce!"

Spear Soldier rushed at the tiki, and jabbed his spear into its center. Ember cried out in pain as the Pyro shattered.

"Descendant, attack directly!" shouted Zamamnic.

Descendent blasted the burning lightning again, and this time Ember was the target. She screamed again, and fell to her knees.

**(E: 1,400) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 2,800)**

"I don't think that little speech you made helped much..." said Gabriel.

"Shut up..." said Ember, with sweat pouring down her face.

She looked up to see Gravekeeper's Chief prepare another direct attack.

She hit her Disk, and one of her facedown cards shot up.

"Activate... Draining Shield!" she shouted.

The Chief's blast was halted by a dome of force. Ember felt energy flowing into her.

"S'okay," said Zamamnic, as Priestess prepared to attack. "I still have one more shot..."

"Not while I have this," said Ember, as her second facedown card lifted up.

"A Rival Appears?" gasped Zamamnic.

"That's right," said Ember. "It lets me choose one of your Monsters, and Special Summon one from my hand with the same Level.

"Since your Priestess is Level 3, I can Special Summon Neo Flamvell Garuda in Defense Mode."

Garuda appeared, crouching behind its wings. (1,800 DEF)

"In that case," said Zamamnic, "I end my turn..."

**(E: 4,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 2,800)**

Ember got up. She looked at the cards in her hand: Inferno, Flamvell Archer, Infernal Flame Emperor, and UFO Turtle.

Then she looked at Infernal Flame Emperor.

_If only I could summon this guy... _she thought._ He'd be stronger than anything he's got... But I need to swap two Monsters to do so, and without being able to Special Summon from my Graveyard, they won't survive long enough..._

She drew a card.

Her eyes opened wide.

_Of course! _she thought._ Kill two birds with one stone..._

She held the Spell Card forward.

"I'm giving up 800 Life Points to play Brain Control," she said.

The huge, fiendish brain appeared above her.

"Gravekeeper's Chief, get over here!"

Two tendrils reached forward from the brain, grabbing Gravekeeper's Chief, and pulling him over to Ember's side of the field.

"With him on my side, my Graveyard is not sealed by Necrovalley, meaning I can remove a Fire Monster from play..."

Neo Flamvell Saber slipped out of her discard slot, and she pocketed it.

"...to Special Summon Inferno in Defense Mode."

The large pyre with glowing eyes appeared in front of her.

"Now, I'll sacrifice Chief and Garuda..."

The Spellcaster and the Pyro turned into a large orb or light.

"...for Infernal Flame Emperor!"

In an explosion of flames, the imperial Pyro appeared with a savage roar. (2,700 ATK)

"Uh..." said Zamamnic.

Ember looked at his two Monsters.

_Priestess is still trouble, _she thought,_ but his Descendant is even more dangerous. He can sacrifice Spear Soldier to use his effect to destroy Emperor._

_All right then..._

"Attack Gravekeeper's Descendant!" she shouted.

Infernal Flame Emperor conjured up a huge ball of flames, and threw it at the young Spellcaster. Zamamnic fell backwards from the impact...

**(E: 3,200) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 2,100)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Meanwhile, at the ophidia's palace on Snakeskin Island, Csimith was reclining on a couch while a female ophidia listened to him, carefully taking down notes.

The female was even more reptilian-looking than Hebi-Na. She had legs, with a long tail behind them, and every square inch of her skin was covered with soft, green scales. Her only mammalian features were her black hair and mammary glands (which were nonfunctional – if there had been a time when female ophidia had been able to nurse their young, it was many millennia ago). Despite this frightening appearance, she wore an expensive, formal Italian work dress. (Finding a Shadowkind tailor who catered to ophidia, which was necessary to accommodate her tail, had been difficult to say the least.)

Her name was Magdalene, and she wasn't a psychiatrist, but the ophidia's version of one – a monitor. And despite how much the ophidia were scared of the Empress, they were frightened of this ophidia even more. Sure, they were in no danger of being eaten in this case, but a monitor could condemn an ophidia in a much different way if she saw the need.

Monitors were in charge of controlling ophidia who went insane, which, as noted, was more of a problem for them than it was among humans. If a monitor had reason to believe that an ophidia had gone mad, she would technically make a recommendation to the clan leader (Taramanda in this case) that the ophidia be labeled "lost". But everyone knew that the need to gain the clan leader's permission was a farce. No clan leader ever disagreed with a monitor, because if a monitor said that an ophidia was insane, brushing that decision aside could lead to deadly consequences. It was far too great a risk for a clan leader to take.

Monitors had this power over all ophidia, even those who ranked higher than they were, except for other monitors (it took three monitors in agreement to decide that a fourth one was "lost") and anathema (if an anathema went insane, their goddess would see to it that he or she didn't survive). And being "lost" was a grim fate for an ophidia. "Lost" ophidia were objects of scorn among other ophidia, and on their social ladder were barely higher than their slaves.

Still, Csimith needed answers. If he was truly going mad, he'd rather be sure, rather than let whatever was wrong with him fester like an open sore.

"So..." said Magdalene, "have you been eating right?"

"I suppose..." replied Csimith.

"How much have you been drinking?" she asked.

"Actually, I've been cutting down," said Csimith. "Look, I have to know!

"Somehow or other I was dueling that Shadowchaser on an alien planet! Or I thought I was..."

"Mmm..." said Magdalene. "Did you win?"

"NO!" replied Csimith. "And I don't think it was the typical duel... It was taxing...

"Am I cracking up?"

"You're one of the most stable people I know," replied Magdalene. "Look, are you sure you didn't just nod off for a minute or two? Even a sleep that lasts for a minute can have a dream, and a dream that lasts only a few seconds can seem like hours to the dreamer."

Csimith sighed.

"Let me ask another question," said Magdalene. "When did you last have some time off?"

Csimith sat up.

"Gee, that's a tough one..." he said.

"Can't remember, huh?" asked Magdalene, crossing her arms. "You're working too hard, Csimith. You need a break."

"I can't ask the Empress for time off right now!" he protested. "The Festival of Fangs is tomorrow night, and you know what we have planned!"

Magdalene rubbed her chin.

"Good point," she said. "But as soon as it is over, I want you to ask for a few days off. You need to take it easy."

As Csimith got up and left, Magdalene held her head.

Monitors almost never went mad themselves (the rule that said that three monitors had to decide if a fourth was insane was the official law, but cases of it actually happening were almost unheard of). Potential monitors were identified when they were hatched, and were trained for the job since childhood. They learned mental techniques to stave off stress and other things that might drive someone over the edge.

Still, a big part about the job of anyone like this was studying the nature of insanity. And any psychiatrist would tell you that to regularly analyze patients, you had to be willing to let yourself be analyzed. Monitors rarely did that, and it took its toll over the years.

As she got up, she failed to notice a tiny black mote floating by. It floated into her ear.

She stopped short.

She walked to a cabinet, opened it, and took something out.

It was her Duel Disk.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember surveyed the field. She had Infernal Flame Emperor and Inferno. Her opponent had Gravekeeper's Priestess and Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier, with Necrovalley still in play.

"Your move, pal," she said.

Zamamnic made a draw.

It was Giant Trunade.

_I'll save this for later,_ he thought.

Spear Soldier knelt, and held his spear in his lap. (1,700 DEF) Priestess followed suit. (2,200 DEF)

"That's all for now," he said.

"Then it's my draw!" shouted Ember.

She whipped a card off her deck.

_Got it!_ she thought.

"Time to take out this blasted Field!" she said. "Go, Heavy Storm!"

She held up the card, and violent winds started to tear through Necrovalley. The canyon walls crumbled to dust, and the chamber with the cryogenic pod and marut reappeared.

"Next, I'll set a new Monster," she said, as a reversed Monster appeared, "then my Emperor will attack your Spear Soldier!"

Infernal Flame Emperor threw its ball of flame again, and Zamamnic braced himself as his Monster exploded.

He looked sternly at Ember.

"My move..." he said.

He drew a card.

He smirked.

"I summon Flare Resonator!" he shouted.

A Fiend (Ember guessed) floated out onto the field. Although Zamamnic had called it a Flare Resonator, Ember knew she had seen this before with a different name.

"Hold on..." said Ember. "That's Dark Resonator..."

Indeed, it looked just like Dark Resonator, except for an aura of fire around it. (300 ATK)

"No, this is Flare Resonator," replied Zamamnic. "And like its more well-known brother, it's a Tuner..."

Flare Resonator hit its tuning fork with its mallet.

"...and it resonates quite well with my Priestess..."

Flare Resonator and Gravekeeper's Priestess turned into six glowing stars. Then the room started to shake.

"What are you summoning?" shouted Ember.

"The ultimate weapon of the tomb guardians," replied Zamamnic. "Behold!"

A huge beast appeared, looming over Ember. It looked like a huge scorpion, with a circular, tooth-filled maw, and the Eye of Wdjat on the front.

It hissed menacingly. (2,500 ATK)

Ember had seen this before. She had watched the old tapes of the Battle City finals, and had seen Rishid Ishtar summon the very same nightmare.

"That's Mystical Beast Serket!" shouted Ember.

"Not quite," said Zamamnic. "This is a Synchro version of the older card. It's called Ancestral Guardian Serket now."

Ember stepped back at the site of the huge arachnid...

Then she noticed its Attack Score.

"Heh..." she said. "My Emperor is stronger..."

"Not for long," said Zamamnic. "You see, when a Synchro Monster is summoned using Flare Resonator for the Tuner, it gains 300 Attack Points."

(2,800 ATK)

"That makes my Monster just strong enough to defeat yours.

"But before I attack, I'll play a Spell Card..."

He played a Spell that Ember had never seen.

"Synchro Half?" she said.

"I have to toss one card," said Zamamnic, discarding Giant Trunade, "and in return, I get to Special Summon a Monster from my Graveyard whose Level is exactly half that of a Synchro Monster on the field."

Gravekeeper's Priestess appeared again. (1,000 ATK) –) (1,200 ATK)

"Still can't let go, huh?" asked Ember.

"Actually," he replied, "I had a practical reason for bringing her back. You see, Serket has a special effect which it can only use when Necrovalley is on the field.

"And as you may remember, Priestess treats the field as Necrovalley.

"This effect prohibits you from attacking any Gravekeepers. So long as Serket and Priestess are on the field, Serket is the only Monster that can be attacked."

_Serket is some pet of the Gravekeepers? _thought Ember._ Well... It makes sense, I guess... The Ishtar clan were supposed to be tomb guardians..._

"On to business!" shouted Zamamnic. "Serket, demolish Infernal Flame Emperor!"

The giant scorpion swung its wicked, barbed tail at the huge Pyro. Ember braced herself as her Monster was smashed to pieces.

"Now Serket's other effect comes into play," continued Zamamnic, "and it's similar to the original Serket's. Whenever it destroys a Monster, it gains 500 Attack Points."

(3,300 ATK)

"Next, Priestess will attack your hidden Monster!"

Gravekeeper's Priestess pointed her staff, and fired a blast of shadowy magic at the reversed card. UFO Turtle appeared on the card, and the bolt bounced off. (1,200 DEF)

"I never thought UFO Turtle's Defense Score would make a difference," said Ember, "but it does now."

Zamamnic looked at the last card in his hand. He set it, and it appeared facedown.

"It's your move," he said.

**(E: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 2,100)**

Ember drew a card.

_Call of the Haunted, _she thought._ Now that I can use it, it might come in handy..._

"So what now?" asked Zamamnic. "I doubt you have a card in your hand that can beat Serket."

Ember laughed nervously.

_Truthfully, _she said,_ the only one I have in my entire _deck_ that could beat it right now is Flamvell Justicar, and I can't summon him with what I have._

She looked at the other card in her hand, Flamvell Archer.

_I can summon Enchantress, but her Attack Score wouldn't be nearly high enough..._

She set Call of the Haunted, and it appeared in a flash of light.

"Then I draw," said Zamamnic.

He made a draw. He looked at the card.

_I'll wait to summon this guy..._ he thought.

"Priestess, attack UFO Turtle again!" he shouted.

"HUH?" said Ember, as Priestess pointed her staff. "Why?"

"So I can activate this," said Zamamnic, as his Trap Card lifted up. "Magician's Circle. Now, both players Special Summon a Spellcaster from his or her deck with up to 2,000 Attack Points.

"And I choose to summon Gravekeeper's Assailant."

In a flash of energy, another female Gravekeeper appeared, this one far more darker. She was a shadowy assassin, dressed in a dark cloak and hood, with a veil covering the lower half of her face. She held daggers in both hands. (1,500 ATK) –) (1,700 ATK)

"Fine," said Ember. "I'll summon Familiar-Possessed Hiita."

In an aura of flame, Hiita appeared, her staff burning with flame, and her fox beside her. (1,850 ATK)

Zamamnic stopped short.

_She had a Spellcaster? _he thought._ Hmm... This requires a change of plans..._

Priestess continued her attack, and it glanced off UFO Turtle's shell again.

"As you may know," he continued, "Assailant also has an effect that only works in Necrovalley..."

Assailant's eyes glowed with light, and she leapt at Hiita. Then she vanished in a blur.

"When she attacks, she can change the Battle Position of the target."

Hiita knelt and held her staff in her lap. (1,500 ATK) Assailant reappeared behind her, and jabbed her blade between her ribs.

Hiita collapsed, and then vanished, as Assailant reappeared on Zamamnic's side of the field.

"Next, Serket will destroy UFO Turtle!" shouted Zamamnic.

Serket's stinger fell again, and the strange Machine exploded.

Serket's Attack Score rose to 3,800.

"I use its effect to summon a second UFO Turtle!" shouted Ember.

A second UFO Turtle appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"Your move..." he said.

Ember made a draw.

"All right..." she said. "I'm setting a Monster, moving UFO Turtle to Defense Mode, and that will be all."

A set Monster appeared next to Inferno. Then UFO Turtle withdrew into its shell. (1,200 DEF)

"You can't defend forever," said Zamamnic, making a draw.

"Especially since I have _this_ guy!"

He held forward the card he drew last turn.

"That's a Level 8 Monster," said Ember. "You have to swap both your Gravekeepers for it, which means Serket will no longer have Priestess's benefit."

"That's what you think," said Zamamnic. "This is the most powerful member of the Gravekeeper clan, and Level 8 he may be, he can be summoned with one sacrifice, if the Monster I'm sacrificing is also a Gravekeeper.

"So goodbye Assailant..."

Gravekeeper's Assailant turned into an orb of light.

"Hello, Gravekeeper's Visionary!"

There was an aura of divine energy, and the most intimidating Gravekeeper yet stood next to Serket. He was almost seven feet tall, wore a robe even more decorated than that of the Chief, and held a similar staff. The upper half of his face was covered by a helmet shaped like a jackal's head, and he had a short, white beard on the lower half. (2,000 ATK)

"Two-thousand Attack Points?" said Ember. "For a Level 8 Monster? Okay... I'm guessing this guy's effect is pretty spectacular..."

"He'll get stronger," said Zamamnic. "For each Gravekeeper in my Graveyard, he gains 200 more Attack Points. I have seven there. And let's not forget the bonus from Priestess."

(3,600 ATK)

"Plus... I can prevent him from being destroyed if I simply discard another Gravekeeper."

"Do you have one?" asked Ember.

"Uh..." said Zamamnic.

He looked at the last card in his hand, which was Field Barrier.

"It makes no difference," he said, "because with Serket on the field, you can't attack him anyway!

"Now let's finish off those Turtles! Visionary... Divine blast!"

Gravekeeper's Visionary cast a mighty incantation, and UFO Turtle was blasted to granules of light.

"I have a third one!" shouted Ember.

A third UFO Turtle appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"In Attack Mode, I see," said Zamamnic.

Ember was thrown to the floor, as Serket smashed the third UFO Turtle to pieces.

**(E: 700) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 2,100)**

"Ember!" shouted Gabriel.

"Save your tears..." said Ember, as she struggled to get up. "It's all under control..."

Serket rose to an Attack Score of 4,300.

She put a card on her Disk.

"I use my final Turtle's effect to Special Summon Neo Flamvell Hedgehog," she said.

With a loud squeak, a small, fiery hedgehog with long quills on its back leapt onto the field. (800 ATK)

"Heh, heh, cute," said Zamamnic. "Priestess... Destroy it..."

Gravekeeper's Priestess shot her shadowy blast, and Ember cringed again as the Hedgehog was blown to pixels.

"You fell for it!" she shouted. "When Hedgehog is destroyed in battle, I can remove one card in your Graveyard from play!"

Gravekeeper's Chief slipped out of Zamamnic's discard slot. Visionary fell to an Attack Score of 3,400.

"Seems like that was the equivalent of trying to hold back the ocean with a broom," he replied, as he pocketed the card. "But anyway... It's your move..."

**(E: 300) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 2,100)**

Ember drew a card.

_One of the cards the Titans gave me... she thought. This is the little one that summons the big one... I think I can do this..._

"I summon Hand of Nephthys!" she shouted.

She played a card, and a young girl appeared in front of her. Her clothing was similar to that of Gravekeeper's Priestess, but with vibrant gold and orange colors. (600 ATK)

"Hold on..." said Zamamnic. "Isn't that the girl you use to..."

"Yes," said Ember. "Here's the deal... There are seventeen cards left in my deck... If the next five of them contains the card I need, I'll beat you. If not, I lose. That makes my chances slightly less than one in three."

"Next five?" asked Zamamnic. "That means your facedown Monster is a..."

Ember flipped her Monster face-up, and it was indeed a Morphing Jar. (700 ATK)

"Well, fine by me," said Zamamnic, as they both discarded the card they had.

They both made five draws.

"So..." he said. "Did you get the card you needed?"

Ember grinned.

"I'll take that as a yes..." he said, nervously.

"I sacrifice hand of Nephthys and Morphing Jar..." she shouted.

The two Monsters vanished into two orbs of flame. Gabriel started to chirp excitedly.

"...to call forth the symbol of rebirth after death... Come forth... Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!"

With a loud cry, a huge, flaming phoenix, the being that Gabriel would be many centuries from now, appeared in an aura of fire. She let out a loud screech, and glared at Zamamnic and his Monsters. (2,400 ATK)

"It's a great card, yes," said Zamamnic, "but I don't see how it can help you. It can't beat Serket, and he makes my Gravekeepers untouchable."

"Yeah, well, I'm only half done," said Ember. "I activate Call of the Haunted."

Her facedown card flipped up, and Neo Flamvell Hedgehog appeared again. (800 ATK)

"Of all the Monsters you could have summoned, why that one?" asked Zamamnic.

"I didn't mention that it's also a Tuner," replied Ember. "And I'm Tuning it and Inferno together to summon and even stronger divine creature..."

The two Pyros turned into seven glowing stars. Ember chanted.

"_Steel taken from the oldest mountain, pounded into shape by the god of the forge. Mighty creature of fire given life by divine spark! Clustering stars lead the path to the mortal world..._

"_Descent... Ancient God Flamvell!"_

There was an explosion like a volcano erupting, and a titanic form loomed over the field. It looked like a faceless giant made out of bronze, with flames forming each joint, and a flaming mane. (2,500 ATK)

"Big deal," said Zamamnic. "It's only a hundred points stronger."

"But, it has a special effect," said Ember. "By summoning it, I get to remove one card in your Graveyard from play for each card you have in your hand. And my Ancient God Flamvell gains 200 points for each card I remove.

"Seems Morphing Jar was more useful than I thought."

Five cards – Gravekeeper's Guard, Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier, Gravekeeper's Spy, Gravekeeper's Descendant, and Gravekeeper Assailant, appeared behind Zamamnic and vanished into nothing.

"HEY!" shouted Zamamnic.

"My Flamvell gains 1,000 Attack Points," said Ember.

(3,500 ATK)

"Your Visionary won't be so lucky. He _loses_ 1,000 Attack Points."

Visionary fell down to a score of 2,400.

"But Serket is still standing strong!" cursed Zamamnic. "And it still makes my two Gravekeepers untouchable!"

"Not for long..." said Ember.

She fit a card into her Field Slot.

"This is the card I needed. I play Molten Destruction!"

Zamamnic gasped in fright, as the room changed, becoming a flaming, volcanic wasteland. Sacred Phoenix's score rose to 2,900, while Ancient God Flamvell's rose to 4,000.

"By the look on your face, I assume I was right," said Ember. "Priestess has the same weakness as Maiden of the Aqua before her. She can only treat the field as Necrovalley so long as there isn't a true Field Spell in play.

"That means Serket can no longer protect your Gravekeepers. So I can end this...

"Sacred Phoenix, attack Gravekeeper's Priestess with divine fire!"

Sacred Phoenix screeched, and shot a blast of white-hot flames from her beak. Priestess was incinerated, not even having time to scream.

"ERGH!" grunted Zamamnic, clutching his chest.

"I'm pretty sure you have a Gravekeeper to discard," said Ember, "so Visionary can survive this blast... But I don't thing you will.

"Attack! Molten fist of might!"

The Ancient God Flamvell's fist became enveloped with a raging inferno It threw a punch at Gravekeeper's Visionary, and Zamamnic screamed as he was thrown across the room.

**(E: 300) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 0)**

"I can't believe I left the camera at home!" squawked Gabriel, as the Monsters vanished.

Zamamnic got up, holding his head.

"Officer Zamamnic," said the marut, "you are dismissed."

Zamamnic sighed. He took the Gravekeeper's Priestess card out of the discard slot, and looked at it.

"So what now?" asked Ember. "Will you try to look for her?"

"I have a feeling that will be the easy part," he said. "Getting her to listen to me... That will be a great deal harder..."

He let out another long sigh, and then vanished.

The marut opened the door.

"Third checkpoint, down the hall," it said.

Ember stopped to catch her breath.

"Come on, Gabriel," said Ember. "Start thinking of sad things, because you might need to be unhappy enough to cry really soon. I have a feeling this next duel may be even harder..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Magdalene was sitting at her desk, casually looking at her cards.

"No," she said calmly, to no-one in sight. "Not gonna do it... You can't make me like you made Csimith."

There was a pause.

"Please..." she said. "You want to get into a battle of the minds here? Just try me. We'll see who's will is stronger."

There was a long pause. She took out an emery board, and started filing her nails.

Then she lifted her head.

"Oh, so now it's bargaining, huh?" she asked.

She listened.

"Okay, fine... I guess that's fair... I can duel once in exchange for that...

"But... If you go back on your word, it will be very easy for me to tell the Empress just who's pulling her strings, you got that buster?"

She listened again.

"Thought you'd say that..."

She shuffled her deck, put the Duel Disk on her arm, and stood up.

And then she vanished.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ANCESTRAL GUARDIAN SERKET (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **7  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF: **2,000

**Card Description:** _Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner "Gravekeeper's" Monsters_

When this card destroys an opposing Monster and sends it to the Graveyard, increase its ATK by 500. If "Necrovalley" is on the field, your opponent cannot select face-up "Gravekeeper's" Monsters as the targets of attacks.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SYNCHRO HALF (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **Goyo Guardian flying through a starry void, with Hayabusa Knight flying behind him.

**Card Description:** Select one face-up Synchro Monster and discard one card from your hand. Special Summon 1 Monster from your Graveyard whose Level is half that of the selected Synchro Monster (rounded down).

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Gears: I still remember Professor Frank. A "dueling councilor" (I have no idea whether or not he actually had a license to practice) and a member of Yliaster, he tended to drive his patients mad more often than he helped them. He was clearly more than a little mad himself.**

**Now I'm confronted by an ophidia who claims to study the nature of madness, and she has issued a challenge. She's made a very bold wager, and it's too tempting to refuse. I have a feeling she has her head on straight far better than Frank ever did, and that may make her even more dangerous in what is to come...**

"**Puppet Master" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**The House of Creeping Night, the Fifth Clan**

The Four Yokai Clans have very few allies. They oppose the Shadowchasers, and they oppose each other more often... But one even deadlier enemy threatens all of them, a group of Yokai that comes closer to deserving being called true demons than any other Yokai. This is the Fifth Clan, spoken in whispers as the House of Creeping Night.

The Brides and Lords of the core Clans assure their followers that the Fifth Clan is a group of upstarts that poses no real threat. However, this is a lie, used to make their followers feel safe. The House of Creeping Night is just as powerful as any of the other Clans, if not more so.

The Yokai who make up this secretive house are creatures of darkness and evil who hide from the sun and prey on humans and Shadowkind alike who wander after dark. Not all of them are living. Some are ghosts or ghoulish creatures. They include the Baku, fiends that can devour nightmares, the Nurikabe, living walls that trap travelers who continue journeys after dark, the murderous Ittan-Momen, and the dreaded Kyonshee (or "Chinese vampires" as they are sometimes called, despite having no relation to Camilla's species), hideous undead corpses that consume the life energy of victims.

Yokai such as these are responsible for some of the most notorious legends surrounding Yokai. The Hyakki Yakō, the annual "night parade of one-hundred demons" that means death for any mortal who witnesses it, is made up exclusively of this type of Yokai.

Few realize that these nocturnal terrors are organized into a Clan. Like the four core Clans, the Creeping Night is ruled by a Bride and a Lord, but neither of them appear to have any interest in creating an heir or ever stepping down from their positions. Some believe that the Bride and Lord of this Clan are necromancers who achieved lichdom centuries ago, and have ruled their Clan ever since.

Creeping Night has an army, as the other Clans do, but not one of soldiers and military units. This clan is not one for a fair fight, and its army is one of assassins and spies. Some members are even believed to be trained in Ninjitsu, the martial art of the _Shinobi_.

The four core Clans have tried several times to form alliances to deal with the House of Creeping Night, but every negotiation towards that end always ends with arguments that lead to the two houses fighting each other. The Shadowchasers suspect that the Creeping Night infiltrates and sabotages any attempt two of the Clans make to oppose them, and are purposely trying to keep the Four Clans fighting. Clearly, the Creeping Night's goal is to let the Four Clans' rivalry weaken them to the point where they can be overwhelmed by the tide of darkness. The Shadowchasers would warn the Four Clans... If they would ever listen to the Shadowchasers...

**Story Ideas:** Fortunately, the House of Creeping Night does not seem interested in reclaiming Yokai lands like the core Clans do, at least not yet. The Shadowchasers' conflicts with this group have been rare, and all of them so far have been isolated incidents.

The Creeping Night could easily be a factor in any story where the core Clans feature prominently. Their goal is nothing less than to subjugate and enslave all four of the other clans, uniting all Yokai in Asia under their empire of darkness. This goal is long-term, of course, but the Bride and Lord of Creeping Night are undead, and have all the time in the world.

Some might say that the Four Clans are threats themselves, and that when Evil fights Evil, Good is the victor. This is true – to a point. One must remember that there are varying degrees of Evil, and as much of a threat that the House of the Raging Mountain or the House of the Shrieking Tempest pose, having all five Yokai clans united under one leader could very well threaten the world. The House of Creeping Night is a greater evil, and its schemes must be dealt with accordingly.

**Deck Suggestions:** The Yokai of the Creeping Night don't recognize the Treaty any more than other Yokai do, but many like to duel for the sheer excitement of it. Tearing a victim apart with claws gets boring after a while, and Duel Monsters has allowed them to dispatch a victim using more creative means. It also helps that many members of this type of Yokai, unlike others, are able to create Shadow Duels with relative ease.

Like the other houses, the Yokai in Creeping Night don't use Yokai Decks, at least not most of the time. They tend to use Monsters that are not only powerful, but frightening, like themselves. Some use Dark World Fiends, some use Archfiends, and it's possible that a few might even use Infernities.


	39. Puppet Master

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL THIRTY-NINE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Puppet Master**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

As this was happening, Shichiro, Gears, and Jinx were waiting in the room where Ember had dueled Zeyeye, which was clearly _not_ the most comfortable place to wait. The room had no chairs, or much of anything to sit on.

Talking to the two maruts was pointless. They ignored the three humans completely.

"Want to play 'twenty questions'? asked Jinx.

"No..." said Gears. "Man, wish I'd packed a lunch..."

Then Shichiro stood up.

"Guys..." he said.

A portal started to appear in front of them.

"Look sharp people..." he said. "Whoever is in charge of this place just let the security lapse..."

They watched, as Magdalene walked out of the portal.

"There you are," she said.

"Another ophidia?" shouted Shichiro. "What is going on?"

"Ah, yes, Csimith was here, I assume?" she replied. "Well, I'm Magdalene, monitor of the royal palace of the ophidia."

"Monitor?" asked Jinx.

"It's an ophidia's version of a shrink," said Gears.

He turned to Magdalene.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"To duel, of course," she replied, holding up her Duel Disk.

"Why?" asked Gears.

Magdalene smirked.

"You humans may think that we ophidia view you as nothing more than protein," she said. "That may be true with most ophidia...

"But I see more in humans... I see you as complex creatures... Complex and interesting... Deserving of study..."

"Yup, she's definitely a shrink," said Jinx.

"Let me ask you three Shadowchasers something," asked Magdalene. "Why do you do what you do?"

"Huh?" asked Gears.

"Why are you Shadowchasers?" asked Magdalene.

They looked at her for a minute.

"Because..." said Shichiro. "Because only a few humans are capable of doing it, and we're members of that few."

"It wasn't out of fear?" asked Magdalene. "Fear of folks like me, once you could see us for what we were?

"Shadows can be rather scary... I wouldn't blame humans for being scared of them... They can be dangerous...

"What better way to ease that fear than to hang around more members of 'that few'?"

The Shadowchasers looked at each other.

"Aw, you're messing with our heads, snake!" shouted Gears. "Why should any of us duel you? It would be a waste of time. For both of us."

"Study," said Magdalene. "I can tell a lot about someone from a duel. And I can make it worth your while."

"How?" asked Gears, suspiciously.

"Know why Lime Juice Louie died?" asked Magdalene. "Before someone can work for the Empress and have access to her palace, he or she must willingly subject himself or herself to a curse that she casts herself. She bestows it with a dose of her own venom."

"Eww..." said Jinx.

"Normally, her bite would be instantly fatal," continued Magdalene, "but the nature of the curse keeps the individual alive, so long as he or she remains loyal. If he ever thinks of betrayal, the full effects of the curse kick in, and the poison kills him."

"So why are you still alive?" asked Jinx. "You just told us one of her secrets."

"But she's told me many of hers," replied Magdalene. "I'm the palace monitor. Every ophidia who resides there must speak to me monthly, even the Empress.

"While under hypnosis, she's divulged several useful secrets to me, including an antidote to the venom. I flushed it from my system a long time ago, so she has no power over me. She doesn't know it, but I could tell you anything, and I'd be in no danger.

"So here's the deal... I know a secret, and it would be in the Shadowchasers' best interests to know it too. Grant me the privilege of a duel, and should I lose, you _will_ know it."

Gears looked at her.

"Guys..." he said. "Call me crazy but... That _is_ kinda tempting..."

"Gears," said Jinx. "She may be lying."

"And you realize that dueling hurts more in this galaxy," added Shichiro.

"So should we just sit back and do nothing while Ember is taking the brunt of it?" asked Gears.

He nodded, and then stepped up to face Magdalene.

"Okay, snake," he said, "but you'd better keep your word."

"I always do," she replied. "I'm a professional."

_I never liked Taramanda anyway, _she thought._ Prima donna. And since the being who sent me here has promised to show me the path to the Origin Universe in exchange for this duel, it will hardly matter to me if I divulge one of her secrets._

"Let's do this!" shouted both duelists.

**(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Magdalene: 8,000)**

"Ladies first," said Gears. "And I use the term loosely..."

Magdalene made her first draw.

"I'll set a Monster," she said, as a reversed Monster appeared in front of her. "And I'll end it there."

Gears smirked as he made a draw.

"I summon Ally of Justice Researcher!" he shouted.

With a roar of engines, the robotic all-terrain vehicle drove onto the field. (1,400 ATK)

"Now, I'll use its effect," he said. "I'll get rid of this..."

He discarded Robotic Knight.

"...and my Researcher can flip your Monster into Attack Mode, and nullify its Flip-Effect."

"That would be all well and good," said Magdalene, "if it had one."

Pyramid Turtle materialized where the facedown card had been. (1,200 ATK)

_Ho boy, that's trouble... _thought Gears._ She can use that to summon a lot of nasty things... Vampire Lord, Ryu Kokki, Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon..._

He looked at the cards in his hand.

_Well, let's see what it's gonna be..._

"Researcher, attack!" he shouted.

The Ally blasted its lasers, and the Turtle exploded into a cloud of sand.

**(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,800)**

"I Special Summon the Gatekeeper of Hell," exclaimed Magdalene, as a dark shadow appeared on her side of the field. "Come forth, Il Blud!"

The shadow gave way to a hideous Zombie. It looked like a big, broad, headless torso, with a tiny pair of arms, and a tiny pair of legs, dressed in a dirty prison uniform. Its ugly face was in the center of its torso, looking out from its unzipped shirt. (2,100 ATK)

Gears fidgeted a little. Not because the Monster was so hideous, but because he had faced it before.

He took two cards from his hand, and placed them in his Disk.

"I'll end with these," he said, as two facedown cards appeared.

"Then it's my draw," said Magdalene.

"First, since Il Blud is a Gemini Monster, I have to summon it a second time to use its effect. I'll do that now.

"And because I have, I can now Special Summon a Zombie from my hand or Graveyard every round.

"I choose to summon Lich Lord, King of the Underworld!"

In another dark shadow, another Zombie appeared, this one a grim skeleton garbed in a rotting, red cloak, holding a wooden staff, with molted, black, feathered wings. (2,400 ATK)

"And now, Il Blud will vanquish your Researcher! Attack with necro-breath!"

Il Blud belched a cloud of noxious vapors from its jaws...

"Hold on!" shouted Gears.

One of his facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Half or Nothing! I assume you know how it works."

"Then I choose to end my Battle Phase," said Magdalene. "But I'm not done..."

She fit a card into her Disk, and a Continuous Spell Card appeared.

"It's called Ectoplasmer. This Spell requires each player to sacrifice a Monster at the end of his or her turn. The soul of that Monster is then turned into destructive ectoplasm that burns the opponent for damage equal to half the Monster's Attack Points.

"I'm ending my turn now... And I choose to sacrifice Lich Lord!"

Lich Lord slumped over, and a bolt of ghostly energy flew at Gears. He grunted as it hit him in the chest.

_Feels like my heart just stopped for a second!_ he thought.

"By the way, Gears," said Magdalene, as she held up the Lich Lord card. "When Lich Lord is sacrificed for the effect of a Spell Card, it doesn't go to the Graveyard, it goes to my hand."

**(G: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,800)**

"I know this strategy," said Jinx. "She can use Il Blud to summon Lich Lord every round, and then sacrifice it on the end of the round."

"Yeah, but Il Blud is the Achilles heel of this maneuver," replied Shichiro. "Getting rid of it will break up the pattern."

Gears drew a card.

_Only problem is, _he thought,_ I don't have anything here that can do that._

"I'll set a Monster," he said, as a reversed Monster appeared. "Then I'll end my turn, and use the effect of your own Ectoplasmer."

Researcher vanished, and a bolt of binary symbols shot at Magdalene, striking her in the chest. She grunted.

**(G: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,100)**

"I've always said," she said, as she drew a card, "you have to be willing to take it if you want to dish it out...

"Think I'm gonna summon Lich Lord again..."

In another aura of darkness, Lich Lord appeared for the second time. (2,400 ATK)

"Then, Il Blud will attack your Monster!"

Il Blud let loose its necro-breath again... But it was halted by the Monster that appeared on the card, a large raptor statue made of black rock. (2,100 DEF)

"That's my Obsidian Dragon!" exclaimed Gears. "And your Il Blud can't crack it!"

"Clever," said Magdalene, with a frown. "Lich Lord, attack with dark curse!"

Lich Lord pointed its staff, and fired a bolt of burning energy, smashing Obsidian Dragon to pebbles.

"And don't forget Ectoplasmer..."

Lich Lord slumped over again, and the lethal ectoplasm hit Gears. He grunted and held his stomach.

**(G: 5,600) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,100)**

_Okay... _he thought._ I do NOT want to take that again..._

He made a draw.

"All right Maggie," he said.

"Magdalene!" shouted the monitor.

"Right," said Gears. "I'm setting one card facedown..."

A reversed card appeared.

"...and then activating this one! DNA Transplant!"

The facedown card he had set with Half or Nothing lifted up.

"Now I can transform every Monster on the field to Light-Attribute. Then I'll summon Ally of Justice Core-Destroy."

He played a card, and the smaller prototype version of Catastor appeared. (1,200 ATK)

"When Core-Destroy battles a Light Monster, that Monster is destroyed automatically, without damage calculation.

"So... Wipe out Il Blud!"

Core-Destroy fired a beam of light from its optic sensor, and the ugly Zombie was eradicated.

"Huh..." said Magdalene.

"With that," said Gears, "I end my turn, so Ectoplasmer activates."

Core-Destroy vanished, and the digital blast shot at Magdalene, hitting her again.

**(G: 5,600) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,500)**

"Well, Gears took care of that," said Jinx. "But he left himself wide open..."

Magdalene drew a card.

"I play Giant Trunade," she said.

She played the Spell Card, and a wind blew over the field. DNA Transplant and Gears's set card were blown back to his hand, and Magdalene's Ectoplasmer was blown back to hers.

Gears started to sweat.

Magdalene set two cards on her Disk, and a set Monster appeared with a set card behind it.

"I end my turn," she said.

_Defending? _thought Gears._ I had nothing! Why didn't she try to attack?_

He made a draw.

It was Ally of Justice Thousand Arms.

_Can't use this, _he thought._ It will be destroyed if it attacks a Monster that isn't Light, and I'll wager her Monster isn't. As much as I'd like to take advantage of a good situation, I have to improvise._

He took the other three cards in his hand. A set Monster and two set cards (the ones that Giant Trunade had returned to his hand) appeared on the field.

"I end my turn," he said.

"Then it's my move," said Magdalene, making a draw.

"I flip my Monster into Attack Mode," she said, as her reversed Monster flipped face-up. "Meet my Poison Mummy!"

With a moan, a decrepit, decayed corpse wrapped in rotting bandages appeared where the card had been. (500 ATK)

A cloud of dust surrounded Gears, and he started to cough and choke.

"This one _does _have a Flip-Effect," she said. "You lose 500 Life Points.

"Next, I activate the Trap Card, Foolish Revival. I get to choose a Monster in your Graveyard, and summon it to your side of the field."

Her facedown card rose up, and Ally of Justice Researcher appeared in front of Gears, in Defense Mode. (100 DEF)

"Any particular reason?" asked Gears.

"I'll show you," said Magdalene. "I sacrifice my Monster..."

Poison Mummy vanished into an orb of light.

"...to summon the Great Dezard!"

In a glowing aura a tall man in a silvery robe and cowl, covered with hieroglyphic symbols, appeared, holding a long staff. (1,900 ATK)

"That guy sure doesn't look like a Zombie," said Ember.

"He isn't, he's a Spellcaster," said Shichiro. "Strange as it may seem, Magdalene is going to attempt a move that's harder to pull off than the child-proof cap on the bottle of pills that my mother's stupid doctor gave her last month."

"I activate the Spell Card, Double Attack!" exclaimed Magdalene, as she played a Spell Card. "Now, my Level 6 Great Dezard can attack twice this turn, so long as I toss a Monster with a higher Level.

"Like my Level 8 Despair from the Dark!"

She discarded the card.

"Here's the first!"

Great Dezard fired a bolt of dark energy, blowing Researcher to shards. His robes turned gold.

"Now, the second!"

Great Dezard cast his second spell, and this time, Morphing Jar was blown away.

Magdalene grinned. She discarded Lich Lord, Ectoplasmer, and a Goblin Zombie, while Gears discarded Thousand Arms. They both made five draws.

Then Great Dezard's robe turned blood red. An aura of sickening dark energy surrounded him, and his flesh started to rot...

"Now that he's destroyed two Monsters," said Magdalene, "I can sacrifice him to Special Summon his other self..."

A foul stench wafted over the field...

Another lich rose from where Great Dezard was, a gaunt, skeletal corpse, dressed in a tattered, red robe, and holding a wooden staff with a crescent on the end. (2,600 ATK)

"Fushioh Richie..." said Gears. "Your deck's strategy seems to be liches."

"I study madness, remember?" asked Magdalene. "To me, liches represent the ultimate madness. No-one but a madman could turn himself into a walking corpse and isolate himself from all other beings, making himself a hideous outcast, due to a desire to live forever. It's just not a thing that a sane person does.

"After all, any powerful wizard worth his salt has several other ways to make himself live as long as he wants to. It just takes a little extra effort.

"Now, getting back to what I was doing... Liches may be insane, but they're incredibly powerful, and Fushioh Richie is no exception. It's immune to all Spells and Traps that target a specific Monster... Plus..."

The lich vanished, and was replaced by a reversed card.

"...I can switch it to reversed position once per round. And when it's flipped face up, I can Special Summon a Zombie from my Graveyard.

"And if you think it's easy to attack while in Defense Mode, it has 2,900 Defense Points.

"With that, my turn is complete..."

**(G: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,500)**

_Lovely,_ thought Gears.

He looked at his facedown cards, which were DNA Transplant and Call of the Haunted.

_I could summon Core-Destroy, but its effect only works when it battles a face-up Monster. It would stall, but would give her time to summon a horde of Zombies. I need to find another way._

He drew a card.

_Hey..._ he thought.

His Call of the Haunted flipped up, and Researcher reappeared. (1,400 ATK)

"Now, I'll sacrifice Researcher..." he said.

The Machine vanished into an orb of light.

"...for Ally of Justice Enemy Catcher!"

In another burst of energy, a Machine that looked like a large, robotic squid with rocket engines on its sides appeared hovering over Gears's side of the field. (1,800 ATK)

"With this guy, I can really do some damage," said Gears. "Because by Normal Summoning it, I can take control of one of your set Monsters for one round!"

Enemy Catcher fired a tractor beam at the set Fushioh Richie, and Magdalene stepped back in shock as it was pulled over to Gears's side of the field.

"Now, let's flip this into Attack Mode," said Gears, as Fushioh Richie appeared. (2,600 ATK)

Magdalene crossed her arms.

"Sort of overkill, wouldn't you say?" she asked. "You're showing a cruel streak here, Gears."

"Please," said Gears. "You claim you think humans are 'interesting' and 'complex', Magdalene... But I doubt you've made any attempt to change your diet because of it.

"Enemy Catcher, attack directly with retro rockets!"

The Machine fired twin blasts of flames from its rockets, and Magdalene staggered backwards as they slammed into her.

"Now, Fushioh Richie also attacks..." said Gears.

The undead Spellcaster cast an evil spell, and bolts of burning lightning shot at the monitor. She screamed, and fell backwards.

**(G: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 2,100)**

Magdalene slowly got up.

She glared at Gears. She hissed, and bore her fangs.

Then she shook her head. She cleared her throat hard.

"Heh..." she said. "Almost got angry there... Not gonna happen, though... You can't get angry in my line of work..."

"I'll bet..." said Gears.

He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"My move is finished."

Fushioh Richie moved back to Magdalene's side of the field.

Magdalene drew a card. She smiled slightly.

"I use Fushioh Richie's effect to move it to reversed position," she said.

The Zombie turned into a facedown card.

"Then," she said, as she played a Spell Card, "I play Book of Taiyou!"

Fushioh Richie reappeared. (2,600 ATK)

"I'll use the effect to summon Il Blud," she continued.

The Gatekeeper of Hell appeared again. (2,100 ATK)

"Next, I'll Gemini Summon Il Blud..."

The hulking Zombie grinned.

"Then, I'll use Il Blud's effect, and Special Summon Despair from the Dark from my Graveyard."

There was a haunting laughter, and a huge, hulking shadow with claws and a demonic face on the front appeared with the other two Zombies. (2,800 ATK)

"Holy..." said Gears.

"All right, time to battle!" shouted Magdalene. "Fushioh Richie, destroy that Enemy Catcher with doomsday purge!"

The evil lich cast its dark spell, and the Machine exploded into a shower of pixels.

"Ergh..." said Gears.

"Il Blud," said the monitor, "attack directly!"

Il Blud exhaled its vile breath, and Gears coughed and choked as the foul stuff covered him.

**(G: 2,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 2,100)**

"Still with me?" asked Magdalene.

"Hanging onto every word..." said Gears.

"Okay then..." said Magdalene. "Despair from the Dark, end this duel with dark embrace!"

The ghostly shadow moaned, and flew towards Gears...

"I activate... Soul Resurrection!" shouted Gears, as his facedown card shot up.

Robotic Knight appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,800 DEF)

"Now I'm safe from your Despair's attack."

Magdalene frowned. Despair from the Dark seized the Machine in its claw, and crushed it.

"I'll set this, and end my turn," she said, as a facedown card appeared behind her Zombies. "It's your move."

Gears looked at his hand, which consisted of Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, Junk Dealer, De-Synchro, and Gift of the Martyr. Then he looked at his remaining facedown card, which was DNA Transplant.

_Okay deck, let's do this..._ he thought.

He made a draw.

_All right..._ he said.

"I play Junk Dealer!" he said, as he quickly played the Spell Card. "Now I can Special Summon not one, but two Machines from my Graveyard, so long as I cut their Attack Scores in half."

Researcher appeared first (700 ATK), followed by Robotic Knight. (800 ATK) Both appeared rusty and broken.

"Now, I summon Dark Tinker!"

He played the card, and a Monster appeared that could best be described as a giant spider with an old woman's head. It had only two legs, but had eight spindly arms, which held hammers, knives, and other tools. (1,000 ATK)

"To defeat that abomination," he continued, "I need to Tune together three Monsters..."

Dark Tinker, Researcher, and Robotic Knight glowed, and turned into nine glowing stars. Gears started to chant.

"_An imposing form leads the Ally army on the battlefield. Rally your troops to victory against the cruel hordes of the Light of Ruin!_

"_Onward to glory... Ally of Justice Field Marshal!"_

There was an explosion of flames, and a ten-foot-tall robot, humanoid in shape, rose behind Gears. Its armor was shaped like a military uniform, complete with a head shaped like a helmet, and it shone with a silver hue. (2,900 ATK)

"All right!" cheered Jinx.

Gears glared at Magdalene. She glared back.

"Before I attack," he said, "Dark Tinker's effect activates. I get to confirm the top card on my deck, and then decide whether or not to put it on the top or on the bottom."

He picked up the top card on his deck. It was Ally of Justice Thunder Armor.

_Fat lot of good that will do me,_ he thought.

He placed it at the bottom of his deck.

"All right!" he exclaimed. "Flatten Fushioh Richie!"

Field Marshal pulled back its fist, and then threw a punch, smashing the undead wizard to pieces.

**(G: 2,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 1,800)**

"And I end my turn..." he said.

"So you do," said Magdalene, making a draw.

Her facedown card lifted up, revealing Call of the Haunted.

Fushioh Richie appeared in an aura of darkness. (2,600 ATK)

"Hold on a minute!" shouted Jinx. "I thought it was a NOMI!"

"It isn't," said Shichiro, shaking his head. "It can be summoned from the Graveyard so long as it's summoned properly first."

"Yeah, well," said Gears, "Field Marshal is still stronger."

"But will Field Marshal even be able to attack?" asked Magdalene.

She played a card.

"I think not..."

Field Marshal groaned, and its armor started to rust over.

"Ekibyo Drakmord!" gasped Shichiro. "One of the most dreaded of Equip Spells!"

"Your Monster can't attack," said Magdalene, "and after two of your turns, it will be destroyed. Even better, once that happens, Ekibyo Drakmord will be reusable.

"I'm not done either... I'm playing another Spell Card... It's caused Misfortune."

She played the card, and a beam of light shot at Field Marshal, passed _through_ Field Marshal, and hit Gears, striking him hard in the stomach.

"What did you do?" he gasped.

"Misfortune inflicts damage equal to half your Monster's Attack Points," said Magdalene, "in exchange for me forfeiting my attacks this turn."

"Now, I'll set two cards facedown, and use Fushioh Richie's effect..."

Two facedown cards appeared, and Fushioh Richie reverted to reversed position.

"...and I end my turn..."

_Everything is all set... _she thought, looking at the facedown cards._ My Discord Trap will prevent any further Synchro Summoning..._

_And if he tries to get rid of Field Marshal by sacrificing it, a logical step, my Intercept Counter Trap will let me steal whatever Monster he summons._

**(G: 750) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 1,800)**

Gears paused before he drew.

_She's clearly going to use Fushioh Richie's effect to summon Lich Lord next turn... _he thought._ I have to make this draw count..._

He closed his eyes, and made a draw.

He looked at it.

_Yes!_

He took another card from his hand.

"I play De-Synchro!" he shouted.

Ekibyo Drakmord shattered, and Field Marshal split into three glowing orbs. The orbs turned into Dark Tinker (1,000 ATK), Robotic Knight (1,600 ATK), and Ally of Justice Researcher. (1,400 ATK)

"Next, I summon Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator!"

In a blast of wind, the robotic bird Tuner appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"And boy, can it create cyclones. Allow me to demonstrate..."

He discarded Dekoichi from his hand, and Cyclone Creator's eyes glowed. An even fiercer wind started, and Magdalene's two Traps were blown off the field.

"What happened?" she gasped.

"By tossing one card," said Gears, "It can return one Spell or Trap to the owner's hand for each Tuner on the field. There are two, Cyclone Creator itself, and Dark Tinker.

"Now, I'm going to Tune Cyclone Creator, Robotic Knight, and Researcher, to summon someone even stronger..."

The room went dark. The three Machines flew upward, and the three blazing suns appeared.

"_Whispered secrets from a race now extinct, trusted to hold the knowledge accumulated over millennia, given the raw power unleashed in the creation of the cosmos! Sage of the forgotten people… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force… _

"_Synchro Summon, Il Mathman the Artificer!"_

The suns vanished, and Il Mathman appeared, striking a pose. (2,700 ATK)

"More powerful?" asked Magdalene. "Your Field Marshal was stronger."

"We'll see about that," said Gears, as his DNA Transplant flipped up. "I'm changing all Monsters on the field to Light again.

"Then, I'm using Il Mathman's effect. I'm removing Ally of Justice Thousand Arms from play."

The card slipped out of his discard slot, and he pocketed it.

"Then," he said, as he played his last card, "the Spell Card, Gift of the Martyr. By sending Dark Tinker to the Graveyard, I can boost Il Mathman by its Attack Score."

Dark Tinker vanished into motes of light, and Il Mathman glowed with energy. (3,700 ATK)

"Attack Fushioh Richie!" shouted Gears. "Primordial pulse blast!"

Il Mathman pointed, and fired a bolt of blue energy at the facedown Monster. The lich briefly appeared, before being blown to shards.

"I can still use its effect!" replied Magdalene. "Since it was flipped face-up, I get to summon Lich Lord from the Graveyard."

Lich Lord appeared, kneeling and covering itself with its wings. (1,200 DEF)

"Doesn't matter," said Gears. "You see, because Il Mathman absorbed the effect of Thousand Arms, he can attack all Light Monsters on the field once. That means he can attack all three of your nightmares."

Il Mathman shot another blast, reducing Lich Lord to a pile of burned bones. Then he fired a third time, and hit Despair from the Dark dead center. The phantom shadow moaned, and dissipated into mist.

Finally, he fired directly at Il Blud, and the gruesome thing's eyes bugged out before it exploded into a shower of filth.

"ERGH!" shouted Magdalene.

She toppled over.

**(G: 750) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 0)**

She looked up, and saw Gears leveling his sword at her.

"Now, you were going to tell us something?" he said.

She took a deep breath.

"The Empress is planning a major attack against you guys," she said, "and against Jalal in particular, on the Festival of Fangs. You might want to warn him when you get back..."

She started to fade, and then vanished.

"Wait..." said Jinx.

She was gone.

"Festival of Fangs..." said Shichiro. "I've heard of that..."

He pulled out his iPod.

"Let me check the calendar on this thing..."

He brought up a file.

"Oh yeah... It's a quarterly ophidia holy observance... And the next one is tomorrow night!"

"We'd better call Jalal..." said Jinx, reaching into her pocket.

"Jinx, we're in another galaxy," said Gears. "That's a little outside our calling plan."

Jinx shook her head.

"Let's hope Ember get's done soon..." she said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember was currently leaning against the wall of a hallway, resting. The duel with Zamamnic had taken a lot out of her.

"Ember..." said Gabriel. "I have a question..."

"Shoot," said Ember.

"Remember when you told him you would never take a bribe?" he asked. "Are you sure of that?"

"What are you implying?" asked Ember. "You think I would double-cross the Shadowchasers? Break the oath I made?"

"No..." said Gabriel. "I'm not saying that... But...

"Well, let me put it different way. If you were in love... Are Shadowchasers even allowed to marry?"

"Of course we're allowed to marry!" snapped Ember. "Jalal even has an account put aside for ceremonies for..."

She stopped short.

"I see your point..." she said.

"No need for you to ever consider taking a bribe, Ember," said Gabriel. "Why would you ever need money? You have free housing, your food and utilities are paid for. Your boss has enough money to pay off the national debt of a fairly large country. And he uses it to support every member of his organization.

"The Harmonium doesn't do that, because they can't. They may be rich, but they aren't a law-enforcement agency. They're a government that sponsors one. They have a whole planet under their care.

"Now think about it. What if the roles were reversed?"

Ember looked at Gabriel. She had a feeling that this guy was smarter than his childlike attitude suggested. Maybe he had retained some of the wisdom from his previous lives.

"So I shouldn't have been so quick to judge?" asked Ember.

"Look at all sides of an issue before making a decision," said Gabriel. "Now, that door leads to your next opponent..."

He pointed his wing towards the door ahead.

"Unless I miss my guess, he was the prosecutor in this case. He was working for the Psurlons too... But don't make any judgments until you're sure you know what his deal was."

Ember smirked a little.

"Guess I'm going to have to ditch all the lawyer jokes I thought up," she said.

Gabriel started to say something, but stopped.

"Oh, you're kidding, right?" he said.

Ember nodded. They both walked towards the door.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Aboleths were powerful creatures, but they had one great weakness: as aquatic creatures, they could not survive very long out of water without artificial respiration. The aboleth who had confronted the Shadowchasers was now in its lair, a subterranean cave underneath Neo Domino that was completely flooded with seawater.

The chamber was dark, as aboleths did not need light. The only light came from three glowing portals, through which it was speaking to several beings.

"_Obviously, the fact that Titans have come to Earth is a concern," _it said._ "I am working on a solution, and doing what I can to study their new vessels. _

"_I am not certain how they became Duel Spirits after they lost their physical forms... Maybe it's a trick that can be learned once I know more. On the plus side, they seem to be far less powerful as such than they were before._

"_The chamberlain's duel with Mr. Osaka was a failure... Mr. Osaka didn't even summon Trymus. The monitor's duel yielded slightly better results. But I'll need to learn more._

"_The hirelings will be here before this planet's next rotation is complete. They should be adequate for the task."_

"Are you sure this is wise?" asked a voice from one of the portals. "These hirelings are known for being untrustworthy..."

"_I am aware of that," _said the aboleth._ "But if they step out of line, I can persuade them..."_

"What about Jetta?" said another voice.

"_It is becoming very likely that she will be released,"_ said the aboleth.

This statement elicited a lot of annoyed groans from the portal.

"_Calm down," _said the aboleth._ "It may yet work to our advantage. The best bet right now is, the key to the Titans' undoing lies in getting all four of them together in one place._

"_You all continue what you are doing... Leave things on this end to me..."_

The portals vanished, plunging the underwater chamber into utter darkness.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Ember: I face the lawyer who was the prosecutor at Jetta's trial... And he isn't angry like Zeyeye was, nor is he depressed like Zamamnic was. No, this guy seems strangely happy for some reason. **

**I've heard of loving your job, but you'd think being cooped up here so long would make him a little less cheerful. Regardless, I have to duel him, and his unique strategy is not one to take lightly. **

"**Order to Smash" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_What follows is probably the most worked-on Shadowchasers File to date. I'd like to thank Rob of Eternal Fire for his hard work._

**Shadowchaser Files**

**The De-Factos: Warriors in a Lawless City**

In this era, the City of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania has fallen into ruin. Three competing criminal organizations, Neo-Doma, Dark Obsidian, and the X-Twilight, control the people, the city administration, and much of the city police department. With crime running rampant, it was only a matter of time before several Shadows infiltrated these criminal organizations and assumed control. As a result, the city was reduced from a 'city of the future' to a collection of slums and old revived mills surrounding a ring of high profile and prosperous businesses. The majority of the citizens have fallen into poverty and many Shadows and humans have turned to crime as a means to improve their lot in life. The Shadowchasers abandoned the city a long time ago, unable to get support from anyone. Only one group of individuals stands between the innocent and a living hell. The De-Factos. This group calls itself Shadowchasers and tries to enforce the Great Treaty, but does so with no official approval from Jalal.

The De-Factos are separated into two 'sectors': 'Business' and 'Enforcement'. The business sector handles the corporate interests and provides all the necessary funding through manufacturing and monitoring affordable and high quality security alarms and guard services to both individuals and businesses. This group is comprised of all manner of humans from the Mundane to the Aware, and its primary goal beyond the corporate aspect, is to alert the company if the enforcement sector is needed.

The Enforcement sector of The De-Factos is charged with maintaining the safety and security of the city when the police are unable or unwilling to look into crimes and public problems. This sector is divided into two groups. The larger group handles all problems involving humans and only humans. Their job is to stop crimes as they happen and turn them over to the proper authorities the same way Batman would do in Gotham City. The main focus though, comes from the smaller group consisting of the five 'charter members'. These five individuals consist of four Aware humans and one Shadow. Four of the five handle the daily business of enforcing the Great Treaty as the Shadowchasers normally would, leaving the administrative duties to the CEO and founder of the De-Factos, James Redfield. The mission of this section of the De-Factos is to handle all incidents involving Shadows. Most often the crime is resolved and then the Shadows responsible are taken to the nearest Shadowchaser branch office in Cleveland Ohio, (or in extreme circumstances New York City) once a crime has been broken up. Very few people outside the city of Pittsburgh know of the existence of this part of the De-Factos, but if not for this small group, the City of Pittsburgh would have long since ceased to exist.

**Members of the De-Factos**

The story of the rise of the De-Factos is in many ways the story of one James Redfield. Born in the turmoil of a floundering city, James' father was one of the last good cops in the Pittsburgh police before he and his family were killed before James' own eyes. Orphaned and poor, he ended up joining a duel gang in the slums of the city. Several years later James had risen to become the leader of the gang and slowly transformed them into a small scale security business making and selling alarms for people just to earn the cash to buy food for survival. It was during one of these 'equipment runs,' meaning a run to the recycling plants to obtain the parts needed for making the alarm systems, that the lives of himself and his four close friends would change forever. There their eyes were opened to the truth as they witnessed two were-panthers murder someone on the edge of town. As they salvaged what they could find, they were only able to take the man's PDA which contained a copy of the Treaty as well as an explanation of just what Shadows and Shadowchasers were. After that Redfield vowed that the dead man would be avenged and future tragedies would be prevented. Thus they became De-Facto Shadowchasers.

Over the years Redfield led the expansion of the De-Factos, but the five members of the 'Shadowchaser branch' remained relatively unchanged. Though the duties of CEO have regulated Redfield to a more 'managerial' position in this branch acting like Jalal in that he hands out missions and researches info that the other field agents find.

Personality wise, Redfield has a strong sense of justice and a strong heart. He has invested his entire life to returning the city of Pittsburgh to its golden years, and treats all who work for and with him as his family. He would gladly give the shirt on his back to those in need but he does have a temper and little patience for anyone who tries to interfere with the operations of his company or the lives of his friends and employees.

**Deck:** James Redfield runs two separate decks one for the traditional ground duels and one for Turbo Duels. Both versions of his deck focus on Dark Warriors, Spellcasters, and Dragons. To him this represents the De-Factos to the 'T' as he employs all sorts of people so long as they put aside their differences and work together for a common goal. However his three key cards include Exploder Dragonwing, Colossal Fighter, and Dark Magician. He also has been trying to make a card similar to Jalal the Dragonborn in that he wants a card to symbolize the De-Factos.

**Sarah 'Striker' Blaze: **

Sarah has been a member of the De-Factos from the beginning and has earned the position of 'head chaser' as well as the nickname 'Striker' due to her ability to strike at the heart of a problem. She grew up in a very poor family and had little formal education having to drop out just to help support her family when her mother died. Shortly after, her father passed away from a broken heart leaving her to fend for herself. Fortunately she was found by a young James Redfield who promised her a better life then working in the mills or recycling plants. it was in these formative years that she learned to read and write through the game Duel Monsters. She learned quickly and rose to the top as a duelist where she gained friendship, respect and a lover as such she has a firm loyalty to Redfield and the De-Factos who in her mind gave her a family again.

Tall and hardened, Sarah has fiery red hair and a quick temper to boot. it takes only the slightest irritant to throw her into a rage yet she quickly calms down. the other defining feature about her is her big heart. She is type of person who insists on giving back to the community and passing on the lessons she learned through duel monsters to the many orphaned children who see her as a mother figure.

**Deck:** She uses a Light Counter Fairy Deck, using cards like Airknight Parshath and the various agent cards to quickly strike her opponents hard and fast. with counter traps to negate and frustrate opposing strategies.

**Josh 'Irons' Biggens:**

"Stubborn as a dwarf" rings more true for Josh 'Irons' Biggens that any non Aware could even imagine. To those who can see his true form, he is short, about 4 feet 9 inches, with black hair and a robust and strong physique. He has a good eye for all things mechanical and is the man responsible for building and maintaining the D-Wheels of the De-Factos, as well as aiding in the manufacture of the security systems that the corporate sector produces. to the other charter members, he is a loyal and good hearted dwarf who loves his work, a good meal and a good duel, though any criminal he's brought in would tell of his unyielding stubborn pursuit and capture.

Unlike most Shadows, he was born on Earth after his parents were ripped from the home world of Shadows. His father taught him in the old style of the mountain dwarves so Josh learned to shape metal and work with machinery form an early age, as well as the dwarven version of the codes of chivalry. As such he became an expert smith and mechanic, and follows the belief that the male must always protect the female whenever possible. As a teenager however, he was thrown into the recycling plants in the city. Forced into wasting his talents he tried to escape with a few other dwarves that he found. The escape failed and the guards proceeded to kill his companions leaving him as the only survivor. On the run and wanted by the security force, he ran into a forming duel gang but instead of mugging him they helped him to his feet and invited him to join. That group was led by James Redfield and he offered Josh a place if he would help the gang achieve its goal.

**Deck:** Josh uses an Ancient Gear deck primarily but has added other machines like the Machine King series as well. He has a copy of the incredibly rare Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem, but rarely uses it – he rarely has need of something so powerful

**Michel 'Torrent' Frost**

The collapse of the city hurt millions of people though by far the people most visibly devastated were the semi-wealthy which was where Michel's family found itself during the collapse. He had to lose all the comfort and prosperity that he once knew but his love of dueling forced him to wander the streets in search of other duel opponents. his search led him to face Sarah 'Striker' Blaze in a one on one duel which he lost both the duel and his heart as he quickly joined the De-Factos just to befriend her. Over time their friendship turned to love and Michel found a purpose, to protect the very people that Sarah cared for. He was the one who supplied the startup money to help the De-Factos make their first alarm systems.

Appearance-wise, Michel is above average height with short black hair and slightly tanned skin. His brown eyes hold a deep pain as he has witnessed a great deal of pain and sorrow while working with children and often has a hard time keeping his emotions locked inside him.

**Deck: **Michel uses a Water deck which uses a lot of Flip-Effects to send cards back to the opponent's hand. It is conceivable that he would use a variety of Water Synchro Monsters but by far his best and favorite monster is Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier.

**Samantha Collins:**

Living in the slums of a once great city is hard enough with the support of at least one supportive parental figure, or even in a city orphanage. Fate however, denied the young Samantha Collins access to either of those. She was born the only child of a woman forced into drug addiction and prostitution and as a result received very little emotional support growing up. Unfortunately, the worst part of her childhood ordeal was not seeing several men buying her mother's body or watching her mother's sanity being chiseled away by drug addiction. Her mother's 'pimp' would often beat her and her mother just to ensure his control over them. This continued until one day the mother never woke up from one such beating. The pimp would have used Samantha as a replacement had she not had the common sense to run as far away as she could which eventually led her deeper into the slums of the once great city. In her time on the run from the pimp she met and joined up with the De-Factos. Since then she has remained true to her first true friends, and even managed to help put her mother's pimp behind bars.

Samantha is of Asian descent though she is not sure what her true nationality is. In spite of her ordeals she has retained an innocent look about her. Aside from that she is about average height and has numerous scars and bruises on her body from her childhood days. Internally however, she is very cold and sharp to strangers but has learned to conceal any physical trace of her emotions. This distance is nothing more than a front to protect her very vulnerable soul from being hurt once more. Despite her less than warm outlook she has a good heart and makes a point to attempt to break up drug rings as well as any form of human trafficking.

**Deck: **Samantha is a warrior at heart thus all her decks have revolved around warriors in some way shape or form especially warriors of the Earth Attribute. Amazons are one possible type but she has also gone with a basic warrior theme in the past while utilizing the X-Saber Warriors and several of their support cards. She also uses cards such as The A. Forces and Gaia Power to boost their strength and DNA Surgery to ensure that her monsters gain the bonuses of cards like Marauding Captain and Command Knight.

**Story Ideas: **The De-Factos operate in a city where no proper Shadowchaser team formally exists, but they consider themselves a part of the organization at least in spirit. Any true Shadowchaser going through the Pittsburgh area is bound to find one of the De-Factos as an ally in the area. Another possible use would obviously be the transformation of the De-Factos into a true Shadowchaser team. Jalal never publicly supports the De-Factos (giving support to what some would call a vigilante group would not be wise), but he has on occasion given them some secret assistance, knowing that they are the only ones willing to do the job in a dangerous place where the true Shadowchasers have no friends.

It's even possible that an entire fanfic could center on the De-Factos. It would be unorthodox for a Shadowchasers fic, but it would be doable if one was willing to work on it. Large-scale goals like toppling one of the crime gangs could fill the plot of such a fanfic.


	40. Order to Smash

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL FORTY**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Order to Smash**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Ember and Gabriel entered a chamber, which seemed, in most aspects, identical to the first two. They were surprised to see, however, that there were no maruts present at all.

"Okay..." said Ember. "I doubt that whoever is in charge trusts him – or me – completely..."

"Maybe when you get this far into the place, cheating isn't possible," said Gabriel.

Before they could consider this, the pod in front of them started to open.

A being walked out, yawned, and stretched. He was a tall, lanky humanoid, with pale skin, bald, and pointed ears. He wore a blue vest and trousers, and spectacles over his eyes.

"Well, hello," he said, in a brisk tone.

"I suppose you were the prosecutor?" asked Ember.

"That I was," said the being, extending his hand. "Mal Ambrose, attorney at law, at your service.

"Call me Mal, everyone does. And you are?"

"Uh... Eiko," said Ember. "Eiko Michiko..."

"Pleased to meet you Ms. Eiko," he said.

"You're awfully cheerful for someone who's been stuck here so long," replied Ember.

"Would there be any point in getting upset?" he asked.

_This is suspicious,_ thought Ember.

"Can I ask you something?" she said.

"You can _ask_," replied Mal. "I can't guarantee I'll have the answer."

"You work for the Psurlons, right?" asked Ember.

"Is that a problem?" he replied.

"Well..." said Ember. "You don't see any problem working for such creatures?"

Mal shrugged.

"Someone needs a lawyer, I'm available," he said. "I did my job, like I was supposed to, and I'm not ashamed of doing it. Nor am I ashamed of being here."

Ember looked at him strangely.

"And you don't feel the least bit of animosity towards anyone for having to wait here so long?" she asked.

"Nope," said Mal, with a shrug. "Now... I think we're supposed to duel..."

"I think the time here may have messed with his mind..." whispered Gabriel.

"At least he probably won't give us any trouble," replied Ember. "I don't think so, at least."

Ember hit the auto-shuffler on her Disk, and her deck was reshuffled.

"Fine," she said. "But I have a feeling you're hiding something, and I'm going to get it out of you before you leave here..."

"Just one thing," said Mal. "Not to make you nervous, but the judge is the guardian of the final checkpoint, and he will be watching this duel personally."

Ember looked around, expecting to see some sort of security camera.

_Too late... _she said._ I'm already nervous..._

Mal lifted his arm, and a Duel Disk appeared on it. It was a different style than Zeyeye's or Zamamnic's, with bronze plating and red gems.

Both Disks activated.

"DUEL!" they both shouted.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Mal: 8,000)**

"I'll start off," said Mal, drawing a card.

"And I'll open with a Spell Card..."

Ember had never seen this Spell before. The image looked like Goblin Calligrapher kneeling before the king from Imperial Order, as Marauding Captain stood nearby.

"It's called Opening Statements," continued Mal. "By playing this card, both players may Special Summon a Monster from their decks with up to 1,000 Attack Points.

"And I choose to summon Kozaky in Defense Mode."

A creepy-looking mad scientist with backward-pointing horns on his head, wearing thick glasses, a lab coat, vest, slacks, and a tie appeared. He knelt down and crossed his arms. (400 DEF)

"Okay..." said Ember.

_Kozaky? _she thought._ Weird..._

"I'll use that effect to summon Flamvell Archer."

Archer appeared, aiming his bow. (1,000 ATK)

"Now, I can't Normal Summon this turn because I used that card," continued Mal, "so I'll set this card, and end my turn..."

A reversed card appeared behind Kozaky.

"Draw..." said Ember.

She snapped the card off the top of her deck.

"I sacrifice Archer..."

Archer vanished into an orb of light.

"...to summon Flamvell Commando!"

In an explosion of energy, the flaming soldier holding his heavy-duty flamethrower appeared. (2,200 ATK)

"I'd like to activate this, if I may..." said Mal.

His facedown card lifted up.

"The League of Uniform Nomenclature. Because Kozaky is a Level 1 Normal Monster, this Trap Card lets me summon two more of them."

Two more Kozakys appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (400 DEF x2)

_So now instead of one weak Monster, he has three? _thought Ember._ Even weirder..._

Flamvell Commando fired a burst of hot flame from his weapon, reducing one of the three Fiends to ash.

"That's all for this turn," she said.

Mal made a draw.

"Then it's time to start in earnest," he said. "I Equip one Kozaky with Heart of Clear Water..."

He played the card, and a pendant shaped like a teardrop appeared around the neck of one of the Kozakys.

"This Equip protects him from being destroyed in battle, and also from being destroyed by card effects that target.

"Next, I'll sacrifice my other Kozaky..."

The second Kozaky vanished into an orb of light... And then a dark shadow rose over the field...

At first glance, the creature that appeared looked like Freed the Matchless General. But he was too dark... To _evil_. He had ebony skin, eyes that smoldered like hot coals, and sharp claws for hands. (2,300 ATK)

"Who in the world?" said Ember.

"That's Dark General Freed," replied Mal. "The polar opposite of the regular Freed. And so long as he's on the field, all Spells that target Dark Monsters are negated."

"Hold on!" shouted Ember. "Heart of Clear Water is a targeting effect!"

"And Dark Freed would have negated it," replied Mal, "had he been on the field when I played it."

Ember frowned. That _was_ pretty smart.

"And he's no slouch in a fight either," said Mal, as Dark Freed drew his sword, "as your Commando is about to see..."

The General made a slash with his wicked blade, and Flamvell Commando shattered into pixilated shards.

"I'll set one card facedown," said Mal, as a reversed card appeared in front of him, "and end my turn."

**(E: 7,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 8,000)**

Ember drew a card, and looked at the cards in her hand.

_He's setting up for something, _she thought,_ and the worst part is, all I can do right now is defend..._

She set a card on her Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared on her Disk.

"That's all for now," she said.

"Then it's my move," said Mal. "And rather than draw this turn, I'm going to use Dark General Freed's effect..."

A card slipped out of his deck.

"You see, every round, I'm allowed to take a Level 4 Dark Monster from my deck. In lieu of making my regular draw, of course.

"And now... I'm going to summon it. Meet Giant Kozaky!"

There was a loud noise that sounded like an old lawn mower engine, and a huge creature rose up on Mal's side of the field. It was a huge robot, fifteen feet tall, with a saucer-shaped lower body and a head on top, made in the image of Kozaky, complete with suit and tie. It had hammers, drills, and clamps protruding from its lower body. (2,500 ATK)

Gabriel squawked in terror.

"_That's _Level 4?" shouted Ember.

"It's admittedly the strongest Level 4 Monster in the game, as far as points go," replied Mal. "And like any powerful Level 4, it has a condition.

"If I have no regular Kozaky on the field, it's destroyed. And if it's destroyed, I take 2,500 points of damage."

"Seems a big risk…" said Ember.

"It is," replied Mal. "But I've set up two layers of protection, as you can see. First, the Heart of Clear Water prevents Kozaky from being destroyed by attacks or card effects that target.

"Second, Dark General Freed protects him from _all _Spell Cards that target.

"And as an added measure of protection, Dark General Freed's effect extends to Giant Kozaky."

_And I'll wager his facedown card is a Counter Trap that will keep me from destroying Heart of Clear Water… _thought Ember._ Probably Judgment of Anubis._

"Time to battle!" shouted Mal. "Freed, attack her Monster!"

Dark General Freed made a slash with his sword at the facedown Monster, and Neo Flamvell Garuda briefly appeared before shattering.

"Now, Giant Kozaky, attack directly with chaos missiles!"

A hatch on the huge Fiend's front opened, and four missiles launched, honing in on Ember. She screamed as they exploded around her.

She fell on one knee.

"Ember!" said Gabriel.

"I'm fine..." she said. "Mostly..."

**(E: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 8,000)**

"My turn is over," said Mal.

Ember drew a card.

_I can use this guy..._ she thought.

She set the card, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"That's all for my turn," she said.

"Then I'll take my turn," said Mal. "And once again, I'll use Dark Freed's effect..."

He took a card from his deck.

He quickly played it, and a second Giant Kozaky appeared. (2,500 ATK)

_Figures,_ thought Ember, as she started to sweat.

"Dark Freed, destroy her Monster!" ordered Mal.

The Dark General rushed at the card. Blue Flame Swordsman appeared crouching on it, right before Freed's sword fell.

"Giant Kozaky..." started Mal.

"Not so fast!" shouted Ember. "By destroying Blue Flame Swordsman, I get to Special Summon the real Flame Swordsman from my Extra Deck."

The true Flame Swordsman appeared in front of her, kneeling and holding his sword down. (1,600 DEF)

"Clever..." said Mal.

The first Giant Kozaky fired its missiles, and Flame Swordsman was eradicated.

Then the second one fired, and Ember screamed again. She fell on her back.

**(E: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 8,000)**

Ember felt water splashing on her face, and then her strength coming back. Her eyes opened.

Gabriel's tears were falling on her. Apparently, the phoenix had decided it was as good a time as any.

Ember slowly got up.

"I suggest doing some plea bargaining now, Ms. Eiko," said Mal. "You know what's coming next turn."

"Sorry, Mal..." said Ember. "Not gonna happen..."

"Then it's your move..." said Mal.

_His strategy has one flaw to it, _thought Ember._ So long as he keeps using Dark General Freed's effect to search for Monsters, he can't make any regular draws. The two cards he has now are all he has to work with, and if they were Trap Cards, he'd likely have set them by now._

She drew a card.

"I play Fire Back!" she shouted.

She played the Spell Card, and then discarded Flamvell Dragnov. Then Flamvell Archer appeared on the field, kneeling and shielding himself in Defense Mode. (200 DEF)

"I'll set two cards facedown," she said, "and my turn is over."

Two cards appeared in two flashes of light.

"Then it's my move," said Mal, "and I'll use Dark Freed's effect to get my third Giant Kozaky."

He took the card from his deck. Then he played it, and a third of the huge, fiendish robots appeared. (2,500 ATK)

"I suppose it's overkill..." he said. "But as my grandfather said, always go for the gusto."

"My grandfather often said the same thing," said Ember.

"Freed, attack her Monster!" shouted Mal.

Freed rushed at Flamvell Archer.

One of Ember's facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Tuner's Barrier," she said. "For this round only, my Tuner Monster is invincible!"

Freed's sword merely glanced off of Archer.

"I see..." said Mal. "In that case, I'll move to my second Main Phase, and play this..."

He played a Spell Card, and once again, it was one that Ember had never seen. It looked like Dark General Freed blocking a blow with a shield that had a raven painted on it.

"It's called Compensatory Damages," he said. "As you know, I've skipped my normal draw three times in a row. This Spell now lets me draw once for each successive time I did so."

He made three draws. He looked at the cards.

_There it is, _he thought._ Creature Swap, the final part of this strategy._

_When I use it next round, I can move one Giant Kozaky to her side of the field, and with no regular Kozaky there, it will be destroyed, and she'll take the damage. One attack after that will be all I'll need to achieve victory._

"It's your move..." he said.

Ember made a draw.

She smirked.

"I sacrifice Flamvell Archer..." she exclaimed.

Archer vanished into an orb of light.

"...for Flamvell Devil!"

With a savage growl, the flaming demon appeared in front of her. (2,100 ATK)

"And now, the Equip Spell, Salamandra!" she shouted, throwing a card into her Disk.

Flamvell Devil roared. (2,800 ATK)

"Huh?" said Mal.

"Destroy Dark General Freed!" shouted Ember. "Flaming scourge!"

Flamvell Devil shot a blazing ball of flame at the evil Warrior, and Dark General Freed exploded into a burning conflagration.

"Ergh..." grunted Mal.

"And due to Devil's effect," said Ember, "you lose 200 extra Life Points for each Pyro I have in my Graveyard."

Mal grunted again.

**(E: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,100)**

"It's your move, Mal," said Ember.

_This wasn't supposed to happen..._ thought Mal, as he made a draw.

"I play... Creature Swap!" he exclaimed, as the Spell Card appeared.

"Oh no you don't..." said Ember.

Her other Trap Card flipped up.

"I activate Flamvell Counter. I'll remove this card from play..."

Flamvell Dragnov slipped out of her discard slot, and she pocketed it.

"...and your Creature Swap is a dud."

The Spell Card shattered.

_Okay, now we're in trouble..._ thought Mal.

He looked at the cards in his hand.

One of the cards was part of his backup plan. However, he needed another card to use it.

"I move my three Giant Kozakys to Defense Mode," he said.

The three huge Fiends shielded themselves with their mechanical arms. (2,400 DEF x3)

"...and then you go."

Ember made a draw.

"Flamvell Devil, destroy one of those overgrown abominations!" she shouted.

Flamvell Devil threw a fireball at the leftmost Giant Kozaky, blowing a hole in its side. Smoke poured from the hole...

Then the whole crazy contraption exploded with such force, Mal was thrown off his feet.

**(E: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,600)**

"Didn't expect _that_, did you?" asked Ember. "Your strategy assumed that your opponents would spend all their time trying to destroy your Giant Kozaky by getting rid of the regular Kozaky. You never dreamed anyone would simply try to attack the big guys themselves."

"Are you quite through?" asked Mal, with a slight tone of annoyance.

"Almost," said Ember, taking a card from her hand. "I'll set a Monster, and end my turn."

A reversed Monster appeared next to Flamvell Devil.

Mal got up, and brushed himself off.

"My move..." he said.

He made a draw.

"I play... Blasting Vein," he said. "By sending my set Trap Card to the Graveyard, I get to make two draws."

He played the card, and his set card, which as Ember expected, was Judgment of Anubis, lifted up, and was consumed in flames. He made two draws.

_Still don't have the card I need, _he thought, looking at them._ But these will spare me some damage._

"I set two cards facedown," he said, placing a card in his Disk, "and that will be all."

A two new set card appeared.

"My move!" shouted Ember, making a draw.

"I flip Hiita the Fire Charmer into Attack Mode."

Her facedown Monster flipped up, and the younger version of Hiita, with her fox beside her, appeared. (500 ATK)

"Then, I summon Molten Zombie."

She played another card, and the flaming, undead Pyro appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Next, I send Hiita and Molten Zombie to the Graveyard..."

The two Fire Monsters vanished into grains of light.

"...to summon Familiar-Possessed Hiita!"

The older, more mature version of Hiita, with a fiercer fox appeared. (1,850 ATK)

"Now, my Flamvell Devil attacks another one of your Giant Kozakys..."

Flamvell Devil prepared to cast its fiery scourge...

"I activate... Skill Drain!" shouted Mal, as his facedown card flipped up. "This will cost me 1,000 Life Points... But by stripping all Monsters on the field of their effects, losing Giant Kozaky won't cost me a thing."

The second Giant Kozaky was blown to shards, but it wasn't a fierce explosion this time.

_Crud, _thought Ember._ Without her effect, Hiita can't inflict trampling damage._

She set a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared in a flash.

"I'll end with that," she said.

**(E: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 3,600)**

"You are quite skilled," said Mal, taking some deep breaths. "I can see why the other Titans choose you...

"I never had anything against them, personally... I even kind of admired them... Folks who would take a stand where others wouldn't..."

"So why did you agree to prosecute in this case?" asked Ember.

"A lawyer can't let his personal views get in the way of his work," replied Mal.

Giant Kozaky moved into Attack Mode. (2,500 ATK)

"Attack Familiar-Possessed Hiita!" he shouted.

The automaton prepared to fire its missiles...

"I play Draining Shield!" shouted Ember, as her facedown card shot up.

"Drat..." said Mal. "I was going to save this for later, but..."

His other facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Scrubbed Raid. Now, by sacrificing a card, I can end the Battle Phase right away, and not give your Trap a chance to do its job.

"Especially since the card I'm going to sacrifice is the Monster that was about to attack."

Giant Kozaky vanished into grains of light.

"Your move..." he said.

Ember made a draw. It was Mystical Space Typhoon.

_Okay... _she thought._ I can only destroy one of his cards with this..._

_If I use it to destroy Scrubbed Raid, attacking would be pointless, because Kozaky is invincible with that Heart of Clear Water, and Hiita doesn't have her effect. _

_If I destroy Skill Drain or Heart of Clear Water, he can halt the Battle Phase with Scrubbed Raid..._

_But... He'd have to get rid of a card to do so._

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon," she exclaimed, as her Trap Card shot up, "to destroy Heart of Clear Water!"

The cyclone tore across the field, shattering Kozaky's pendant.

"Now, Hiita... Attack the Nutty Professor!"

Hiita aimed her staff.

"Once again, I activate Scrubbed Raid," said Mal, as Skill Drain vanished. "And I have to thank you... I didn't know how I was going to get rid of that Trap otherwise."

_He wanted to get rid of it? _thought Ember._ Whatever for?_

Ember looked at the last card in her hand. She fit it into her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"My move..." said Mal.

He drew a card.

"Time to unleash my backup plan," he said.

He played a Spell Card.

"First, Silent Doom, which I'll use to Special Summon another Kozaky."

A second Kozaky appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (400 DEF)

"Next, I play Monster Reincarnation," he said, playing a second Spell Card.

He discarded Triangle Power, and took Dark General Freed from his discard slot.

"Now... I play this..."

He held up a Spell Card.

"A Ritual Card?" shouted Ember.

"It's called Ritual of Destruction," said Mal.

As he played the card, an altar appeared behind him. It was predominated by a cocoon of black matter with horns on the upper half, restrained by several chains.

The two Kozakys and Dark General Freed appeared on the altar.

"For this ceremony, I need to sacrifice seven Levels worth of Monsters..."

The three Monsters were consumed in auras of shadows. The chains started to break, and the cocoon started to bulge. Then a claw burst out of it.

Ember watched, as a frightening-looking Fiend emerged from the cocoon. It had similarities to Dark Lucius, but had smoother skin, wore gold jewelry, and had bony protrusions on its shoulders and temples.

"I give you... _Garlandolf, King of Destruction!_"

(2,500 ATK)

"I'm not impressed," said Ember.

"Maybe this will impress you," said Mal. "When Garlandolf is Ritual Summoned, it destroys all Monsters on the field with Defense Scores lower than its Attack Score."

Garlandolf's eyes glowed, and both Flamvell Devil and Hiita shattered into pixels.

"But wait! There's more! Garlandolf then gains 100 Attack Points for each Monster that was just destroyed."

(2,700 ATK)

"Now, attack directly! Scourge of destruction!"

The King of Destruction formed an orb of dark energy in its hands...

Ember looked at her facedown card. Then she decided against it.

She gasped as the ball of dark energy slammed into her stomach.

**(E: 200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 3,600)**

She gasped for breath.

"You think that loser impresses me?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Loser?" asked Mal.

"Yeah," said Ember. "It's a Demise wanna-be, that's all it is.

"Now, look out!"

She looked at her deck.

_I talk pretty tough, _she thought,_ but this draw had better be a winner..._

She made a draw.

"I summon Royal Firestorm Guards!" she shouted.

She played the card, and the weird, reptilian Pyro appeared in front of her. (1,700 ATK)

"Now, I'll take four Pyros from my Graveyard, and shuffle them into my deck..."

She took Flamvell Commando, Molten Zombie, Neo Flamvell Garuda, and Flamvell Archer from her Graveyard, added them to her deck, and the Disk shuffled it.

"Then I make two draws."

She drew two times.

Her facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Call of the Haunted!" she shouted.

In a burst of fire, Flamvell Devil appeared again. (2,100 ATK)

"Now, I play Enemy Controller!" she exclaimed, as she played one of the two cards. "I'll sacrifice one Monster..."

Royal Firestorm Guards vanished.

"...in order to take one of yours."

Mal stepped back in shock, as Garlandolf was pulled over to Ember's side of the field.

"Ho boy..." he said.

"Let's finish this," she said. "Flamvell Devil... Garlandolf... double direct attack!"

The two Fiends fired blasts of burning fire and pulsating darkness at the lawyer, and he was propelled backwards, slamming against the pod he had come out of.

"And that's a wrap," said Ember.

**(E: 200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 0)**

Mal started to laugh. He laughed softly at first, and then laughed out loud.

"Well," he said. "All's well that ends well... Heh, heh..."

"I don't get it..." said Ember. "You lost... And yet you're still happy?"

"I'm ecstatic!" laughed Mal. "You see, Ms. Eiko, I've been an employee of the Psurlons this whole time, and I've been working for them for the past seven cycles of Mechanus...

"So, now they owe me seven cycles worth of overtime pay! Once I collect, I'll be able to retire in style!

"And they're gonna pay it, or I have a lot of dirt on them that they don't want some people to know."

Ember looked at him.

"Unbelievable..." she said.

"You go on," said Mal, "the judge is waiting..."

He vanished, still laughing.

"Let him go," said Gabriel. "Some folks are just plain... shallow..."

The door opened at the opposite end of the room, and Ember ran through.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember entered a room that was far different than the ones she had seen up to now. It looked like a combination of a courtroom and an ancient temple.

The place was made out of marble. A podium was in the front the room that she guessed was some sort of judge's bench, while a smaller podium was in front of it, where she guessed a lawyer or a witness was supposed to stand when he addressed the judge.

Ember had never been in a court of justice before, let alone one on another planet. The Shadowchasers rarely had to make a statement at the trials of anyone they arrested in person, and her own record was clean.

As she pondered this, a door in the front of the room opened.

A creature walked out, one that was far less human than the three opponents she had faced so far. His head resembled that of a horned ram, his hands were clawed, and his feet were hoofed. His rotund body was clothed in a purple judicial robe with gold trim.

"Uh, hi," said Ember. "I suppose you're the judge?"

"Yes I am," replied the creature. "I believe that means you are required to stand when I enter."

"Uhm..." said Ember. "I am standing..."

"Eh?" said the judge. "Oh, excuse me..."

He reached into a pocket of his robe, took out a pair of spectacles, and put them on.

"Much better," he said.

"Ember, be careful..." whispered Gabriel.

"Huh?" whispered Ember back.

"I've spent enough time around wizards to recognize them," replied the phoenix.

"He's a wizard?" asked Ember, nervously.

Gabriel nodded.

"A powerful one," he added. "The magical aura around him is a furnace."

The judge looked at Ember. Then he took a seat at the judge's bench.

"Uh, may I inquire as to your name?" asked Ember.

"Personal names are not used by my species," replied the judge. "Members of other races have called me Sirius. You may call me that if you desire.

"Now, you desire to sponsor Jetta, I believe... Let's take a look at your record, shall we?"

He opened a file in front of him and adjusted his spectacles.

"Hmmm.... Ms. Eiko Michiko, nineteen of your planet's revolutions old, a resident of the third plant of your system, which is a class-8 planet..."

"What does that mean?" asked Ember.

"Not the best, but not the worst," replied Sirius. "No criminal record, that's good... Says here you are a member of an international law-enforcement agency that deals with specialized crime... Interesting..."

"So that's good?" asked Ember.

"I said it was interesting," replied Sirius. "That does not necessarily mean good.

"Hmmm... Defeated the spawn of Athentia in a Shadow Duel?"

"Is that good?" asked Ember.

"Yes, Ms. Eiko, it is," replied Sirius. "The Light of Ruin has long been a threat to many worlds of the cosmos... Defeating one of its servants is always commendable."

"So, do we really have to duel?" asked Ember.

"I'm afraid so," said Sirius. "But before we do, I want to ask you something..."

He held up two cards.

"I have here two cards," he said. "One of them is Gaia the Dragon Champion. The other is Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth. What is the difference between them?"

"Uh..." said Ember. "One's a Fusion Monster, and one's a Synchro Monster?"

"And do you know how Fusion Monsters and Synchro Monsters are related?" asked Sirius.

"I suppose because both go in the Extra Deck?" asked Ember.

"They're more closely related than that," replied the judge. "You see, years before Synchros were discovered, Yukai Judai made another discovery… A different type of Fusion…"

"You mean his Contact Fusions?" asked Ember.

"Exactly," said Sirius. "A new type of Fusion born from the power of Neo-Space. So long as he had Neos and one or more Neo-Spacians on the field, he could combine them into a special Fusion Monster, where no Spell Card was needed.

"Sound familiar?"

"Wait..." said Ember. "Are you saying that the Contact Fusions were a precursor to Synchro Summoning? Some sort of... Missing link?"

"You learn fast," said Sirius. "The power exuded from Contact Fusions acted as a bridge of sorts, which let the spirits of some Fusion Monsters evolve into a new and powerful force… Synchro Monsters. They are a step upwards in the evolution of Duel Spirits.

"Of course, the fact that a group evolves out of another group does not mean that the previous group ceases to exist. Fusion Monsters still existed... And the two groups are more closely related than you might think. Synchros and Fusions have certain bonds between them.

"And in this duel, you may discover just how close those bonds are…

"Prepare your deck... Prove yourself one more time, and Jetta will be released into your custody..."

Ember looked at Gabriel.

"Good luck..." said the phoenix.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BLASTING VEIN (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A Duel Monsters card in the middle of a fire.

**Card Description:** Destroy one set Spell or Trap Card you control. Draw two cards.

_Note: "Blasting Vein" was first used by O'Brien in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Hanging with Axel (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**OPENING STATEMENTS (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **The emperor from Imperial Order on a throne in front of a kneeling Goblin Calligrapher, as Marauding Captain stands nearby and reads from a scroll.

**Card Description:** Both players may Special Summon a Monster from their respective hands or decks that has 1,000 ATK or less. You may not Normal Summon or set a Monster during the turn you play this card.

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**COMPENSATORY DAMAGES (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **Dark General Freed parrying a strike from a sword using a shield with a picture of Yata Garasu painted on it.

**Card Description:** Activate this card on a round in which you do not conduct your normal draw during your Draw Phase or skip your Draw Phase entirely. Draw one card from your deck, and an additional one for each consecutive previous round in which you did not conduct your normal draw during your Draw Phase and/or skipped your Draw Phase entirely.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Ember: I've faced the two officers, I taken down the prosecutor, now only the judge remains. If this Divinic, as the Titans called him, is anything like his reputation says he is, he's not one to trifle with. Dueling him may be akin to dueling someone as learned as Jalal. **

**His strategy is strange, and is like nothing I've seen before. But I won't give up. Jetta is counting on me, and I won't let her down.**

"**Fusion Sage" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Wendell, the Song of the Everglades**

Everglades National Park in Florida is one of the most wild and unspoiled areas still left in the United States, and in some places, the most beautiful. Forests of cypress and mangrove trees dominate the marshlands of this place. But recently, a mystery has been centered on the place. Tourists and trappers who come to the marshes at night have heard mysterious singing echoing over the swamps, a song with words that cannot be understood, but which are nonetheless eerily beautiful. Attempts to find the mysterious singer by Mundanes have failed, as his voice vanishes deeper into the marsh when it is followed, and then vanishes completely.

Even Aware humans would be shocked to know what only a few Shadowchasers have learned: that the source of the mysterious song is a troll. His name is Wendell.

Wendell was part of a large litter of trolls born up north near Lake Okeechobee, and unfortunately for him, he was the runt of the litter. He was abused mercilessly by his siblings, until he eventually ran away, deciding to live alone rather than take the abuse.

Not nearly as aggressive as the typical troll, Wendell pilots a small skiff through the swamp, hunting fish and other small wildlife, and as he wanders the swamp, he sings. He doesn't know how he came upon this talent, but he feels compelled to do so.

Wendell's song is sung in "troll-speak", a guttural version of the language used by giants, which all trolls use. However, it would seem that the words of the song have no meaning, even by those who can communicate with trolls. Some Shadowchasers have met Wendell briefly, and cannot make heads or tails of his song. He seems harmless, and his song is rather pleasant to listen to, but they can't get the idea out of their heads that it means something.

Some Shadowchasers have proposed recording the song, and trying to see if it is any sort of code. There are varying degrees of support for this idea. Some say that Wendell's song may hide a great secret that was implanted in his head by some demon princes (who are rumored to have some connection to the origins of trolls) but just as many think that if it is a code, it could be nothing more that a recipe for biscuits.

For now, the Shadowchasers leave Wendell alone. He has given them no reason to pursue him, as he does not seem to be a threat to humans – at least not yet. He continues to wander the Everglades and sing his mysterious song, the meaning of which remains hidden.

**Story Ideas:** Wendell is easy to insert into any Shadowchasers story. His song's true meaning could provide a clue to whatever exploit the Shadowchasers are engaged in. If they are facing Jalie Squarefoot, the song could hint at one of the Lich-Fiend's weaknesses. If they need to sneak into some infernal realm, find the Book of Keeping, or get to something before Red Shroud does, Wendell's melody could put them on the right track.

One thing to keep in mind is that getting Wendell angry is something to avoid. Even a troll who was a runt is still far stronger than most humans, and if someone befriended Wendell only to betray him, the beast inside him might awaken, and he'd start behaving more like the typical troll. Trolls are incredibly dangerous, due to their durability and fearless nature, and making one mad is not a good idea.

**Deck Suggestions:** Wendell is unlikely to ever duel. Like most trolls, he isn't all too smart, and lacks even the rudimentary skills needed to learn the game of Duel Monsters. He understands English, but he can't read, and cannot do even simple arithmetic. He is also a stranger to most forms of technology, and would not likely ever understand something as complex as a Duel Disk. If a conflict ever occurs between him and another being, another means is going to be necessary to subdue him.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Before I sign off, I have an interesting challenge for anyone who still wants to send in a Shadowchaser File. I want them to profile Shadowchasers who are Shadows themselves._

_It isn't all too common, but it happens. Part of the goal of the Shadowchasers is to protect the rights of Shadows, and as a result, some Shadows, mostly ones who were born on Earth, have been known to join from time to time._

_So... If you have an idea in this vein, send it in. I'll be glad to see it._


	41. Fusion Sage

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL FORTY-ONE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Fusion Sage**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

"Uhm, pardon me for stating the obvious, but," said Ember, "you don't even have a Disk."

"I do not need one," replied Sirius.

He waved his hand over the top of his bench, and fourteen rectangles appeared on it, seven on top of seven – one side of a Game Mat. A deck appeared on the Deck Zone.

"Well, okay..." said Ember, as she activated her Disk.

"Then let the duel begin," said Sirius.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Sirius: 8,000)**

"I make one draw," said the judge, drawing a sixth card.

"I defend with a Monster..."

A reversed Monster appeared in front of his bench.

"...and that concludes my turn."

_Huh... _thought Ember, making a draw._ Kind of expected more from this guy._

"I summon Flamvell Gurnika!" she shouted.

In a flourish of flames, the fiery Dragon-man appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"Destroy his Monster!" she shouted. "Flame blast!"

Gurnika spit a stream of fire at the card. Sangan appeared on the card, and was burned to a crisp.

"I'm sure I don't have to tell you what Sangan does," said Sirius.

A card appeared in his hand.

"Yeah, well," said Ember. "Thanks to Gurnika's effect, you now lose 600 Life Points."

Sirius frowned.

**(E: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,400)**

"Don't get cocky," he said. "We still have a long way to go."

Ember looked at her hand, which contained Flamvell Commando.

_Next round, I can summon this bad boy,_ she thought.

"It's your move," she said.

"Then I draw," said Sirius, making a draw.

"And it's time to show you one of the secrets of Fusions," he said, playing a Spell Card.

Polymerization appeared in front of his bench.

"By Fusing the King of the Swamp I searched for, along with Skull Servant..."

Skull Servant and a gloppy thing that looked like a creature made out of pond scum appeared in front of him. They were quickly drawn into a spiral vortex.

"...with King of the Swamp taking the role of Dissolverock in this case... I can summon Flame Ghost."

The Fusion Monster that appeared was a gaunt undead creature, with burnt, smoldering skin, surrounded by an aura of flame. (1,000 ATK)

"What the?" gasped Ember. "I don't get it… Why would you use a Fusion Monster that's so weak?

"I use it _because_ it's so weak, Ms. Eiko," replied Sirius. "Only low-Level Fusion Monsters can be used in conjunction with this Spell Card…"

He placed a card on his Spell Zone, and a Continuous Spell appeared in front of his bench. Ember had never seen this before. It had the picture of a very angry Dark Ruler Ha Des lifting his fist.

"It's called Leading Question," explained Sirius. "Whenever a Fusion Monster that is Level 4 or less attacks a Monster, it gains 800 Attack Points.

"Now, my Flame Ghost will attack Flamvell Gurnika."

Flame Ghost exhaled a cloud of burning ash, and its Attack Score rose to 1,800. Gurnika groaned, and then shattered.

"I'll end with a card facedown," said Sirius.

He placed another card in his Spell/Trap Zone, and a reversed card appeared next to Leading Question.

**(E: 7,900) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,400)**

_A Trap Card, huh? _thought Ember._ Most likely something to protect Flame Ghost from an attack..._

She looked at her hand.

_What he doesn't know is, I have Tenkabito Shien here, and Traps can't hurt him._

"I'm drawing!" she exclaimed.

She drew a card.

"Your Leading Question has a weakness..." she said. "I'll bet your Monster won't get that bonus if it's _being _attacked."

"It won't," said Sirius, as his facedown card lifted up. "But that's moot, because you won't be attacking."

Again, this was a card that Ember had never seen. It was another one featuring the king from Imperial Order.

"Late Penalty?" she asked, scratching her head.

"This Continuous Trap prevents you from conducting your Battle Phase," explained Sirius. "Unless you have a Monster on the field during your Standby Phase."

_Okay, that's trouble..._ she thought.

She took another card from her hand.

_Shien is no good here... But I have someone who is..._

"I summon Evocator Chevalier!" she shouted.

In a burst of flame, Chevalier appeared, holding his burning blade. (1,900 ATK)

"He may not be able to attack," she said, "but Flame Ghost can't beat him even _with_ that Spell Card.

"It's your move..."

Sirius made a draw.

"I play two Spell Cards," he said, playing two cards.

"First, Reinforcement of the Army, to get a Warrior from my deck.

"Second, Fusion Recovery, to take Polymerization and a Monster I used in a previous Fusion from my Graveyard."

The two Spell Cards appeared, and three cards appeared in his hand.

"Now that I've searched for Battle Warrior and recovered Skull Servant," he continued, "I'll play Polymerization to create a second Fusion Monster..."

Skull Servant appeared on the field, followed by a Warrior in blue spandex, a cowl, and purple shades. Both Monsters were drawn into another vortex.

"I summon Zombie Warrior."

Another Zombie Fusion appeared, this one a bare skeleton wearing shoulder guards, holding a shield and a rusty sword. (1,200 ATK)

"True, Flame Ghost can't defeat your Chevalier," he said, "but I have someone else who can do it."

Zombie Warrior rushed at the fiery solider, and its Attack Score rose to 2,000. It made a slash with its sword, blowing him to pixels.

"Flame Ghost," said the judge, "attack Ms. Eiko directly."

Ember screamed as the Zombie exhaled its cloud of hot ash on her.

She took some deep, gasping breaths.

All this dueling she had done was starting to take its toll. She didn't even know if she could finish...

Sirius placed his last card on his Spell/Trap Zone, and a facedown card appeared.

"I end my turn," he said.

**(E: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,400)**

Ember paused. Then she made a draw.

"If I can't attack because of your Late Penalty," she said, "then I'll defend."

A defensive Monster appeared in front of her.

"And that will be all for now."

"Hmm..." said Sirius.

"Before I draw, I'll activate this..."

His facedown card lifted up.

"It's a Trap called Imperial Custom. With this card in play, all Continuous Traps except this one cannot be destroyed. That will keep you from getting any ideas.

"Now, I'll draw..."

He drew a card. He looked at it.

"Zombie Warrior, attack her Monster."

Zombie Warrior rushed at the hidden Monster... Its Attack Score shot up to 2,000 again...

But then, Guard of Flamvell appeared on the card, and the sword hit iron scales. (2,000 DEF)

"Didn't work the way you planned, huh?" said Ember, with a grin. "That Defense is too high for even Zombie Warrior to crack."

Sirius took a long look at Ember. Then he set the card he had drawn on his console.

"I set a Monster," he said, "and move Flame Ghost to Defense Mode."

A reversed Monster appeared, and Flame Ghost knelt and crossed its arms. (800 DEF)

"That will end my turn."

Ember made a draw.

_Time to turn this around..._ she thought.

"I remove Evocator Chevalier from play," she said, "to Special Summon Spirit of Flames."

In a bonfire, the demonic-looking Pyro appeared next to Guard of Flamvell. (1,700 ATK)

"Next, Flamvell Paun!"

The small, fiery monkey appeared next to Spirit of Flames. (200 ATK)

"Then, I Tune all three of them together..."

Guard of Flamvell, Spirit of Flames, and Flamvell Paun vanished into six glowing stars...

"_Born in the fiery core, rage empowered by white hot flames, strength of an erupting volcano! Clustering stars form a spark to light a roaring fire! _

"_Ignite… Flamvell Urquizas!"_

With a roar, Urquizas alighted on the field, his fists burning with fury. (2,100 ATK)

"Go!" shouted Ember. "Attack Flame Ghost with fist of flame!"

Urquizas lunged at Flame Ghost, and socked it hard. Sirius grunted as the burning feeling ripped through him. Urquizas's Attack Score rose to 2,400 ATK.

**(E: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,100)**

"Not bad..." he said. "But it's far from over...

"It's my move..."

He drew a card. He looked at it.

"And I think I'll end there."

_He's passing? _thought Ember._ Well, that's the downside of Fusions, I guess... You use up your cards quickly..._

She made a draw.

It was Firedog.

_Time to take this by storm,_ she thought.

"I summon Flamvell Firedog!" she shouted.

Firedog appeared with a loud howl. (1,900 ATK)

"Urquizas, smash his Zombie Warrior!" she shouted.

Urquizas punched the armed skeleton, blowing it into a pile of burned bones. His attack Score rose to 2,700.

"Next, my Firedog is going after your little mystery Monster..."

The hellhound breathed a stream of flame at the reversed card. Mystic Tomato appeared on the card, and was blown into pulp.

"I use Mystic Tomato's effect to summon a second one," said Sirius.

Ember stopped short. She looked at her deck.

_Have to be careful now, _she thought._ There's no telling what he intends to summon with that second Tomato._

"I use Firedog's effect to summon Flamvell Archer in Defense Mode," she said.

Archer appeared, kneeling and holding his bow down. (200 DEF)

"And I end my turn."

**(E: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,900)**

"I draw one card," said Sirius, making a draw.

"And I play it... Magic Planter."

He played the Spell Card, and Imperial Custom vanished into grains of light.

"By sending one Continuous Trap to the Graveyard, I get to draw twice."

He made two draws, and looked at them. He quickly played one of them.

"I then play Emergency Provisions," he said. "Because Late Penalty and Leading Question are no longer useful, I'll send both to the Graveyard to gain 2,000 Life Points."

The Continuous Spell and the Continuous Trap vanished.

"I will set a Monster and move Mystic Tomato to Defense Mode..."

He placed one card facedown in his Monster Zone, and the concealed card appeared. Then the Tomato slumped over. (1,100 DEF)

"...and end my turn."

**(E: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,900)**

"Then it's my draw!" shouted Ember.

She drew a card.

"I sacrifice Archer..."

Flamvell Archer vanished in an orb of light.

"...to bring out Flamvell Commando!"

There was a blaze of flames, and the fiery soldier rose up next to Firedog. (2,200 ATK)

"Firedog, destroy the hidden Monster!" she shouted.

Firedog blasted its flame again, and a Morphing Jar appeared on the card before being reduced to pebbles.

_Damn..._ thought Ember.

She discarded the two cards in her hand, Tenkabito Shien, and Neo Flamvell Shaman; Sirius discarded his one card. They both made five draws.

"I'll use Firedog's effect to summon Flamvell Dragnov this time," she said.

In another aura of flame, a small Dragon appeared, one that looked much like Guard of Flamvell, only bigger. (1,100 ATK)

"Now, Urquizas will attack your Tomato!" shouted Ember.

Urquizas punched the huge fruit, reducing it to sauce.

"ERGH!" grunted the judge, as Urquizas's Attack Score rose to 3,000.

He took a deep breath.

"I use my second Tomato's effect to summon Versago the Destroyer," he said.

In an aura of darkness, an odd-looking Fiend appeared. It looked like a white mask on a body made of green ribbons, with two wings and long arms made of purple ribbons. (1,100 ATK)

"HUH?" said Ember. "Why didn't you summon a third Tomato?"

"I have my reasons," said Sirius.

Ember paused.

_Versago the Destroyer is dangerous. _she thought._ It can substitute any Fusion Material Monster..._

_But Commando can destroy it easily... He doesn't seem to have any way to stop me... No Trap Cards on the field..._

She looked at him nervously.

Then she grit her teeth.

_No! I can't show weakness here!_

"Flamvell Commando, toast Versago the Destroyer!" she shouted.

Commando aimed his gun at the strange Fiend...

But then he was thrown backwards by a wave of pure energy.

"How..." asked Ember.

"Because of this," said Sirius, holding up a Monster Card. "I discarded this when my Morphing Jar was flipped... A useful device called an Electromagnetic Turtle."

"Who lets you end the Battle Phase at any time, right?" said Ember.

"That's right," said Sirius, returning it to the Graveyard.

"Well, I'm not done with you," said Ember. "I'm using Commando's effect, and removing Flamvell Gurnika from play to inflict 1,700 more points of damage."

She pocketed the card, and Commando fired his flamethrower again. Sirius grunted and strained.

**(E: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 3,700)**

"Not bad..." he said. "I like what I see..."

"Really?" asked Ember.

"I could never approve a sponsor who would get cold feet in such a situation," said Sirius. "It takes a special type of fighter to succeed in such matters...

"Still..."

He made a draw.

"I'll have to test you even more..."

"Now, I play Polymerization again," he said, as a second of the Spell Cards appeared. "To fuse together Versago with Rhaimundos of the Red Sword."

A muscular Warrior in green armor with a bestial face and horns, holding a sword made of fire appeared. He and Versago were drawn through the vortex again.

"Versago will be assuming the role of Fireyarou in this case," continued Sirius, "to summon Vermillion Sparrow."

The Fusion Monster that appeared was a young man dressed in a formal men's kimono, in red, yellow, and blue hues, with burnt red hair. (1,900 ATK)

"Next, I play the Equip Spell, Fusion Weapon, which I can do because its Level isn't higher than 6."

Sparrow lifted its right hand, and a double-pronged blaster crackling with electricity appeared on it. (3,400 ATK)

"Attack Flamvell Commando. Trident surge."

Sparrow fired a blast of burning plasma from the Fusion Weapon, blowing Commando to atoms. Ember grunted in pain.

**(E: 5,800) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 3,700)**

"Next," said the judge, as he played another Spell Card, "I'll play Silent Doom to bring Skull Servant back from the Graveyard..."

Skull Servant appeared, kneeling and crouching behind its bony hands. (200 DEF)

"And I'll end with a facedown card."

He placed a card in his Spell/Trap Zone, and it appeared behind Skull Servant.

"All right, my move..." said Ember.

She drew a card. Of all the times she would have been happy to see Flamvell Devil, this wasn't one of them. If she summoned him right now, he'd be destroyed.

"I'll just move everyone to Defense Mode," she said.

Firedog sat on its hindquarters. (200 DEF) Dragnov covered itself with its wings. (200 DEF) Urquizas knelt and crossed his arms. (400 DEF)

"That's all for me."

Sirius made a draw.

"My Monster will simply attack Flamvell Urquizas," he said.

Sparrow blasted its Fusion Weapon, and the Pyro was eradicated.

"And that will be all for my turn."

Ember drew a card.

She grinned.

"Get a good draw, Ms. Eiko?" asked Sirius.

"Oh, you bet!" replied Ember. "Firedog, move to Attack Mode!"

Firedog stood up. (1,900 ATK)

"Now, I play Enemy Controller!" she shouted, as she played the Spell Card. "I sacrifice Flamvell Dragnov..."

The Dragon vanished.

"To take your Vermillion Sparrow!"

Sparrow gasped. He was dragged over to Ember's side of the field.

"Now to finish this!" she started.

"Activate Trap!" exclaimed Sirius, as his facedown card lifted up. "Threatening Roar.

"This duel is far from over, Ms. Eiko."

"All right..." said Ember.

"In that case, I sacrifice Sparrow..."

The Vermillion Sparrow vanished into an orb of light.

"...for Flamvell Devil!"

With a roar, the fiery Fiend walked onto the field. (2,100 ATK)

"And I end my turn..."

Sirius drew a card.

"Now is the time, Ms. Eiko," he said. "Now I can truly show you at least one bond between Fusions and Synchros..."

He played a Spell Card.

"Instant Fusion," said Ember. "Why did I know you had that card?"

"I'm guessing then, that you know what it does," said Sirius. "I'm giving up 1,000 Life Points to Special Summon Giltia the Dark Knight from my Extra Deck."

The Fusion Monster that appeared looked like a cross between a Warrior (which was what he was) and a Spellcaster, dressed in purple and gold, with shoulder guards and a helmet, carrying a decorated spear. (1,850 ATK)

"Next," continued Sirius. "I summon Effect Veiler."

There was a flash of light, and a young girl appeared next to Sparrow. She had green hair with long ponytails, and large, gossamer wings; she was dressed in a white formal shirt with shoulderless sleeves, shorts with a sash, and knee-high black boots. (0 ATK)

"Wait..." said Ember. "That's a Tuner, isn't she?"

"That's right..." said Sirius.

Effect Veiler, Giltia, and Skull Servant faded into seven glowing stars.

"And now, I Tune all three Monsters together into Judge Mallak the Merciless."

The seven stars spun around the room, and then a tall shape started to form in front of the judge's bench...

It stood before Ember and her Monsters, standing almost eight feet tall. It was a hulking Warrior clad head to toe in full plate armor and a helmet, with a chest five feet broad and fists like anvils covered in spiked gauntlets. It held a huge axe in its right hand. (2,300 ATK)

"I'm guessing this guy is a hanging judge..." said Gabriel, nervously.

"Don't panic yet," said Ember. "Call me crazy, but... I kinda expected more than 2,300 Attack Points."

"It may have mediocre Attack Points for its Level," replied Sirius. "But it gains two potent effects when a Fusion Monster is one of the Monsters used in its Synchro Summoning. And Giltia is a Fusion Monster, in case you forgot.

"One of them is, if it destroys a Monster, it deals extra damage equal to the destroyed Monster's Defense Points."

"No... way..." said Ember.

"Mallak," said Sirius. "Attack with judgment smash."

The huge Warrior struck Flamvell Devil, blowing it to pieces with such force that it made the floor tremble. Ember screamed and fell over.

**(E: 4,400) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,700)**

"And with that, Ms. Eiko," said Sirius, "I conclude my turn."

Ember got up, stumbling as she did so.

She drew a card.

Sakuretsu Armor.

Ember tried very hard to keep a poker face, even as sweat poured down her face. She took it and another card in her hand, and set them on her Disk. It and a reversed Monster appeared in front of her.

Then Firedog sat in a defensive position again. (200 DEF)

"It's your move..." she said.

"I draw one card," said Sirius, making a draw.

He looked at it for a second.

"Mallak, attack Flamvell Firedog," he commanded.

Mallak lifted his axe.

"Gotcha!" exclaimed Ember. "I activate Sakuretsu Armor!"

Her facedown card lifted up.

Mallak paused for a moment. But then it continued, the Trap not hindering it in the least. Its axe fell on Firedog, and Ember winced as it shattered.

"What..." she said.

Sirius held up the Flame Ghost card.

"I activated its other effect," he said. "I can remove one Fusion Monster in my Graveyard from play to prevent it from being destroyed.

"And it's your move..."

Ember sighed. Luckily, most Flamvell Monsters had very low Defense Scores.

**(E: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,700)**

Ember drew a card.

"I play Fire Back!" she shouted. "I'll discard Flamvell Baby..."

She tossed the card.

"...and Flamvell Devil comes back."

Flamvell Devil appeared again. (2,100 ATK)

"Next, the Equip Spell, Salamandra!"

She played the card, and Flamvell Devil started to radiate a hellish glow. (2,800 ATK)

"Attack Judge Mallak the Merciless!" shouted Ember.

The Fiend breathed its violet flames at the huge Warrior.

"I remove Zombie Warrior from play," said Sirius, holding up the card, "and my Monster survives."

Mallak held up his arm, and fended off the fire.

"But you still take damage," said Ember.

The phantoms of Flamvell Commando, Flamvell Paun, Tenkabito Shien, Flamvell Archer, Neo Flamvell Shaman, and Flamvell Baby appeared behind her.

"And thanks to Devil's effect, you lose 200 more Life Points for each Pyro in my Graveyard."

Sirius grunted, both in pain and annoyance.

**(E: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 1,000)**

"I must say..." said Sirius. "I haven't had a challenge this stimulating in over a millennia. I'm tempted to simply rule in your favor right now..."

Ember looked hopeful.

"However..." said Sirius, making a draw, "I hate to leave a job unfinished.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon."

The cyclone blew across the field, and the Salamandra card was blown away.

"Now, my Warrior attacks Flamvell Devil once again."

Ember grit her teeth as Mallak's axe smashed Flamvell Devil to pieces a second time.

"Ergh..." she said.

**(E: 3,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 1,000)**

"My move..." she said.

She drew a card.

She lifted an eyebrow. She had almost forgotten about this...

She set the card on her Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

"That'll... do it for now..." she panted.

"Then it's my move..." said Sirius, making a draw.

"Hmm," he thought, looking at it.

It was Summoner of Illusions, a Monster whose Flip-Effect let you Special Summon a Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, in exchange for sacrificing another Monster.

The other card in his hand was Stray Lambs.

He placed Summoner of Illusions on his Monster Zone, and it appeared set on the field.

"Judge Mallak," he said, "attack her Monster."

The armored Judge's axe fell on the hidden Monster. UFO Turtle appeared on the card, and exploded. Ember fell on her seat.

**(E: 1,800) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 1,000)**

"I... use... UFO Turtle's effect..." she gasped. "To summon another one..."

A second UFO Turtle materialized. (1,400 ATK)

"I play the Spell Card, Stray Lambs," said Sirius, "to Special Summon two Lamb Tokens"

Two little lambs appeared next to the reversed Monster. (0 DEF x2)

"It is your move..."

_Lamb Tokens? _thought Ember._ What is he up to?_

She looked at her deck.

_Here goes..._

She drew a card.

"Got it!" she exclaimed.

"I summon Hand of Nephthys!"

In a flash of light, the young girl in Egyptian style clothing, the servant of the great Phoenix, appeared in front of her. (600 ATK)

"Now, I sacrifice her, along with UFO Turtle..."

Hand of Nephthys and UFO Turtle turned into two globes of light.

"...to Special Summon the Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!"

There was a grand explosion of flame, and the huge Phoenix appeared behind Ember. She looked at Sirius and his Monster and made a great screech. (2,400 ATK)

"Your Monster may be more powerful than mine," said Sirius, nervously, "but so long as I have Giltia and Sparrow in my Graveyard, not even she can defeat Judge Mallak."

"I know," said Ember, "that's what this is for..."

She pointed to her facedown card, and it lifted up.

"The Transmigration Prophecy! This Trap Card lets me choose two cards in either Graveyard, and send them back to the owners' deck.

"So, I'll send Vermillion Sparrow and Giltia the Dark Knight back to your deck, which means your Judge loses that defensive ability."

Sirius gasped.

"Sacred Phoenix..." ordered Ember. "Wipe out Judge Mallak the Merciless with divine fire!"

The Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys blasted its holy fire at the hulking Warrior, and Judge Mallak the Merciless let out an earsplitting scream before it exploded into shards of metal.

"Ergh..." groaned Sirius.

**(E: 1,800) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 900)**

Ember glared at him.

"It's your move..." he said.

"I think not..." replied Sirius, standing up. "I've seen enough..."

The Monsters vanished.

"True, leaving a job unfinished is not pleasant, but I can see you possess power unlike any I've seen before in a mortal race. I am ruling in your favor."

Ember sighed in relief. Although she couldn't help but think that Sirius had stopped the duel prematurely because he had been too proud to lose.

"Follow me please," he continued. "The prisoner whom you will be sponsoring is waiting..."

He opened the door that he had entered through. Ember followed quickly.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was only a short walk down a hall. Sirius opened the door to what looked like a waiting room. Jetta – looking exactly like Ember had seen her in her vision in the duel with Trueman – was sitting on a couch, looking very nervous.

However, when she saw Ember, she beamed.

"You came!" she exclaimed. "You made it!"

"Of course I did," said Ember, holding out her hand as the Titan stood up. "I promised I would. And I..."

"Ahem!" said Sirius.

They both turned towards him as he took a scroll out of his robe.

"Here are the conditions of your release," he stated, as he adjusted his spectacles. "Sentence will be commuted to probation, in which you will assume the form of a Duel Spirit, as your three companions have done, and your custody will be given to this human.

"Length of this probation will be one cycle of Mechanus."

"Uh, I've been meaning to ask..." said Ember. "How long is that, exactly?"

"In your time," replied Jetta, "twenty-eight and a half years."

Ember almost fell over. She expected it to be a long time... But would she still be dueling twenty-eight years from now?

"I suppose we each have to sign that?" asked Jetta.

"A verbal agreement to it will suffice," said Sirius.

"Fine," said Jetta. "I agree."

"I... I do too..." said Ember.

The scroll glowed with golden motes, and Jetta's and Ember's names appeared on the bottom.

"If you have to do anything with Ember that requires a physical body," said Sirius, "you have one minute."

Jetta looked at Ember. Then she hugged her.

"Thank you," she said. "We'll make it work, I promise..."

Ember hugged her back, not exactly knowing what to say.

Then, Jetta slowly faded away.

Ember looked up, and Sirius was now holding a Synchro Monster Card.

He handed it to Ember. She sighed, and looked at it.

_I hope it will work,_ she thought.

She opened the chamber on her Duel Disk that held the Extra Deck, and placed the card inside it.

"Exit the way we came," said Sirius. "Your companions are waiting."

Ember and Gabriel headed for the door.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The door led straight out to the first checkpoint, where Ember's three friends were waiting. Clearly, strong magic was at work.

"Ember!" shouted Jinx.

As they rushed towards her, Trymus, Shannalla, and Il Mathman appeared behind them.

"Mission accomplished?" asked Gears.

"Uh..." said Ember, pointing.

They turned around, and saw that Jetta had appeared with the other Titans, now a spiritual form like they were, and was now hugging Trymus.

"Maybe we should give them a few minutes," said Shichiro.

"I think not," said Il Mathman. "We need to get back to your world as quickly as possible. If what the ophidia said was true, your superior must be warned."

Jinx groaned. Another portal...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jinx held her stomach again as they arrived back in Neo Domino. The sun was going down. Their watches said six o'clock.

Shichiro's phone beeped. A message had been left.

"Looks like Jalal called us first," he said.

He hit the callback.

"Yeah, Jalal, it's me," he said. "Yeah, we have big news...

"You do too? Right, we'll be there..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At the townhouse, Boris hurried to finish preparing dinner, as Jalal, again projecting his image, listened to the warning left by the ophidia monitor.

"That is a concern," he said. "I'll have to upgrade the alert level of headquarters.

"In the meantime, I found out a few things about our aboleth, and it may involve the ophidia as well. Remember the golem?"

"The bloodsilver golem?" asked Gears.

"Yes," said Jalal. "Remember my explanation about the cult who built it, the Primals?

"Well, I found out something about aboleth activity roughly three-thousand years ago, and it involved the Primals."

"So then, they were indeed up to no good?" asked Shichiro.

"It seems so," replied Jalal. "The Primals were allied with an aboleth back then – whether it was the same aboleth that's been giving you so much trouble recently, it's impossible to say, but it seems likely. Anyway, they were attempting to build four Elemental Nodes."

"Uh..." said Jinx. "You lost me..."

"An Elemental Nodes is a place where one of the four mystical elements – Fire, Earth, Wind, or Water – combines with dangerous amounts of negative energy, to form an area where powerful elemental forces and incredible evil are combined," explained Jalal. "Nodes never occur naturally. They have to be created by long and complex rituals, usually involving cooperation by elementalists and either dark wizards or priests of evil gods."

"The Primals were elementalists..." said Shichiro.

"Yes," replied Jalal. "We can assume that the aboleth provided the other factor needed somehow.

"Their goal was to create one Node for each element, unite their power with some additional ritual, and summon… something. Whatever the aboleth stood to get out it, I don't know, but the Primals thought they would gain incredible power over the natural world.

"Fortunately, they failed in this task. I'd wager that this might have been what caused their disappearance.

"I'm working on locating the sites of these Nodes, if they were indeed completed... We might find more answers if we look there. An Elemental Node has to be built in a place where there is a powerful presence of the element in question."

"Guys, dinner!" called Boris. "Butter chicken curry!"

"Boris, we're a little too busy to eat now..." said Gears.

"Actually," said Jalal, "I think it's that's what you should be doing. Look at yourselves. You have bags under your eyes and you can barely stand up straight. You've been to a distant galaxy and back in the space of a day.

"You all need to eat and then get some sleep.

"I'll reinforce the security at HQ before the Festival of Fangs tomorrow night. If anything comes up, you'll know..."

Shichiro got up.

"Whatever you say boss..." he said.

"Butter chicken curry?" asked Gears, as they walked to the kitchen.

"Hey, _you're_ the one who got him that Indian cookbook," said Jinx.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**LEADING QUESTION (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image: **Dark Ruler Ha Des angrily holding up his fist, with it glowing with energy.

**Card Description:** When a Level 4 or lower Fusion Monster that you control attacks an opposing Monster, increase its ATK by 800 during the Damage Step only.

_Note: "Leading Question" was first used by Chikuzen in the original anime episode "Courtroom Chaos (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**LATE PENALTY (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image: **The emperor from "Imperial Order" pointing down at three subjects kneeling before him who are guarded by soldiers.

**Card Description:** If your opponent controls no Monsters during his Standby Phase, he cannot conduct his Battle Phase during the same turn.

_Note: "Late Penalty" was first used by Jeager in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Surely You Jest (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ELECTROMAGNETIC TURTLE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** During the turn this card is sent to the Graveyard, you can choose to end the Battle Phase immediately at any time. You choose the timing for this effect.

_Note: "Electromagnetic Turtle" was first used by Yugi in the original anime episode "Clash in the Coliseum (Part 3)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**JUDGE MALLAK THE MERCILESS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,300  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** _Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters_

When this card is Synchro Summoned, it gains the following effects if at least one of the non-Tuner Monsters used in its summoning was a Fusion Monster:

* When this card destroys a Monster as a result of battle, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the base DEF of the destroyed Monster. If this card would be destroyed by battle or by a card effect, you may remove from play one Fusion Monster in your Graveyard to prevent it from being destroyed.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Jinx: We're woken up in the middle of the night by a hooded duelist. He has a message, which he won't give until I duel him. The Titans think they know him, and they think the message is important enough to hear.**

**Who is this strange individual? Something new is about to happen, and I doubt it bodes well...**

"**Ruthless Denial" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Alice Paler, Champion of the Chosen**

Every group has one member that stands out among the others. Whether it's the star quarterback of a football team or the actor who wins more Academy Awards in one year than any other, every group has someone who rises above the rest. Such it is with Alice Paler, a member of the Chosen of Valarian who has become a legend among the Shadowchasers.

To understand Alice's success, one must explain the unique nature of the unicorn who became her partner ten years ago. Alagorn is clearly an exceptional beast. The lifespan of a unicorn can be measured in thousands of years, and Alagorn has been wandering the forests of Britain for several millennia. The histories of elves (who had a written language long before humans did) mention him as far back as three-thousand years ago, describing him as a protector of the magical energies of the British Isles, defending it against interloping demons and dark fey who would rob it of its magic.

Unicorns will often let themselves be tamed by chaste maidens with pure hearts, but one would think that she'd have to fulfill the requirements for sainthood to tame one this powerful. Alice is a half-elf, which set her apart a little, but she never considered herself all too special. It was a shock to everyone, Alice most of all, when Alagorn approached her at age eighteen, and the two found an instant rapport with each other. What reason this mighty steed had for allowing himself to be tamed is anyone's guess, but Jalal believes that Alagorn was simply lonely after all the centuries of defending his homeland on his own.

Alice was a shoe-in for the Shadowchasers' special cavalry known as the Chosen of Valarian, and quickly became one of its most skilled members. Her bond with Alagorn has made her possibly the greatest equestrian in the world; she is able to ride with her hands free at full gallop, even with no saddle or bridle. Clearly, some enchantment lets the rider and mount ride together this way, but even Alice herself doesn't truly understand it. Alice quickly became an accomplished duelist, and as a bonus, because Alagorn can gallop just as fast as any motorcycle and has far greater stamina than a mortal horse, he can substitute for a D-Wheel if a Turbo Duel is needed. Alice's Duel Disk is custom made to accommodate this strange situation.

Alice has been with the Shadowchasers for ten years, and the other Chosen of Valarian look to her as an unofficial leader. She rarely strays far from the British Isles, as Alagorn draws his power from the mystical well of energy present there. Alice's accomplishments could fill a small book, but she often opposes the forces of Anafan, a verdant prince who controls the dark fey of Britain. The two have never openly battled, but Alice is certain that in time, that will come to pass.

**Story Ideas:** Alice is unlikely to be the main character of any story, but she makes a powerful ally for any fic centered on Britain. She prefers the forests and the hills, as unicorns do not like cities and other places where civilization is dominant. (A large part about being one of the Chosen is being able to live off the land.)

There's very little about the wilds of Britain that Alice is unfamiliar with, and almost _none_ that Alagorn is unfamiliar with. They can be invaluable guides when dealing with hostile Shadows in this part of the world. Alice is also familiar with all sites of power in Britain (there are plenty besides Stonehenge) and can provide aid at any of those sites.

**Deck Suggestions:** Alice's deck seems to be a Beast Deck at first, with odd creatures like Monocerous, Unibird, Mine Mole, Elefun, and the strangely-named Phantom-Horned Beast Phypnocorn. The theme of her deck becomes obvious when she summons her three aces: Thunder Unicorn, Voltic Bicorn, and Lightning Tricorn, unicorn Monsters chosen in honor of her partner and steed. Because many of her Monsters are of the Light Attribute, she has several other cards that combine the Beast Type with it, like Voltic Kong and Ancient Crimson Ape. Her most powerful combo is to Synchro Summon Thunder Unicorn by using Monocerous and Unicorn Familiar, and then use Monocerous's effect to Special Summon Unicorn Familiar, thus enabling her to upgrade the first Synchro Monster instantly into Voltic Bicorn.


	42. Ruthlss Denial

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL FORTY-TWO**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Ruthless Denial**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Ember slept sounder on her bed than she had since she joined the Shadowchasers. For the first time in a long time, she felt completely relaxed.

She didn't know the true reason for feeling so secure. Jetta was sitting by her side, diligently watching over her. The other Titans were watching the others as well.

They felt it in their bones... Or what passed for them, now that they were Spirits. A dark force was coming to this world now that the four of them were together, and it threatened not only them, but the humans they had bonded with. With no need of sleep, they watched the four humans, ever alert.

Then, at three o'clock in the morning, an alarm sounded in the townhouse.

The four Shadowchasers groaned as they trod into the study, where the computer's perimeter alarm was flashing.

"What is going on?" shouted Jinx. "Don't tell me someone's come to bother us at three in the damn morning?"

"Boris!" shouted Shichiro. "Coffee!"

"We'd better drink it fast, people," said Gears, as he sat on the computer. "Something is in the Tops, and it has a supernatural aura of 7.8!"

"Good lord..." said Ember. "That..."

"Hold on... hold on..." said Gears. "Don't panic yet, folks..."

He typed in something.

"Check that..." he said. "Its true aura is 2.3. It was purposely trying to deceive our equipment with some sort of spell..."

"Something like Nystul's Magic Aura?" asked Jinx.

"Kind of like that," replied Gears. "Seems we have a visitor who wanted to get our attention..."

Jinx lifted up her Duel Disk.

"Well..." she said, "he'd better have a damn good excuse for waking us up at this hour..."

She started to head for the door.

"Jinx, let's not rush into this..." said Ember.

"His aura reads 2.3," replied Jinx. "_Yours _is stronger than that."

"That may be true, Jinx," said Gears, "but a spell cast on him fooled our computers into thinking he was 7.8, and seeing as someone who's 2.3 can't cast a spell that powerful on himself..."

"He had help," said Jinx. "Right... Well, let's see what the deal is..."

The lights in the front of the townhouse went on, and they cautiously exited. In the middle of the street was a humanoid figure, dressed in a long, dark robe and hood, his face completely concealed.

"So what do you want?" asked Jinx.

"I have a message," said the hooded man.

"And that message is?" asked Jinx.

The stranger rolled back his left sleeve, on which was a metal gauntlet...

Then the gauntlet unfolded into a Duel Disk, one that looked uncomfortably similar to the Chaos Disks used by the minions of the Orichalcos. It had a similar scythe-like tray, was made of black metal, and was covered with odd runes.

Gears's eyes narrowed. The runes looked sort of familiar...

"Okay..." said Jinx. "Very... Interesting... So now what? You aren't going to give us this message unless someone duels you?"

"It doesn't matter who wins," replied the stranger. "So long as we duel, I'll deliver the message."

"I think this is a bad idea..." said Ember.

"I think this message may be worth hearing," said Trymus.

They all turned, and saw that the Titans were watching. The hooded man looked a little nervous...

"You sure?" asked Jinx.

"I haven't truly seen that Duel Disk before," replied Trymus, "but I've _definitely_ seen the same technology. I think hearing what he has to say might be worth the time..."

"If you put it that way," said Jinx.

Her Disk activated.

"Fine, mystery man, I'll take you on. But I want answers after this is done..."

Boris flew out of the house with a coffee pot and some cups.

"Coffee's made!" he said.

"Bad timing, Boris..." said Shichiro.

**(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (? : 8,000)**

"I insist," said the stranger. "Make the first move..."

Jinx drew, and looked at her opening hand.

"I summon X-Saber Anabelera!" she exclaimed.

In a flourish, the female, armored X-Saber appeared, and lashed her whip. (1,800 ATK)

"I'll throw these facedown, and end my turn."

Two reversed cards appeared behind Anabelera.

The stranger made a draw. He quickly opened a slot on his Disk.

"I play Otherworld – The "A" Zone," he said.

He played the card, and the neighborhood street quickly changed to a rocky surface, while the sky above became full of eerie, multicolored clouds.

"A Field Spell!" exclaimed Ember.

"And there's only one kind of Monster that benefits from this..." said Shichiro.

"Well..." said Gears, "I'm certainly glad that _I _overcame my fear of the Aliens... But a lot of good it will do Jinx..."

"In this vast expanse of space," said the stranger, "all Monsters lose 300 Attack and Defense Points while battling Monsters with the word 'Alien' in their names...

"But... If you can survive the dangers, it has some very interesting places to visit..."

He placed a card in his Disk, and a Continuous Spell appeared.

"Code A Ancient Ruins is a popular tourist attraction."

With a rumble, an ancient temple rose behind the stranger. Closer inspection showed that the inside walls of this otherwise old-looking structure seemed to be covered with computer circuitry.

"We'll get to what that does later," he said. "For now... I summon Alien Kid."

There was a beam of light, and a Monster appeared on his side of the field. It looked like a Roswell extraterrestrial, the size and general shape of a ten-year-old, with a green and yellow exoskeleton, holding a laser pistol. (1,600 ATK)

"Alien Kid?" exclaimed Gears. "Never saw _that_ one..."

"It's about to get worse..." said the stranger. "Because I just Normal Summoned an Alien, I can Special Summon Alien Dog from my hand."

There was a loud bark, and a strange creature leapt onto the field. Its name described it perfectly. It was an Alien in the shape of a dog, one that might have looked friendly if not for the blue exoskeleton and glowing eyes. It held a bone in its mouth that looked like a human femur. (1,500 ATK)

"That's a new one to me too..." said Gears.

Alien Kid reached down and pet Alien Dog on the head, and it yelped happily.

"This is weirding me out..." said Jinx.

"Don't worry," said the stranger, "it will all become more familiar soon. You see, because I summoned Alien Dog using its effect, I get to place two A-Counters on one of your Monsters."

Two large, slimy slugs flew at Anabelera, and she grunted as they latched onto her armor.

"And by the way," continued the stranger, "Alien Kid's effect includes the line that reduces a Monster's Attack Score by 300 per A-Counter, whenever it battles an Alien."

"I don't get it..." said Ember.

"Most people assume that A-Counters do that on their own," said Gears. "In truth, A-Counters don't do anything on their own. They only reduce the Attack Score of a Monster if there's an Alien on the field whose effect _specifically_ says that it does that. And not all of them do."

"But Alien Kid does, I'm afraid," said the stranger, as the Kid aimed its gun. "So with two A-Counters and the Field Spell, Anabelera loses a total of 900 Attack Points."

The Kid fired its weapon, and Anabelera was reduced to ashes.

"Little kids shouldn't play with toys that dangerous..." replied Jinx.

"Funny..." said the stranger.

Alien Dog rushed up and bit Jinx on the leg. She let out a cry of pain.

"Okay, I'm wide awake now!" she shouted.

"Since I'm such a nice guy," said the stranger, "I'll warn you about Alien Kid's main effect. He'll put one A-Counter on any Monster that you Special Summon.

"And my turn is over..."

**(J: 5,800) - - - - - - - - - - (? : 8,000)**

Jinx drew a card.

Then one of her facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Call of the Haunted!" she exclaimed.

"What's Jinx doing?" said Ember. "If she Special Summons Anabelera back..."

Nevertheless Anabelera reappeared. (1,800 ATK) Alien Kid's eyes glowed, and another A-Counter latched onto her chest.

"Next," said Jinx, "I summon XX-Saber Fulhelmknight..."

She played another card, and Anabelera's younger sister appeared next to her, holding her daggers. (1,300 ATK)

"Then, I Tune together Anabelera and Fulhelmknight..."

The two X-Sabers turned into seven glowing stars, and flew into the sky of Otherworld...

"_Power gained from primal rage, nature spirits bestow your gifts on your chosen ones! Clustering stars light the way to victory on the battlefield! _

_Fight on… X-Saber Urbellum!"_

Urbellum landed on the field with a roar, and drew his twin swords. (2,200 ATK)

"Impressive," said the stranger, "but because making a Synchro Summon is a Special Summon..."

Another A-Counter latched to Urbellum's chest. He gave a look of disgust.

"You may be able to slay Alien Dog, but if you attack Alien Kid, the battle will be a draw."

"That's what you think..." said Ember.

Her other facedown card lifted.

"I activate One Seriousness!"

Urbellum's swords vanished, and a much bigger, nastier sword appeared in his hands. (3,000 ATK)

"Er... uhm..." said the stranger.

"Urbellum, take care of Alien Kid!" shouted Jinx.

Urbellum rushed at the pint-sized Alien. His Attack Score fell down to 2,400, but his blade still struck home, and the Kid dissolved into motes of light.

"Seems your Kid's been grounded," said Jinx. "And because my Monster won the battle with One Seriousness, I get to draw one card."

She made a draw.

"But I get to activate the effect of Code A Ancient Ruins," replied the stranger. "Every time an Alien is destroyed, it gets an A-Counter."

One of the slimy slugs appeared on the wall of the temple.

"It's your move..." said Jinx.

**(J: 5,800) - - - - - - - - - - (? : 7,200)**

The stranger made a draw.

"I'll set a Monster, and then move Alien Dog to Defense Mode," he said.

A reversed Monster appeared, and then Alien Dog sat on its hindquarters. (1,000 DEF)

"Then I play the Continuous Spell Card, 'A' Cell Breeding Device," he said.

He played the card, and a mysterious contraption materialized on his side of the field. It was a cylindrical tank covered with pipes and wires, full of yellow liquid, with the slugs that represented the A-Counters swimming inside.

"We'll get to that later. It is your move..."

"Just great..." said Gears. "As if _that _wasn't bad enough, I've got a pretty good idea what that Monster he set was."

He turned his head, and saw that the four Titans seemed to be thinking very hard.

_Do they know who this guy is?_ he thought.

Jinx quickly drew a card.

"Come on out, XX-Saber Garsem!" she exclaimed.

The humanoid gazelle, holding its twin swords, leapt onto the field. (1,400 ATK)

"And with two X-Sabers on the field, he gains a little boost."

(1,800 ATK)

"Attack Alien Dog! Savanna saber strike!"

Garsem made a dash at the domesticated Alien, and struck it down, blowing it into motes of light.

"Once again," said the stranger, "an A-Counter is added to the Ruins."

Another of the slugs appeared on the temple.

"Then Urbellum will attack your facedown Monster!" shouted Jinx.

Urbellum made a slash at the reversed card. A small, gaunt Alien, similar to the Kid but even smaller, appeared and shattered.

"Thank you..." said the stranger. "Due to Alien Grey's Flip-Effect, I now get to place an A-Counter on one of your Monsters..."

A second of the hideous slugs latched to Urbellum.

"Also, because it was destroyed, I get to draw one card."

He made a draw.

"And I get to draw too, due to One Seriousness," said Jinx, making a draw.

_But this is getting ugly, _she thought, looking at her hand,_ and I don't mean the Counters. Urbellum is going to keep getting weaker if this keeps up..._

She set a card on her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"It's your move..."

"I draw..." said the stranger.

"First, during my Standby Phase, 'A' Cell Breeding Device puts an A-Counter on one of your Monsters..."

A third of the disgusting slugs latched to Urbellum.

"But fear not... I'm going to remove two of them from him..."

Two of the A-Counters on Urbellum crumbled into dust.

"Why did I do that, you ask? Because I needed to get rid of two A-Counters on the field to Special Summon _this_ Monster! Meet Alien Overlord!"

There was a roar that didn't even sound remotely human, and a savage-looking Alien appeared in front of the stranger. This one did _not_ resemble the Roswell style; rather, it was more like the style that Sigourney Weaver had made popular in science fiction horror movies many decades ago. It was tall, bulky, had a black exoskeleton with violet orbs on the chest, and six spindly, insect-like arms, ending in vicious claws. (2,200 ATK)

"That's not good..." said Shichiro.

"Wait a second..." said Ember. "If he could remove A-Counters from anywhere on the field to summon that thing, why didn't he remove them from his Ancient Ruins?"

"I intend to," said the stranger. "Because I'm not done. You see, Code A Ancient Ruins has its own effect. By removing two A-Counters from anywhere on the field, like I'm doing now from the Ruins themselves..."

The two A-Counters on the Ruins crumbled into dust.

"...I get to Special Summon an Alien from my Graveyard."

Alien Kid appeared once again. (1,600 ATK)

"And now, I sacrifice Alien Kid..."

The Kid turned into an orb of light.

"A Tribute Summon in an Alien Deck..." said Gears. "People, I know what's coming, and it isn't pretty..."

There was another roar, and an Alien just as big as Overlord appeared. It was more muscular, with four arms, and a white exoskeleton covered with purple orbs and sharp edges. (2,300 ATK)

"Yep..." said Gears. "Alien Mother..."

"Now..." continued the stranger, "I use Overlord's effect, which lets me place an A-Counter on a Monster every round..."

Overlord's chest opened, and another of the slugs latched onto Urbellum.

"And lest I forget, Overlord also has the effect that causes a Monster to lose Attack Points when it has A-Counters. So with Urbellum at a 900-point loss, it's no match for Alien Mother.

"Attack! Bite from beyond!"

Alien Mother roared, and seized Urbellum in her claws. Her massive fangs sank into the place where his shoulder met his neck, and he shattered.

"I'm gonna be sick..." said Ember.

"You haven't seen anything yet..." said the stranger. "When Alien Mother destroys a Monster that has at least one A-Counter on it, that Monster becomes mine."

Urbellum – or from the look of him, his body animated by some unnatural chemical – materialized on the stranger's side of the field, his flesh decaying and his armor rotting. (2,200 ATK)

"Now, Urbellum will attack XX-Saber Garsem," continued the stranger.

The undead Urbellum made a slash with his now pitted blade, and his former comrade shattered into pixels.

It was all Jinx could do to keep from running away in terror as Overlord loomed over her, drooling. She screamed as it sank its fangs into her just as Alien Mother did to her Monster.

Fortunately, she recovered better than he had, only falling on her rump.

"That's a shame..." said Trymus.

"What?" asked Shichiro. "That Jinx just got nailed?"

"No..." replied Trymus. "We'd hoped that after so long he'd have gotten some sense into his head..."

Shichiro was about to ask what he meant, and then he stopped short.

"You know who this guy is?" asked Gears.

"If the technology didn't give him away, his Monsters did," said Shannalla.

"Aliens?" asked Ember.

"Not Aliens," said Jetta. "It's the specific roles that these Monsters have. Think about it... Can you see a common thread in the Monsters he's using?"

Everyone looked at the stranger, who looked a little nervous.

"Kid, Dog, Mother, Overlord..." said Ember. "Wait a minute... If Overlord is supposed to be some mate of Alien Mother... Could this deck of his represent a family of some sort?"

"Yes," said Shannalla, nodding. "It was a long time ago... Back before Jetta was arrested.

"It all started when the four of us got a distress call from a farming colony on an asteroid. But we got there too late. The whole place had been destroyed by attackers who were long gone. There was only one survivor, one young boy who had been left for dead but miraculously survived. We nursed him back to health, and tried their hardest to help him through the terrible trauma of losing his parents…"

"But...?" asked Shichiro.

"Unfortunately, we never found the murderous attackers who had destroyed the colony," said Il Mathman, "or even discovered their motive for doing so. And even more unfortunately, the boy we saved fell in with four guys who… Who didn't like us."

"They promised to restore his parents in exchange for his service," continued Jetta, "something we never promised him. The kid didn't realize that raising the dead is simply impossible.

"We keep trying to tell you that, Joaquin..."

The stranger pulled the hood back, revealing his face. Clearly, he wasn't a boy any more. He seemed about twenty or so, but was obviously much older in Earth years. He had skin that looked incredibly tan, violet eyes, and pale hair.

"So you say," he said. "I've seen enough of this universe to know that nothing is impossible.

"I don't have time to listen to another of your lectures. I was told to come here, duel, and then deliver a message, and that's what I'm going to do.

"I believe it's your move, Ms. Noriko."

**(Jinx: 2,800) - - - - - - - - - - (Joaquin: 7,200)**

"Fine," said Jinx, making a draw.

"Just what I needed. I summon X-Saber Passiul."

She played the card, and the blue-armored, sword-wielding Warrior appeared. (100 ATK)

Joaquin chuckled.

"And just what are you going to do with that guy?" he asked.

"I'll show you," said Jinx.

Her facedown card lifted up.

"You see, when I have an X-Saber on the field, no matter how weak it is, I can activate Gatmuz's Urgent Orders to summon two more."

First Anabelera appeared. (1,800 ATK) Then, Fulhelmknight followed. (1,300 ATK)

"Now I can summon someone even better!"

Passiul's sword glowed with light, and then he, Anabelera, and Fulhelmknight faded into nine glowing stars.

"Wait a minute!" shouted Joaquin. "No fair! You can't make a Synchro Summon with two Tuners!"

"I can't make_ most _Synchro Summons with two Tuners," replied Jinx. "This particular Synchro is an exception.

"So let's all have a warm welcome... For XX-Saber Gatmuz!"

With a loud roar, the lord of the X-Sabers appeared on the field, holding the Sword of Sparkles. (3,100 ATK)

"Uhh..." said Joaquin, nervously.

"Gatmuz!" shouted Jinx. "Wipe out Alien Overlord with savage slash!"

Gatmuz roared again, and brought his sword down on the wicked Reptile. His Attack Score fell to 2,800, but it barely mattered to Alien Overlord, who blown to pieces.

"Ergh..." grunted Joaquin. "I use the effect of Ancient Ruins..."

An A-Counter appeared on the ruined temple.

"Then it's your move..." said Jinx.

**(J: 2,800) - - - - - - - - - - (Jo: 6,600)**

Joaquin drew a card.

"I use the effect of 'A' Cell Breeding Device to put an A-Counter on Gatmuz," he said.

An A-Counter latched onto Gatmuz's breastplate. He didn't seem to care.

"Don't worry, Jinx!" shouted Gears. "Alien Mother won't reduce his Attack Score."

Joaquin paused for a minute.

_I have one A-Counter on the Ruins, and one on Gatmuz, _he thought._ I could bring Overlord back..._

_But even if I used its effect to put another A-Counter on Gatmuz, it would be no match for that goliath..._

"Eh..." he said. "I'll move Mother and Urbellum to Defense Mode..."

Urbellum knelt and crossed his arms. (1,300 DEF) Alien Mother knelt and shielded herself with all four arms. (1,500 DEF)

"That's all I can do for now..."

Jinx made a draw.

She looked at the four cards in her hand. Two of them were Monsters, but they were hardly ones that you could attack with.

She looked at Urbellum.

_Sorry, big guy, _she said._ I hate seeing you like this... But I have to get rid of Alien Mother first..._

"Gatmuz," she shouted, "slay Alien Mother!"

Gatmuz's sword crashed down again, eradicating the female Alien. Joaquin waved his hand, and a second A-Counter appeared on Code A Ancient Ruins.

Jinx set two cards in her Disk, and a reversed card and a set Monster appeared.

"I'm done for now..." she said.

"My draw..." said Joaquin.

He made a draw. He smirked.

"My Breeding Device puts a second A-Counter on Gatmuz..." he said.

A second of the slugs latched onto the XX-Saber.

"But that's just a formality. I only need him to have one to play this Spell Card..."

He threw the card into his Disk, and it appeared in front of him.

"Mysterious Triangle!"

Gatmuz gasped. Then Jinx stepped back in shock as he exploded into shards.

"Mysterious Triangle not only lets me destroy one Monster with an A-Counter, but also lets me Special Summon a Level 4 Alien from my deck.

"I think Alien Hunter will do."

There was an aura of blue light, and the blue light gave way to an Alien that looked like a humanoid lizard with a long tail, dressed in lightweight armor with blue orbs on the chest, holding a strange, trident-like staff. (1,600 ATK)

"Next, I remove both A-Counters from Code A Ancient Ruins to bring back an old friend..."

With a roar, Alien Overlord reappeared. (2,200 ATK)

X-Saber Urbellum stood up into Attack Mode. (2,200 ATK)

"Jinx..." said Ember.

"Alien Hunter, you first," said Joaquin. "Strike down her Monster with otherworldly electrostaff!"

Alien Hunter leapt at the reversed card, twirling its weapon. The Monster that appeared on it looked like a grim reaper, dressed in a cape and hood, holding a scythe. Alien Hunter stabbed it with its weapon, and it shattered.

"Now, Alien Overlord, attack Ms. Noriko directly!"

Overlord made a rush at Jinx...

"If you think I'm going through that again," said Jinx, as her facedown card lifted up, "you're crazy. Go, Draining Shield!"

Overlord bounced off an invisible barrier.

"Fine..." said Joaquin. "I still have the Monster I took from you..."

Jinx grunted in pain as the reanimated X-Saber Urbellum made a deep cut at her with his sword.

"I hate to apply salt to that wound," said Joaquin, "but now I'm playing Sebek's Blessing."

He played his last card, and the image of the crocodile god appeared behind him.

"Now, I gain Life Points equal to the amount of damage you took from that direct attack. Your loss is my gain...

"And my turn is over..."

"Not before I activate the effect of XX-Saber Darksoul," said Jinx.

"Who?" asked Joaquin.

"That guy with the scythe that your Hunter destroyed," said Jinx. "Among the X-Sabers, he's the one who really doesn't fit in, but he is rather useful.

"When Darksoul is sent to the Graveyard, then during the End Phase of the turn, I get to take any X-Saber I want from my deck."

A card slipped out of her deck, and she took it.

"Well, as I was saying," said Joaquin, "my turn is over... Which means, since I summoned it with Mysterious Triangle, Alien Hunter is destroyed..."

Alien Hunter shattered into pixels.

"But it won't go to waste, because Code A Ancient Ruins gets a new A-Counter."

Yet another A-Counter appeared on the wall of the Ruins.

_If he gets one more A-Counter on the field, Alien Mother is coming back, _thought Jinx._ It's now or never..._

**(J: 2,800) - - - - - - - - - - (Jo: 8,800)**

She drew a card.

"Because I have at least two X-Sabers in my Graveyard, and none on the field," she said, "I can Special Summon XX-Saber Gardestrike."

She threw a card on her Disk, and the wolf-like Beast-Warrior wearing a scarlet cape, holding a scimitar appeared. (2,100 ATK)

"Then, I summon X-Saber Palomlo," she continued.

The small lizard man leapt onto the field, thrusting his spear forward. (200 ATK)

"And I'm only half-done," she said. "Because I have two X-Sabers on the field, I can Special Summon XX-Saber Faultroll."

In a surge of digital symbols, the cybernetic Warrior holding his large sword appeared next to the other two X-Sabers. (2,400 ATK)

"Then, I use Faultroll's effect, which lets me Special Summon a low-Level X-Saber from my Graveyard every round. So once again, here's XX-Saber Garsem!"

Faultroll thrust his sword forward, and the humanoid, gazelle swordsman appeared. (1,400 ATK) –) (2,200 ATK)

"Four Monsters in one turn?" gasped Ember.

"You may have managed to summon a small army," said Joaquin, "but with my Field Spell in place, not even Faultroll can defeat Alien Overlord."

"I was getting to that," said Jinx, as she played her last card. "I play Saber Slash!

"Now, I can destroy one card for each X-Saber I have!"

"Wait a minute..." said Joaquin.

First Urbellum and Overlord shattered into pixels. Then the "A" Cell Breeding Device burst into broken glass and metal shards. Finally, the rocky surface vanished, and the ominous sky of Otherworld faded away, leaving the familiar night sky of the terrestrial world.

"I have one more summon to make," said Jinx. "I Tune Palomlo and Gardestrike together..."

The two X-Sabers flew into the night sky, and turned into six glowing stars...

"_The Code of the Samurai reborn in the body of a powerful warrior! Spirits of the land endowing strength to his mighty blade! Clustering stars bring tradition to the modern era…_

"_Synchro Summon… XX-Saber Hyunlei!"_

Hyunlei landed on the street, her katana drawn. (2,300 ATK)

"By summoning Hyunlei, I can destroy up to three Spell or Trap Cards," said Jinx. "So I'll destroy Code A Ancient Ruins, and since my Call of the Haunted isn't doing anything but taking up space, I'll get rid of that too."

Call of the Haunted shattered, and the Ancient Ruins crumbled into a pile of rubble.

"Of course, this means that Garsem loses 200 Attack Points," said Jinx, "but he and my other two X-Sabers can still give you a good pounding!

"Get him!"

Garsem, Hyunlei, and Faultroll leapt at Joaquin, and he staggered under three solid strikes from their swords. He fell to his knees as they landed behind him.

"Easy!" shouted Shannalla. "You don't want to kill him."

"But out, Shannalla!" growled Joaquin. "I don't need any of you to fight my battles for me!

"You were never my guardian angels... What I chose to do was my choice entirely!"

"We know..." sighed Trymus. "But that doesn't make it a good choice."

**(J: 2,800) - - - - - - - - - - (Jo: 2,100)**

Joaquin looked at the one card in his hand. It was his most powerful Monster. He couldn't have summoned it last turn, because he didn't meet the requirements then. This next round would be a completely different story.

"My move," he said, getting up.

He drew a card.

He looked at the Monster again.

_I didn't want to use this... _he thought. _But they insisted..._

"I first play a second 'A' Cell Breeding Device," he said, playing the card he just drew.

The ominous machine appeared again.

"Now," he said, "to summon this Monster, I have to remove three Aliens in my Graveyard from play, and all three of them have to be a different Attribute."

Alien Grey, Alien Mother, and Alien Hunter appeared behind him, and dissolved into nothing.

"I summon Alien Collective!" he shouted.

A gigantic form loomed out of the darkness. Jinx gasped. It was a giant brain. Then, as she saw it clearer, she saw that it looked more like many regular-size brains bonded together into a huge form shaped like one giant brain. The front was dominated by a diabolic-looking, skull-like face that showed no emotion. (3,000 ATK)

"Okay, I've _definitely_ never heard of this one!" shouted Gears.

"It was a gift from my employers," said Joaquin. "They know someone who's good at getting very rare cards.

"Now, let's see... I could do the most damage by attacking Garsem... But, seeing as Faultroll's effect is the most troublesome..."

Alien Collective shot a beam of pure mental energy, blowing Faultroll to pieces.

"Ergh..." said Jinx.

"I'm ending my turn," said Joaquin, "and since Alien Collective is the only Monster I control, one of its effects activates, dealing you 800 points of damage."

Jinx grunted as a wave of pain ripped through her.

**(J: 1,400) - - - - - - - - - - (Jo: 2,100)**

"Jinx?" said Ember.

"Don't worry..." said Jinx. "That thing doesn't look so tough..."

She made one draw.

_Double Spell? _she thought, looking at it._ Lovely... Of all the useless..._

"I move Hyunlei and Garsem to Defense Mode," she said.

Hyunlei sheathed her katana and knelt. (1,300 DEF) Garsem stashed his swords on his back, and knelt. (400 DEF)

"That's all," she said.

"Then I draw," said Joaquin, drawing a card.

"Then, I use my Breeding Device to put one A-Counter on Garsem..."

One of the nasty slugs latched onto the Beast.

"...and Alien Collective's effect puts two A-Counters on itself."

"HUH?" said Gears. "It puts A-Counters on itself?"

"That's right," said Joaquin. "What better way to ensure I'll have enough for its most powerful effect?

"By removing five A-Counters from anywhere on the field, which I'll be able to do next turn, Alien Collective can destroy all cards on the field except itself."

_Ho boy..._ thought Jinx.

"For now..." said Joaquin. "Annihilate XX-Saber Hyunlei!"

Alien Collective blasted its mental beam, vaporizing Hyunlei.

"And my turn is over," he said. "Once again, you lose 800 Life Points."

Jinx groaned again.

**(J: 600) - - - - - - - - - - (Jo: 2,100)**

_Okay... _she thought._ This is it..._

She drew a card.

Sword of Sparkles.

_I can use Double Spell now... _she thought._ But how?_

_Maybe my deck is trying to tell me something..._

She thought for a minute.

_Hey..._

"Joaquin!" she shouted. "Before I make my next move, I want to take a look at the cards in your discard pile."

"Be my guest..." said Joaquin.

He tapped a switch on his Disk, and all the cards in his Graveyard appeared in front of Jinx.

_There it is, _said Jinx, looking at one card._ Let's take a close look..._

She read the card text.

"All right!" she said with a grin.

"What all right?" asked Joaquin.

Jinx played Double Spell, and discarded Sword of Sparkles.

"I play Double Spell," she said. "You see, the reason I wanted to take a close look was because I wanted to see the specific wording for Mysterious Triangle.

"If the second effect was mandatory, then I wouldn't have been able to use it, since my deck has no Aliens. But it isn't, so I can."

The art for Double Spell changed into that of Mysterious Triangle.

"Sayonara, Alien Collective," said Jinx.

Joaquin shielded himself as the huge brain shattered into a shower of pixels.

Jinx turned the card on her Disk, and Garsem stood up into Attack Mode. (1,600 ATK)

"You're all clear!" she shouted. "Attack directly!"

Garsem charged at Joaquin and hit him hard with his swords, knocking him down.

**(J: 600) - - - - - - - - - - (Jo: 500)**

"Both their Life Points are in triple digits!" shouted Ember.

"It could go either way now!" added Shichiro.

Joaquin angrily made a draw.

He threw it in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Mmm!" he said.

Jinx drew a card. She looked at it.

It was Allsword Commander Gatmuz.

_Should I go with this guy?_ she thought.

She paused.

_No... It's too risky... If that card he just set is Trap Hole or Torrential Tribute, I'd likely lose. I have to strike when I can!_

"Attack him directly!" she shouted.

Garsem charged at Joaquin.

"I activate... Detonator Circle 'A'!" he shouted, as his Trap Card shot up. "It destroys one Monster with an A-Counter, and deals 1,000 points of damage to both players!"

"But that means..." gasped Ember.

There was an explosion centered on Garsem, and both Jinx and Joaquin were thrown backwards.

**(J: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (Jo: 0)**

"Good lord..." said Gears, as they ran up to Jinx. "It was a draw!"

"Jinx, are you hurt?" said Shichiro.

"Only my pride..." sighed Jinx.

She sat up.

Everyone looked at Joaquin.

"All right pal," said Ember, "you got your duel... What's the message?"

"They're coming," replied Joaquin.

"That's it?" said Jinx, angrily. "You drag us out of bed at three in the morning, duel with a card that I doubt is legal, all for 'they're coming'?"

"Noriko..." said Shannalla's voice.

She put her hand on Jinx's shoulder.

"We know what he means," said the Titan. "And we're lucky we got this warning..."

Joaquin got up, and started to walk away.

"Hey, come back here!" shouted Jinx.

"Uh, Jinx?" said Gears. "I really don't think he's done anything illegal..."

"He disguised his aura, didn't he?" asked Ember.

"That's not the same as carrying a fake ID," replied Gears.

"I didn't think the Psurlons would take such a risk," said Il Mathman.

The Shadowchasers turned towards them.

"At least our plan is working," said Jetta.

"What's going on?" asked Gears. "Who's coming?"

"Those guys we mentioned who really don't like us," replied Trymus. "We'll explain inside..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ten minutes later, the four Shadowchasers were drinking coffee, while the Titans were sitting on a couch opposite them in the lounge.

"They're called the Paragons," said Trymus. "At least that's what they call themselves. Other folks have other names for them, most of which are inappropriate to say in pubic.

"Four of the worst sociopaths we ever had the pleasure of meeting... Remorseless killers who, like us, also draw energy from the Power Primordial."

"Wait a minute..." said Gears. "Just how common are beings that can use this energy source?"

"Don't get the wrong idea," said Shannalla, with a nervous smile. "Folks like us are incredibly rare.

"You see, our world, which revolved around three suns which sat at the epicenter of the Big Bang, was not the only world in our system. Another populated planet lay beyond ours."

"So, if your world was Earth," said Ember, "this one would be Mars?"

"Kind of," replied Il Mathman. "But our planet wasn't exactly in the same place as Earth. I think the best planet in your system to compare ours to in terms of location is probably Venus."

"You _think_ so?" asked Ember.

"Well, comparing your system to ours is hard," said Il Mathman. "We had three suns, after all, and the planets didn't revolve on orbital paths that resembled the ones yours do. You see..."

"Il Mathman!" interrupted Shannalla. "This is not the time for an astrophysics lesson."

"Right," said Il Mathman. "Anyway... We knew the inhabitants of this other world... They knew us... And we hated each other.

"Unlike us, they were all members of one race, but their planet was divided into four factions. They were constantly at war with each other, nothing like the peace that our races shared. We were glad for this, because their wars with each other kept them away from us.

"Anyway... They witnessed the experiment that gave us our powers, and one member of each of their factions found enough common ground to work together, thinking that they could duplicate the experiment, and become just as powerful and immortal as the four of us.

"But their attempt… it all went horribly wrong. The energy source they sought to gain their power through was both elemental and negative energy. Kind of like these Elemental Nodes that your employer mentioned. Not to mention the fact that because they were bitter rivals, they and the scientists they hired argued incessantly with each other, disagreeing on everything. Their work was sloppy and slipshod. In the end, they became powerful, and able to harness the Power Primordial, but they became parasitic beings, having to drain the very life from other creatures to sustain their power.

"After they fed off the whole population of their planet, they turned to the universe at large. We've fought them many times. The only reason they likely remain together is because they know there's strength in numbers. Alone, they'd likely be easy targets for powerful bounty hunters sent by vengeful relatives of victims."

The four Shadowchasers looked at them.

"So..." said Jinx. "What's this plan of yours?"

Jetta sighed.

"That jail could never have held me," she said. "I could have broken out at any time, reduced those maruts to rubble and gotten halfway across the galaxy before they could have even gotten a message to the nearest Harmonium base."

"So why didn't you?" asked Ember.

"Because, Ember," said Gears, "contrary to what some movies suggest, the vast majority of fugitives are guilty. Running from the law doesn't convey the message that you're innocent. Rather, it conveys the message, 'I did it, but if you want to lock me up, you're gonna have to catch me first'."

"Exactly," said Trymus. "It was just what the Psurlons wanted her to do. If she had been a fugitive, they would have pointed to it as proof of guilt, and they'd have gained power and support.

"But now that she's legally free, the Psurlons have sent four beings whom we long suspected were their uneasy allies – the Paragons."

"The Paragons have never attacked any property that they own," said Il Mathman. "They rob banks, and only steal items from certain safe deposit boxes."

"Ones owned by Psurlons and their allies are untouched?" asked Gears.

"Yes," replied Il Mathman. "Along with many other businessmen of questionable morals. The Paragons have also been known to target places that the Psurlons have legal disagreements with. The Psurlons always willingly allow their records to be searched whenever it is suspected that they are involved with the Paragons, but no actual connection has ever been found. And their spokesman has denounced the Paragons as, if I remember correctly, 'lunatics who respect no law but the Law of the Jungle, and as such, should be locked up in a zoo'."

"Personally," said Jetta, "we think that even if they think that, it doesn't mean they wouldn't make some deal with them. Too many signs point to an agreement between the two groups."

"I get it," said Shichiro. "You want to expose them for the crooks they are."

The Titans nodded.

"Maybe they're united because they both don't like you guys," said Ember.

"We've considered that," replied Trymus. "For now... We'd best be wary..."

Jinx sipped her coffee. A worried look appeared on her face.

"Jinx?" asked Shichiro.

"All Joaquin does is _work _for these guys," she said, nervously. "And you saw how tough he was...

"Can you imagine what we may be up against?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The sun started to rise over Neo Domino. The Festival of Fangs would start at sundown.

But as morning broke, four comets streaked across the sky. One parted from the other three, and landed not far from the city. The other three continued to fly west, over the horizon.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALIEN COLLECTIVE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 10  
**ATK:** 3,000  
**DEF:** 3,000

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except by removing three "Alien" Monsters with different Attributes in your Graveyard from play. During the End Phase of your turn, if this is the only Monster you control, inflict 800 points of damage to your opponent. During each of your Standby Phases, place 2 "A-Counters" on this card. You can remove 5 "A-Counters" from anywhere on the field to destroy all cards on the field except this one.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Shichiro: They certainly didn't waste time. The being I'm facing claims to be a master of Wind, much like Trymus is, and he's lured me to the apex of Tokyo Tower for a heated battle. **

**As hard as I can tell this duel will be, I can't help but think that it's only a preamble for what's to come. Something isn't right here...**

"**Heavy Storm" is coming soon.**

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Ashla Da'rok, Breaking the Chains of Fate**

Ashla is a dark elf member of the Shadowchasers. She is nearly two-hundred years old, and has become a member of the Shadowchasers within the last fifty years or so. The exact nature of Ashla is a bit of an enigma; apparently her mother was a priestess of Lolth, and the leader of her clan, but that was one-hundred and fifty years ago.

Ashla won't tell you much when you first meet her, but apparently at some point she opened up to Hailey Margret, Leslie Garett's predecessor as the Shadowchaser representative in Morgana's Kin. What she knows about herself is that her mother performed a dangerous ritual after she was born, with the promise that Ashla's soul would be dedicated to Lolth, promising the dark goddess a faithful servant for all eternity. Lolth bestowed great power on Ashla in this unholy ritual.

Despite the power Ashla gained from this ritual, she really had no choice in the matter, and many Shadows view the role she was to fulfill as a type of divine slavery.

It soon became obvious that the ritual was a success, as from an early age Ashla excelled at using magic, and for fifty years of her life, seemed to be more than willing to fulfill the role she had been chosen for. Then, when she was fifty-three years old, something unusual happened. She somehow severed the bond that Lolth had on her and turned against the goddess, using the powers granted to her, and destroyed a good portion of the dark elf compound. Some rumors say that Eilistraee was involved.

Eilistraee, known as the Dark Maiden among other names, is the dark elf goddess of the moon and the fine arts. Mythology portrays her as a daughter of Corellon and Lolth from an ancient time when Lolth was known as Araushnee, and was still Corellon's consort, before she betrayed him. Although Eilistraee does not seem to show any special loyalty to her father, she counts among her worshippers dark elves that reject Lolth and the evil culture she has created.

Possibly, Ashla had been swayed by followers of Eilistraee, or perhaps by the Dark Maiden herself in some sort of vision. Whatever the case, she vanished after this event, and would not be seen for another century.

Around the time of the Battle City Tournament, a young woman seemed to appear mysteriously on the dueling circuit in America, and would fight her way to the top. Surviving members of her old clan recognized her as Ashla, blaming her for the decline of their clan after her betrayal, and the disappearance of her mother. They cornered her in an alley in Chicago. What happened next, only Ashla truly knows for sure, because the next day, the local Shadowchasers found the dark elves dead, having been badly hurt by magical attacks, and their throats cut by their own knives.

They started an investigation to find this killer, but Ashla surprised them by turning herself in, confessing to having done it in self-defense. Her trial was incredibly hard for the prosecutor – not a single representative for the victims could be found to testify, and her claim of self-defense was thus almost impossible to disprove. Eventually, a plea bargain reduced the charge to involuntary manslaughter.

While she spent her time in jail, she was surprisingly cooperative and friendly. She became a model prisoner, and on the day of her release, made an unusual request: she wanted to join the Shadowchasers. While Jalal was reluctant at first, Ashla would soon prove herself.

Having traveled around most of her life, Ashla took the opportunity to settle down after completing her tests as a Shadowchaser. She currently is a member of the Atlantic City Shadowchasers, though she occasionally does work outside of Atlantic City. She is also still an accomplished professional duelist on the local circuit, where she goes by the name Ashley Dalia.

While it has not been confirmed that she was turned by Eilistraee, she is certainly loyal to her and her followers. Oftentimes she can be found at ceremonies where the Dark Maiden is worshipped, where the faithful dance under the moon or ritually hunt an animal that is later offered to the goddess. These observations are always made by those invited to attend, as Eilistree's faithful are very good at keeping interlopers away. Ashla also loves to sing (practically a prerequisite for worshipping Eilistraee) and owns a handheld harp shaped like Mystical Elf.

**Story Ideas:** Ashla would show up in any fanfiction taking place in or around Atlantic City, so she'd really fit into whatever plot is going on. New Jersey, being the most densely populated state, gives Ashla plenty of chances to get out of the city to help out other Shadowchaser groups in the state. She also occasionally provides assistance to the Shadowchasers of New York City.

However, if you wanted to center the plot more on her, then she would fit into a plot revolving around dark elves. Perhaps more members of her former clan have hunted her down, or another high priestess of Lolth wants her power. Some might want to take back the power she was given, claiming she hasn't lived up to her side of the bargain that was made to get it (despite the fact that she personally made _no_ bargain). Ashla will not willingly go back to any group of dark elves that serve Lolth; even if she wanted to, doing so would likely mean opposing the Shadowchasers.

**Deck Suggestions:** Ashla has three different decks; the one she uses most is a Fallen Angel Deck. She also runs an Infernity deck, but not as often. Her third deck is used even more rarely, but is mostly there for sentimental reasons. It is an Elf Deck, much like the one used by Gekkou Tenma. Exactly why she has this deck, no one is sure. It is known that this deck includes Dark Elf.

_Ashla is a creation of fanfic author Ruin, Queen of Oblivion._


	43. Heavy Storm

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**DUEL FORTY-THREE**

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**Heavy Storm**

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At eight AM, Shichiro was snoring in his bed, trying hard to make up the sleep he lost...

Then his sleep was suddenly interrupted by a shout from Jinx.

"Shichiro!" she yelled, running into his room.

Shichiro put a pillow over his head.

"Shichiro, get up," she said. "You have to see something..."

"I'm not wearing any pants under here!" moaned Shichiro.

"Stay in bed!" urged Jinx. "Just listen... There's a hostage crisis in Tokyo, and Gears thinks it may be one of those Paragons!"

Shichiro's eyes opened wide.

"They certainly aren't wasting time," he said.

He got up off the mattress. Jinx covered her eyes, but Shichiro had been kidding. He was wearing jeans.

He pulled on a sweatshirt, and they both ran into the lounge. Ember was on the couch in front of the television with Gabriel next to her while Gears was at the computer. The TV was on cartoons.

"I thought the news was on?" said Shichiro.

"They keep interrupting everything with updates," replied Ember. "They said the next one would come in a few minutes."

Then special music came on the TV, and a reporter appeared.

"We are here at Tokyo Tower, where two men, one of them armed, is still holding at least twenty people hostage in the Main Observatory," said the reporter.

"According to a police negotiator, one of the two men, who has identified himself as Rary, says he will release the hostages unharmed when the one who holds..."

She looked at the camera.

"...Trymus the Conqueror agrees to meet with him. However, we can only guess at the meaning of this strange demand right now."

"Rary?" asked Shichiro.

Trymus appeared beside him.

"His full title is Rary the Cyclonic Ravager," said the Titan. "I'm afraid it's started..."

"One thing's for sure..." said Gears, looking at the computer, "there's definitely a powerful presence in Tokyo who matches what you guys described. Whoever he is, his elemental aura rivals Lord Gavus, and his negative energy aura is almost as high as Kiryu's was when he was a Dark Signer..."

Every Shadow knew who Lord Gavus was, and they knew that he was someone you did not want to mess with. He was a cloud giant who lived near Germany – most of the time. Emphasis on "most of the time". He was one of a select few giants who knew how to enchant clouds so that structures could be built upon them. So he could easily move his home if he didn't like his current neighbors. Only cloud giants and storm giants knew the secrets of cloud-crafting (that was what they called it), and even they had to be powerful wind elementalists to do it.

"Uh, Gears..." said Jinx. "Since when can that thing detect extraterrestrials? I thought it only worked on Shadowkind."

Gears sighed.

"As did I..." he said.

"We'll figure it out later..." said Shichiro. "I'd better go meet him before this escalates. How long will it take to program my D-Wheel to open a portal to Tokyo?"

"Give me fifteen minutes," said Gears.

"Right," said Shichiro. "I'll have just enough time to get some clean clothes..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Twenty minutes later, Shichiro's bike exited a portal in the heart of Japan's capital, under the shadow of one of its greatest landmarks.

Tokyo Tower, a structure inspired by the Eiffel Tower, was a communications and observations tower that loomed over the skyline. It had several restaurants, museums, and shops at ground level, and two observation decks. The Main Observatory was halfway up at 150 meters, and held several attractions, while the smaller Special Observatory was higher, at 250 meters.

Shichiro ran to where the police had blocked off the streets.

"Let me through!" he said to a policeman who seemed to be in charge.

He held up Trymus's card.

"I think this is what the guy was talking about."

The policeman looked at the card.

"All right..." he said.

He spoke into his radio.

"Tell the guy that we have the guy he wants to see," he said.

He paused.

"Genki, are you there?" he said.

"Yeah, I'm here," said a female voice. "The hostages are okay. The two guys who were holding them are gone. But the gunman left his gun behind...

"And this gun is harmless... It was prepared for a collector."

Shichiro knew what that meant. In Japan, assault rifles were illegal for anyone but law enforcement and the military to own. If you had a collector's license, you could own one if it was rendered harmless by welding the magazine shut and sealing off the barrel with lead.

"I kinda doubt this guy even needs a gun..." said Shichiro, nervously.

"Wait, hold on..." said the voice. "There's something else here... A note..."

"Be careful..." said the cop that Shichiro had spoken to.

"Just has a name on it," said the voice. "Osaka Shichiro..."

"Hey..." said Shichiro.

Before he could say anything else, everything went dark.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Shichiro opened his eyes. The wind was rushing through his hair, and a chill made him shiver.

Then he saw where he was. He was somehow standing in mid-air, ten feet above the very apex of Tokyo Tower!

"Do yourself a favor," said a voice. "Don't embarrass yourself by screaming. I'm not going to let you fall."

Shichiro saw his foe, standing twenty paces away, also in mid-air. He looked like an elf with long, silver hair, cyan eyes with cat-like pupils, and wore a long, green overcoat. Looking at him, Shichiro was more than a little nervous. He had once played Final Fantasy VII on a classics video games download, and this guy's resemblance to Sephiroth was uncanny.

"Seems the police are as dumb on this planet as they are on any other," he said. "They can't recognize a summoning scroll for what it is."

"Magic isn't widely believed on this world," replied Shichiro, somewhat irked.

"I see," said the figure. "Rary's the name. The Cyclonic Ravager... And you must be Osaka... Hmm, I expected someone more grandiose... But I guess you'll do..."

"Hold on…" said Shichiro. "Where's the other guy?"

"Other guy?" asked Rary. "Oh, you must mean Joaquin. I sent him on his way. He doesn't like watching us work."

"What is Joaquin to you?" asked Shichiro. "A henchman? Or someone you're playing for a sap?"

Rary shrugged.

"Someone has to do the dirty work," he said.

He lifted his arm, and a Duel Disk appeared on it, one of the exact same style that Joaquin had used.

"You're incredibly lucky, Osaka," he continued. "This won't be a Shadow Duel. My employer specifically told me _not _to kill you this time."

"How come?" asked Shichiro.

"Don't know," replied Rary, "don't really care. But if someone wants to pay me to give someone a good shellacking, I'm not gonna object..."

He chuckled.

"Who's your employer?" asked Shichiro.

"That's for me to know, and you to find out," replied Rary. "After all, unless you accept my challenge, you're going to have to find out how to get down on your own."

"Well, since you put it that way..." said Shichiro.

His own Disk activated.

"Let's do this!" they both shouted.

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Rary: 8,000)**

"I'll make the first move," said Rary, making a draw.

"And I summon... Harpy Lady 1!"

Making a graceful entrance, one of the three Harpie Lady Sisters, this one the one with long, red hair, flew onto the field in front of Rary. Her appearance was somewhat unnerving to Shichiro, seeing as her clothing consisted only of a suspender-strap bikini top. (1,300 ATK)

"Interesting..." said Shichiro. "I always thought Harpie Decks were..."

"What? For girls?" asked Rary, annoyed. "You'll soon see that they can be just as deadly in my hands. Especially since this one increases the Attack Scores of all Wind Monsters by 300 points."

(1,600 ATK)

"End turn..."

Shichiro made a draw.

"I'll throw two cards facedown," he said, as two reversed cards appeared in mid-air. "And then a Monster in Defense Mode."

A reversed Monster appeared.

"And it's your move..."

"Not bad..." said Rary, making a draw.

"I summon Harpy Lady 2!"

With another flourish, a second Harpie Lady appeared, this one with short, red hair and bangs. (1,300 ATK) –) (1,600 ATK)

"Just in case that Monster of yours has a Flip-Effect," he continued, "I should tell you, she can cancel them out when she destroys them.

"Attack, my Harpie!"

Harpie Lady 2 screeched, and flew towards the reversed card...

"I activate... Scrubbed Raid!" shouted Shichiro, as a facedown card lifted up.

His other facedown card, De-Synchro, lifted up and vanished.

"By sending that card to the Graveyard, this battle is called off."

Harpie Lady 2 backed down.

"In that case..." said Rary, "I'll set two cards of my own, and end my turn."

Two facedown cards appeared in front of him.

"Draw!" said Shichiro, making a draw.

"I flip Skelengel into Attack Mode."

The cherub holding its bow and arrow appeared on the field. (900 ATK)

Shichiro drew a card, and looked at it.

"Then, I summon Junk Synchron!"

He played a card, and the robot Tuner leapt out in front of him. (1,300 ATK)

It gave its ripcord a yank, and its engine hummed. Then it and Skelengel flew into the sky, fading into five glowing stars.

"_Treasure from trash, relics from refuse. A powerful fighter formed from the debris neglected and thrown away! Clustering stars call a new force…_

"_Synchro Summon... Junk Warrior!"_

Junk Warrior appeared, its eyes glowing with determination. (2,300 ATK)

"Do you actually think some lug made of scrap metal and duct tape can stand up to my Harpies?" asked Rary.

"It seems to have more Attack Points than your Harpies!" replied Shichiro. "Attack Harpie Lady 1! Scrap fist!"

Junk Warrior's jetpack ignited, and it punched the Harpie in the gut. She grunted before shattering into pixels.

Harpie Lady 2's Attack Score fell to 1,300.

Shichiro set two cards in his Disk, and two new facedown cards appeared.

"It's your move, pal..." he said.

**(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 7,300)**

Rary made a draw.

"I play my Elegant Egotist Spell Card," he said.

A kaleidoscope of colors flashed over the field.

Shichiro nervously watched, expecting him to summon Harpie Lady Sisters...

To his surprise, the Monster that appeared was actually Cyber Harpie, an armored version of Harpie Lady 1, holding a whip. (1,800 ATK)

"Next... I sacrifice both my Harpies..."

The two Harpie Ladies vanished into orbs of light.

"...for Destruction Cyclone."

A fierce wind erupted over the two duelists, and a large creature that looked like a lizard that was literally made of wind started to form. (2,000 ATK)

_HUH? _thought Shichiro._ That thing is Level 7? I've seen stronger Level 5 Monsters..._

_But for some reason, he was willing to get rid of two Harpies to summon it..._

"It's your move, Mr. Osaka," said Rary.

Shichiro made a draw.

"Sorry, pal, I'm not falling for that..." he said. "You may be several centuries older than I am, but I wasn't born yesterday... I'm just going to pass this turn."

"Then it's my draw..." said Rary.

He drew a card.

Then one of his two facedown cards lifted up, revealing Dust Tornado. Scrubbed Raid was swept up, and blown away.

"Now then..." he said. "Destruction Cyclone... Attack Junk Warrior!"

"Huh?" said Shichiro.

Destruction Cyclone blew a savage gust of wind at the Synchro, but Junk Warrior swat it aside, and the windy Reptile shattered.

"What was the point?" asked Shichiro.

"Because," said Rary, with a grin, "when Destruction Cyclone is destroyed by battle, all Monsters except Wind Monsters are also destroyed."

Junk Warrior shattered into shards.

"And now, I activate Hysteric Party!"

His other Trap Card lifted up, and he discarded Harpie Girl from his hand.

Harpie Lady 1 appeared first. (1,300 ATK) –) (1,600 ATK) Then Harpie Lady 2. (1,300 ATK) –) (1,600 ATK) Finally Cyber Harpie Lady (1,800 ATK) –) (2,100 ATK)

"Harpies..." said Rary. "Prey..."

The three Harpies swooped down on Shichiro. He screamed out loud as Harpie Ladies 1 and 2 dug their claws into him.

Cyber Harpie Lady flew at him with her whip...

Shichiro hit his Disk, and his set Spell Card flipped up.

"Go, Enemy Controller!" he shouted.

Cyber Harpie Lady fell backwards, and crouched in Defense Mode. (1,300 DEF)

"And I'll chain-activate Emergency Provisions," he said, as his other facedown card lifted up. "I'll sacrifice Enemy Controller to gain 1,000 Life Points."

"Nice," said Rary, playing a Spell Card. "But I'm not done with you. I play the Quickplay Spell, Swallow's Nest! Now I can sacrifice one Winged Beast to Special Summon another from my deck with the same Level.

"So, goodbye Cyber Harpie Lady..."

The armored Harpie vanished.

"Hello Harpie Queen!"

A new Harpie appeared, this one just as immodestly dressed as the others, with emerald hair and silver wings. (1,900 ATK) –) (2,200 ATK)

"That means I get another attack..."

Harpie Queen screeched with glee as she raked her claws across Shichiro and he screamed again. He fell over – which was odd, falling over onto an invisible surface.

**(S: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 7,000)**

"Now, I move to my second Main Phase," he said as he played a Spell Card, "and play Winged Repayment. I give up 600 Life Points, and I get to draw one card for each Winged Beast I have."

He drew three cards.

"The catch is, I'm not allowed to use them until next turn.

"Now that my Harpies are done, it's time to bid them adieu..."

"What do you mean?" groaned Shichiro.

"Harpies are only part of my deck, Mr. Osaka," said Rary.

He played another Spell Card.

"I play Sky Union! I sacrifice three Monsters..."

The three Harpies turned into orbs of light that shot up into the sky...

A large, ominous shadow fell over Tokyo Tower...

"...I summon the mighty _Air Fortress Ziggurat_!" shouted Rary.

A huge Monster slowly flew into position behind Rary. It was a giant airship, almost the size of Tokyo Tower itself! Like its name suggested, it was roughly shaped like a ziggurat, and each level of the enormous craft's hull was covered with dozens upon dozens of guns, cannons, and missile launchers. The front was dominated by a large head that looked like it had come from a giant mecha from some old Japanese science fiction anime. (2,500 ATK)

"Was that an air raid siren?" asked Shichiro, as he nervously turned his head.

"Impressive, isn't it?" asked Rary. "You can't get a card like this just anywhere... But like Joaquin told you, I believe, my employer knows someone who can get rare cards..."

"Who?" shouted Shichiro. "Some sort of card ghoul?"

"Card ghouls" were what duelists called those who sold cards on the black market. They often used any method, no matter how underhanded, to get the rarest cards.

"You wound me," said Rary. "But anyway... Don't try shooting down my Ziggurat with Spells or Traps, because it's impervious to both. Sadly, I've finished my Battle Phase, so I'll end my turn...

"Which means one of my Monster's effects comes into play..."

A figure that looked like a robot action figure appeared in front of Rary. It knelt and crossed its arms. (0 DEF)

"At the end of each turn, I get a Toy Robot Token. And you can't attack any Monster except them."

**(S: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 6,400)**

"Then it's my move," said Shichiro, making a draw.

"First, I set a Monster," he said, as a reversed card appeared.

"Then, I set two cards facedown, and play Gateway of the Six."

Two reversed Spells or Traps appeared, followed by a Continuous Spell. It had the image of the Six Samurai's insignia on a wooden door, glowing with soft light.

"I end my turn."

Rary made a draw. He looked at his hand of four cards, and selected one of them.

"I summon Harpie's Baby Pet Dragon!" he shouted.

In a gust of wind, a much younger, cuter version of Mai Kujaku's Dragon appeared underneath the looming fortress. (1,200 ATK)

"Sadly, it can't use any of its effects, as no Harpies are on the field," he said, "but I know that your Monsters tend to have weak Defense Scores.

"Attack!"

The Dragon blasted a cone of cold at the reversed Monster. Shien's Footsoldier appeared on the card, and shattered into pixels.

"I activate the effect of Shien's Footsoldier," said Shichiro. "I'll Special Summon Six Samurai Yariza from my deck."

In a flash, the hooded, veiled Samurai appeared in front of him, kneeling in Defense Mode. (500 DEF)

Rary frowned.

"Air Fortress Ziggurat," he commanded, "annihilate his Monster! Armageddon artillery!"

The huge airship's eyes glowed.

"Osaka, brace yourself!" shouted Trymus, as the Titan held onto him.

Exactly how Trymus had become solid enough to hold onto him, Shichiro didn't know, but it helped a great deal as a wave of bullets and missiles blew his Monster to atoms.

Shichiro took a deep breath.

"You activated one of my Traps," he said, as one of his facedown cards lifted up. "Battlecry of the Six. Since one of my Samurai was destroyed, I get to summon another from my deck, so long as it isn't a greater Level.

"So come on out, Six Samurai Yaichi!"

In a blue aura, the Samurai archer, appeared, pulling back his bow. (1,200 ATK)\

"Don't make me laugh," said Rary. "He doesn't even come close to being able to beat my Fortress."

"He doesn't need to," replied Shichiro. "Is that your move?"

"Yes," said Rary. "And you know what that means..."

A second Toy Robot Token appeared. (0 DEF)

Shichiro drew a card.

"I summon Six Samurai Nisashi!" he shouted.

In a burst of wind, the muscular, armored Samurai with the twin katana blades appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"First, Yaichi attacks one of your Tokens..." said Shichiro.

"Now I use Nisashi's special effect," he said. "Since I have at least two Samurai on the field, he can attack twice.

"Go! Strike of the driving gale!"

Nisashi made a dash at the other Token. It sparked, and exploded into pieces of junk.

Then he made a second dash at Harpie's Baby Pet Dragon, and with one slash of his sword, cut the hatchling in half.

**(S: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 6,200)**

"My move is over, pal," said Shichiro.

Rary made a draw.

"I'll set this Monster," he said, as a reversed Monster appeared.

"Then I'll have my Fortress attack Yaichi!"

Shichiro braced himself again as the barrage of missiles started again, and Yariza was blown to bits.

He glared at Rary.

**(S: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 6,200)**

Rary waved his hand to signal the end of his turn, and a Toy Robot Token appeared again. (0 DEF)

"My move..." said Shichiro.

He drew a card.

It was Enishi, Shien's Chancellor.

_Time to turn this around..._ he thought.

"All right, Rary," he said. "Time to reveal a few of the secrets of Gateway of the Six..."

"I was wondering what that thing did," said Rary.

"Yeah, well," said Shichiro. "Every time I summoned a Samurai, it gained two Bushido Counters. It has six now.

"And I can expend four of them to take another Samurai from my deck."

A card slipped out of his deck.

"Like Six Samurai Irou. Now, I'll summon him!"

The dark, blindfolded Samurai appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"Now, I'll remove two Samurai from play, to Special Summon Enishi, Shien's Chancellor."

He pocketed Yariza and Yaichi's cards, and with a flourish of light, a nobleman dressed in fine clothing, with a goatee and his hair in a topknot, with a katana at his side, materialized.(2,200 ATK)

"Eh..." said Rary nervously. "A lot of good he'll do you. He can't beat my Fortress."

"Actually," said Shichiro, "by forfeiting his attack, Enishi can destroy one Monster per round."

Rary suddenly looked serious.

"But..." said Shichiro. "I can expend two Counters from the Gateway to give any Samurai or a Monster with the word 'Shien' in its name 500 extra Attack Points for one round, so Enishi can indeed take down that thing."

The light from the Gateway fell on Enishi. (2,700 ATK)

"First, Nisashi attacks your Toy Robot Token!" shouted Shichiro.

Nisashi made a slash at the Token, and it burst.

"Then, Irou attacks your hidden Monster. And when he attacks a set Monster, it's automatically destroyed, without being flipped face-up.

"Go! Setting sun strike!"

Irou rushed at the reversed card, and cut it in half with his katana.

"Heh..." said Rary. "That was Sangan. Its effect isn't a Flip-Effect..."

He took a card from his deck.

"Well, it won't save your Fortress," said Shichiro. "Enishi, ground that thing!"

Enishi drew his weapon, made a great leap, and then transformed into a ball of burning light that rocketed towards Air Fortress Ziggurat. The ball turned into a blazing comet, and it struck the huge airship, penetrating the front, piercing the whole structure and exiting out the back. The giant Machine shuddered, and explosions rocked over its hull. Smoke poured from the engines, and then the whole thing shattered into a pyrotechnic display of light.

"Ergh..." growled Rary. "Are you quite done?"

"Not yet," said Shichiro. "Nisashi has two attacks, remember? The second one has your name on it."

Rary grunted as Nisashi made a slash at him with his katana.

**(S: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 4,600)**

"Now I end my turn," said Shichiro.

"Okay pal..." said Rary, making a draw. "Now I'm angry!"

He played a Spell Card.

"I activate Pot of Avarice!"

He took five Monsters, all four of his Harpies and Sangan, from his discard slot, added them to his deck, and the Disk reshuffled it.

He made two draws.

Then he quickly played one of them.

_From the Ashes? _thought Shichiro, looking at the Spell Card._ I don't think I'm gonna like this..._

"You see," said Rary, "Air Fortress Ziggurat is a NOMI, and usually can't be summoned from the Graveyard. But by playing this Spell Card and paying half my Life Points, I can get around that little handicap..."

The huge airship once again appeared overhead. Its hull was dented and covered with blast scars, but it was nonetheless flying. (2,500 ATK)

"The downside is," continued Rary, "it comes back without its effects. But it's still a Wind Monster.

"I summon Bladefly."

A small wasp, with forelegs shaped like cleavers, appeared in front of him. (600 ATK)

"This little guy increases the Attack Scores of all Wind Monsters by 500 points."

Air Fortress Ziggurat rose to an Attack Score of 3,000, while Bladefly itself rose to 1,100. Nisashi's score also went up, to 1,900.

"Now, let me see here..." he said. "I could attack Irou, which would bring your Life Points down to only 1,000... Seeing you squirm would be amusing...

"However... You were smart enough to tell me what Enishi's effect can do, and I can't have that...

"So I have to do the smart thing...

"Destroy Shien's Chancellor!"

Shichiro braced himself as another volley of missiles shot from the huge stronghold, blowing Enishi to atoms.

"Ergh..." he said.

"Now that he's gone," said Rary, as another Spell Card appeared, "I'll protect my Fortress further, by playing Toy Robot Box.

"I toss one card..."

He discarded Magical Stone Excavation.

"...and I get three Toy Robot Tokens."

Three of the action figures appeared. (0 DEF x3)

He placed another card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"It's your move..."

**(S: 1,500) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 2,300)**

Shichiro made a draw, and looked at it.

"All right, Rary..." he said. "I'd like to say I've had a good time... But frankly I haven't..."

"What are you talking about?" said Rary.

Shichiro's facedown card lifted up.

"I play Wicked Rebirth," he said. "I'll give up 800 Life Points to bring Junk Warrior back..."

Junk Warrior leapt onto the field, and struck a pose. (2,300 ATK)

"Ooh, I'm so scared," said Rary. "That is, I would be, if I didn't know that since you summoned it with Wicked Rebirth, it can't attack this turn!"

"No, _it_ can't," said Shichiro, playing his last card.

"I play The Warrior Returning Alive."

He took Junk Synchron from his Graveyard slot.

"Now, I'll summon Junk Synchron..."

The Tuner reappeared in a flash. (1,300 ATK)

"...and due to its effect, I can Special Summon Shien's Footsoldier from my Graveyard."

The small, monkey-like Warrior appeared, crouching and holding its spear in its lap. (300 DEF)

"Now..." said Shichiro. "I have someone who is _quite_ anxious to get reacquainted with you..."

Junk Synchron pulled its ripcord, and it, Junk Warrior, and Shien's Footsoldier flew into the sky. The whole sky went dark, and the three blazing suns appeared once again...

"_Entrusted with the legacy of billions of souls, given incredible strength by the power spawned in the universe's creation! Hero of a deceased race… Three suns aligned, call forth an ancient force… _

"_Synchro Summon, Trymus the Conqueror!"_

Trymus landed in front of Shichiro and glared angrily at Rary. (2,600 ATK)

"So nice to see you too..." said Rary, sarcastically, as he crossed his arms.

"Joke all you want," said Shichiro, because with my Life Points below 1,000, Trymus has all three of his effects, including the one that increases his Attack Points by 1,000.

"And since he's a Wind Monster, he gains 500 more from your own Bladefly."

(4,100 ATK)

"Hold on one minute..." said Rary.

"Nisashi! Irou!" shouted Shichiro. "Tear down those Tokens!"

The two Samurai flew at the Toy Robot Tokens. Two slashes of swords by Nisashi and one by Irou reduced all three to burning piles of junk.

Rary sighed.

"I suppose you're going to blow my Ziggurat out of the sky again..." he said.

"Why bother?" asked Shichiro. "There's another Monster that Trymus can attack, and it makes finishing this duel all the easier."

"Huh?" said Rary.

Then he noticed Bladefly, and realized what Shichiro meant...

"Attack!" shouted Shichiro. "Blade of the North Wind!"

Trymus rushed at the small insect.

"Afraid I'm going to have to cut this short, Osaka," said Rary, as his facedown card lifted up.

"Huh?" said Shichiro. "Core Explosion... What the heck..."

"Just remember..." said Rary, "it isn't the fall that does you in... It's the sudden stop at the end!"

The next minute, the whole city seemed to be torn apart as Air Fortress Ziggurat blew up in an explosion that turned the sky red. Both duelists screamed...

**(S: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 0)**

The next moment Shichiro was plummeting earthward. Fortunately, Trymus had suspected that Rary would do this from the start, and was well-prepared. After only three seconds, Shichiro felt a rush of air circling him, plus a strong updraft under him, cushioning him and slowing his fall.

It took about a minute to reach the ground with this cocoon of wind guiding him, and he was dumped on the sidewalk unceremoniously, bruising his knee and shoulder.

He took some deep breaths. At least the coroner wouldn't be scraping him off the pavement...

"Are you okay?" asked Trymus.

Shichiro shook his head. His ears were ringing.

"I could be better..." replied Shichiro, as he stood up. "Good thing that _wasn't_ a Shadow Duel, or it would have taken a good part of Tokyo with it.

"But you know how the saying goes...

"Any landing you can walk away from is a good one..."

He sighed.

"Any ideas where that jerk went?"

Rary had actually made good his escape. He could fly very fast, and had exited the Tokyo city limits to the West. He was now sitting on a bluff on Mount Fuji, moping.

A portal started to appear in front of him. He sighed.

"What?" he asked, annoyed.

"_I thought I told you not to kill Mr. Osaka,"_ said the aboleth's voice.

"He survived, didn't he?" asked Rary.

"_He might not have," _replied the aboleth._ "I don't want any more jeopardizing of the plans from this point."_

"Whatever," said Rary. "Just one more thing...

"Next time I duel for you, you think I can be allowed to win?"

"_Of course," _said the aboleth._ "But don't get ahead of yourself. Let's see what your comrades can find out._

"_I'll see you back at base."_

The portal vanished.

Rary took out the deck, the one that contained the Harpies and Air Fortress Ziggurat.

"Bah!" he said.

He threw it away, and the cards scattered down the mountain.

Then he turned and flew away.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Shichiro, is that you?" asked Jinx.

"Yeah, I thought I should warn you," said Shichiro, as his face appeared on the screen. "These guys play _very _rough..."

"Looks like we're going to have to see firsthand," said Gears, as he typed on his computer.

A map of Europe appeared on it.

"It seems Rary's three friends have turned up. Auras identical to his have just appeared in London, Paris, and Rome."

"Seems they're on a European tour," said Jinx.

"We could call the Shadowchasers there," suggested Ember.

"But this is our case," said Gears. "They'll be happy to send backup if we need it.

"For now... We have to split up..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SKY UNION (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **The silhouette of Air Fortress Ziggurat flying amid the clouds.

**Card Description:** Tribute three Monsters you control. Special Summon one "Air Fortress Ziggurat" from your hand, deck, or Graveyard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**AIR FORTRESS ZIGGURAT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute:** Wind  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except via the effect of "Sky Union". This card is not affected by your opponent's Spell or Trap Cards. During each of your End Phases, Special Summon 1 "Toy Robot Token" (Machine-Type/Earth/Level 1/0 ATK/0 DEF) in Defense Position. "Toy Robot Tokens" cannot attack. If you control any "Toy Robot Tokens", your opponent cannot select any Monsters you control as attack targets except "Toy Robot Tokens".

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TOY ROBOT BOX (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image: **Three toy action figures.

**Card Description:** Discard one card from your hand. Special Summon 3 "Toy Robot Tokens" (Machine-Type/Earth/Level 1/0 ATK/0 DEF) in Defense Position. "Toy Robot Tokens" cannot attack. If you control any "Toy Robot Tokens", your opponent cannot select any Monsters you control as attack targets except "Toy Robot Tokens".

_Note: The proceeding three cards were first used by Amelda in the original anime episode "Flight of Fear (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**WINGED REPAYMENT (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **This card's image was not clear.

**Card Description:** Pay 600 Life Points. Draw one card for each Winged Beast-Type Monster you control. Cards drawn by this effect cannot be summoned, set, or activated during the turn you activate this card.

_Note: "Winged Repayment" was first used by Harpie's Brother in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "A New World Order". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FROM THE ASHES (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **Air Fortress Ziggurat flying over a ruined, burning city.

**Card Description:** Pay half your Life Points. Special Summon 1 "Air Fortress Ziggurat" from your Graveyard, disregarding its summoning requirements. The effects of the Special Summoned "Air Fortress Ziggurat" are negated.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CORE EXPLOSION (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Air Fortress Ziggurat on fire with an explosion coming out of the side.

**Card Description:** Destroy 1 "Air Fortress Ziggurat" you control. Inflict damage to both players equal to the base ATK of the destroyed "Air Fortress Ziggurat". You cannot Normal Summon, set, or Special Summon a Monster until your next End Phase after activating this card has passed.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Jinx: The Tower of London is one of the city's most famous landmarks. It's where the Crown Jewels are kept; over its history, it's been used as a palace, a fortress, a barracks, and even a zoo. **

**But it's most notorious use has been as a prison. It has been the site of countless instances of torture and execution. Many hangings, beheadings, and drawing and quartering took place within its walls.**

**Now, on the Tower Green, where Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey met their ends, I've confronted another of the Paragons. In a place where the concepts of royalty and death are combined, I have a feeling this may be just as brutal as anything the Tower is infamous for...**

"**Earthbound Spirit" is next.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Frederick Luther, Shadowchaser of the Night**

The sad story of the vampires was perhaps the hardest lesson that the various races of Shadow living on Earth had to learn. The Shadowchasers regret that it happened, but continually point to it as proof that it is human nature to fear the unusual, and that Shadows, for their own good, must stay concealed from those who cannot see the truth.

Some believe that the mysterious force that brings Shadows to Earth no longer does so with vampires. This is a wrong assumption; it is very, very rare, but does happen from time to time. But even those who know it might be surprised to know that one of these "new arrivals" is considered by the Shadowchasers as one of their own.

Fredrick Luther is a quiet man, rarely speaking to strangers unless he needs to. The lack of other vampires in the world still depresses him, even though he has been on Earth for over two decades. He generally keeps to himself, though he has opened up to his teammates in the Cleveland Shadowchasers, and has found a friend in James Redfield of the De-Factos in Pittsburgh. Those who have befriended him attest to his wit, love of music, devotion to justice and his dedication to both the Shadowchasers and his personal mission. Those outside his friends describe him as courteous, helpful, and kind even if he has "odd tastes in food." Human and Shadow children like him because he is more than willing to lend an ear if they need comfort or help them find their way home if they're lost at night. Of course, the fact that he's a vampire means that he can only be out at night, which is a handicap in any human culture, let alone in his job. Also to satisfy his dietary need for blood, he often buys the blood of livestock from butcher shops and meat packing plants, which in turn has made him friends with the owners of said places, since he's willing to pay for what would otherwise go to waste.

Frederick became a Shadowchaser to further his true quest in life: Reestablishing a positive relationship between vampires and humans. Shadowchasers and humans "in the know" already know of the tragedy of the vampires, but instead of mourning, Frederick took the story as a motivation to try and improve relations between his people and humans. To this end he has worked tirelessly as a Shadowchaser, especially when capturing a Shadow attempting to harm or kill humans.

He came into this world around twenty years ago, landing in Cleveland. In his first few years on Earth, he learned the hard way that he was one of only a scant few vampires on Earth, and also what happened to make things that way. He struggled to blend in with humans, expecting to be hated by them, but though his interactions with them, saw that things were not as bad as he had feared. He has since outgrown most of his first human friends but eventually, he found the Shadowchasers and petitioned to join. He was accepted, and hasn't looked back since. He quickly adapted to the organization and found comfort and friendship amongst his colleagues, and serves as a mentor for new recruits in the Cleveland branch. His travels as a Shadowchaser have brought him to Pittsburgh which is where he met James Redfield and struck up a friendship with him. Like Jalal, he doesn't officially support the De-Factos, but he does supply them with updates on Shadowchaser law and regulation changes, and oftentimes ends up making the official arrests on any criminals the De-Factos send for processing.

**Story Ideas:** The most obvious place to put Frederick would be in any story featuring the De-Factos. He would be the most influential true member of the Shadowchasers in their neck of the woods, and would count as an important ally.

There are other vampires in the world, some of them survivors from the actual conflict where the race was nearly eradicated. If one became a threat (as Camilla did) Frederick might be called on as a consultant, mediator, or investigator. (Some say it takes one to catch one.) Frederick has an instant dislike for vampires that hurt humans, as this hurts the mission he has dedicated to. Such vampires might not be too fond of him either, thinking that humans should be perceived as enemies. (Many have said that Frederick has a great deal of self-control for thinking the way he does.)

Frederick possesses the traditional powers of vampires, such as the ability to summon and control swarms of bats (often called "Children of the Night") but he rarely uses this frightening ability. He cannot ignore his limitations, however. Garlic repulses him, and mirrors reveal his species quickly. Likely his greatest weakness is sunlight, but he is not unprepared for this. Wizards working with the Shadowchasers have cast triggered contingency spells on him that would magically transport him to a safe location if he is ever in danger of being slain by the light of the sun.

**Deck Suggestions:** Frederick uses a Fiend-based deck, utilizing cards like Legendary Fiend, Chaos King Archfiend, and Summoned Skull to drive home his point, but his main deck theme involves using Dark World and Fabled Monsters to maintain hand and field presence.

_Frederick was a creation of fanfic author Rob of Eternal Fire._


	44. Earthbound Spirit

_I'd like to wish a happy birthday to BigBangMeteor8612. Have a good one._

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL FORTY-FOUR**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Earthbound Spirit**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Finding her quarry would prove far more difficult to Jinx than it would for Shichiro.

Gears's equipment had put the Paragon she was looking for in the Tower of London. Had she opened a portal to that landmark twelve hours earlier, it would have been no problem. But it was nine hours earlier in London than it was in Japan, making it midnight there. The Tower was closed to tourists at this time, and seeing as the place was a museum (one where the British Crown Jewels were displayed, no less) it had tight security.

Still, Jinx knew how to adapt. Having parked her D-Wheel several blocks down the road after coming through the portal, she managed to sneak into the main promenade, wearing a black leather outfit for concealment.

"I'm in, Gears," she said, into her headset mobile. "And I feel like a big thief..."

"Need I remind you that the guy you're looking for is a _real_ thief, among other things?" asked Gears. "The London Shadowchasers did get back to me, by the way, and said they'd help... The Tower's security will be occupied for a while.

"I think the guy is on the Tower Green."

"Anne Boleyn was beheaded there, right?" asked Jinx.

"Yes," replied Gears. "And six other nobles. Most executions in those days were done in public, but the Tower Green was where it was done if you were politically important enough to deserve privacy, away from the jeering crowds… And where, not coincidentally, the monarch who convicted you could avoid bad publicity.

"You might find him there. A place where both royalty and death are combined might suit him."

Jinx started to walk towards the site, a yard located south of the Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula.

"I heard that one noble was executed by being drowned in wine," she said.

"You're thinking of George, Duke of Clarence," replied Gears. "He was executed, but not by beheading. No-one is absolutely sure how. The 'wine method' was how Shakespeare portrayed it. It was likely only a joke that referred to his life of heavy drinking."

Jinx strode onto the Tower Green, a grassy yard with a cobblestone square in the center, where a small monument and plaque marked where the scaffold had been. There had once been a gatehouse on this spot, and the executions were done inside to further ensure privacy. It had been torn down in 1685.

Jinx's eye twitched.

She spun around, and drew her sword, cutting the stone that was hurled at her clean in half.

"Good reflexes!" laughed a deep voice.

Jinx looked at the large humanoid that stood a full six feet tall. He was broad and muscular, and completely hairless. His skin seemed to be made of smooth obsidian, and his eyes glowed with golden light. His only article of clothing was a pair of grey trousers.

"The Paragon of Earth, I assume?" asked Jinx.

"You got it!" he chuckled. "You may call me Soth, the Black Stone Blight."

"Well, you certainly seem to be made of black stone..." said Jinx. "Question is... Is that stone hard, like granite...

"Or soft, like pumice?"

Soth frowned. He lifted his left arm, and a Duel Disk of the same style of Rary's appeared on.

"You're lucky, babe..." he said. "Most folks who insult me... I grab them and twist them like pretzels..."

Jinx started to sweat a little.

"I could snap you like a twig and make it quick..." he continued. "Or slowly squeeze until one by one, every rib snapped, followed by every vertebrae...

"And believe me, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it."

"I believe you!" said Jinx, nervously.

"But..." he continued, "since I'm under specific orders _not _to kill you, I'm going to have to settle for Duel Monsters this time..."

"All right..." said Jinx. "I can live with that..."

The two Disks activated...

**(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Soth: 8,000)**

_This shouldn't be all TOO hard,_ thought Jinx, as she made her first draw.

She looked at her six cards.

_I mean, sure, he's big and strong... But I doubt a guy like that is very well-read..._

_Well, here goes..._

She set two cards in her Disk, and two set cards, one in her Spell Zone, and one in her Monster Zone appeared.

"I'll end there," she said.

"Okay then..." said Soth.

He made a draw, and then chose a card.

"I summon Koa'ki Meiru Tornado!"

There was a blast of wind, and a weird Monster appeared. From the waist up, it was a humanoid with green skin and long, blue hair. From the waist down, it was a raging whirlwind. It held an inflated bag behind it, gripping the ends with both hands. (1,500 ATK)

"A Koa'ki Meiru Monster?" shouted Jinx.

"That's right," said Soth. "And this one is gonna blow your Monster away. Attack!"

A whirlwind mixed with glowing motes shot towards the reversed Monster. X-Saber Axel appeared on the card, and shattered.

"So much for him," said Soth. "I'll end my turn..."

_Okay... _thought Jinx, as she made a draw._ Not only did he summon a Koa'ki Meiru Monster, it's clearly not an Earth Monster..._

"I set a card facedown," she said, as another card appeared next to her other one, "and end my turn."

"What's the matter, no Monsters to summon?" asked Soth.

"Maybe, maybe not," replied Jinx.

Soth lifted an eyebrow as he made a draw.

"I summon another Koa'ki Meiru," he said. "The mighty Koa'ki Meiru Bergzak!"

In an aura of energy, a bizarre-looking Warrior appeared. It wore black armor that seemed to be made out of some sort of high-tech plastic formula rather than metal. Its face was covered by a mask that was white on one side and black on the other, with two red eyes. It held two swords of alien design. (2,000 ATK)

"Ho boy..." said Jinx.

"Attack..." started Soth.

"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Jinx, as one of her cards lifted up. "Reinforce Truth!

"Now I can Special Summon X-Saber Passiul to the field in Defense Mode."

Passiul appeared, crouching behind his sword. (0 DEF)

"And while he has zero Defense Points, he can't be destroyed in battle.

"It's gonna take more than some Dark Warrior, Soth."

"Dark?" exclaimed Soth. "Bite your tongue! Bergzak is Earth, just like your Monsters."

Bergzak seemed a little upset as well.

"The Koa'ki Meiru don't have a single Dark or Light Monster among them," continued Soth. "They'd never allow it. They despise Dark and Light Monsters for hogging all the glory in this game.

"As a result, a lot of them have effects that are detrimental to Light and Dark Monsters.

"Anyway... I'll set this, and end my turn..."

A reversed card appeared behind his two Monsters.

"...which means that to keep Bergzak, I have to either discard one Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru, or reveal a Warrior in my hand..."

He flipped a card in his hand around. It was Marauding Captain.

_Sure, Jinx, _thought Jinx as she made her draw._ Put your foot in your mouth, why don't you..._

Her other facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Limit Reverse!" she shouted.

X-Saber Axel reappeared. (400 ATK)

"Then, I summon X-Saber Urz."

In a burst of energy, the fiendish-looking X-Saber clad in furs, holding two scimitars appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, I Tune all three of them together..."

Passiul, Axel, and Urz turned into seven glowing stars...

"Synchro Summon... X-Saber Urbellum!"

Urbellum landed, holding his twin sabers aloft. (2,200 ATK)

"Go!" she shouted. "Strike down Koa'ki Meiru Bergzak!"

The X-Saber smote the strange Warrior with his blade. Bergzak's chest exploded, and then he shattered into pixels.

"What, did his core rupture?" asked Jinx.

"Yeah..." muttered Soth.

"Well, seeing as you have four cards in your hand," said Jinx, "Urbellum's effect sends one to the top of your deck."

Soth growled, as one of his cards vanished.

"No fair..." he muttered.

"It's your move..." said Jinx.

**(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,800)**

Soth quickly drew the card again.

"Good thing I set this," he said, as his facedown card lifted up. "Jar of Greed. Now I get one draw..."

He drew a card.

"When you use Koa'ki Meiru, you need all the draws you get.

"I'll set this Monster, and then move Tornado to Defense Mode."

A set Monster appeared, and then Koa'ki Meiru Tornado shielded itself with its arms. (1,200 DEF)

"And that will be all for now..."

Jinx drew a card.

"I summon X-Saber Anabelera!" she shouted.

The armored, whip-wielding, lady X-Saber leapt onto the field. She gave a dirty look towards Soth. (1,800 ATK)

"Anabelera, quell that Tornado!" shouted Jinx.

Anabelera lashed her whip at Koa'ki Meiru Tornado, and it dissolved into mist.

"Now, Urbellum attacks your other Monster..."

Urbellum made a rush at the card. An unhewn boulder with arms, legs, and a face appeared crouching on the card. With one swipe of a sword, it shattered into pebbles.

"You just destroyed Koa'ki Meiru Boulder," chuckled Soth. "And when that happens, I get to take any low-Level Koa'ki Meiru from my deck."

A card slipped out of his deck, and he took it.

Jinx looked at her hand and considered for a minute.

"My turn is over," she said.

Soth made a draw.

"First, I'll summon the Monster I searched for," he said. "You remember Bergzak, right?"

A second Koa'ki Meiru Bergzak materialized in front of him. (2,000 ATK)

"Urbellum will just get rid of this one too," said Jinx.

"But I have something extra this time," said Soth, as he played a card. "It's an Equip Spell called Iron Core Armor!"

He played the card, and a gunmetal grey breastplate with the Koa'ki Meiru symbol on the chest and each shoulder appeared on Bergzak.

"When a Koa'ki Meiru wears this," he explained, "all Monsters that it battles lose 100 Attack Points times their Level when doing so."

"Wait..." said Jinx. "Urbellum is Level 7..."

"Not the best position to be in," said Soth. "Bergzak, attack Urbellum! Energy blade!"

Bergzak's twin blades glowed with purple energy, and it rushed at Urbellum, whose Attack Score fell to 1,500. With one slash, the X-Saber was cut in twain, and the pieces shattered.

"Now, I use Bergzak's special effect," continued Soth. "When it destroys a Monster, it gets to attack again!"

Bergzak rushed at Anabelera, and her Attack Score fell to 1,400. She screamed as it ran her through the chest.

She slumped to her knees, and then shattered.

**(J: 6,900) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,800)**

"Don't feel bad, Noriko," said Soth, "you aren't the first to make the mistake..."

"Mistake?" asked Jinx.

"All the members of my faction on my planet were rather big and strong..." he said. "In fact, many of them were even bigger than me.

"And it was a common stereotype that our brains were as weak as our bodies were strong.

"Well, it was the same deal as any stereotype... It was true for some of us, but not all. Many of us were quite intelligent, able to master elemental magic of earth incredibly well...

"But... I suppose no-one's ever going to learn... Even Shannalla has never given me the respect I was due..."

"Are you sure that wasn't because she's disgusted by what you use your skills for?" asked Jinx.

"Huh?" said Soth.

"You yourself said you would kill without a second thought," replied Jinx, "and not lose any sleep over it. I wouldn't have any respect for a remorseless killer either."

Soth glared at her.

"I end my turn," he said. "And I reveal this to keep Bergzak."

He flipped Marauding Captain around again.

Jinx made a draw. She looked at the card.

_Almost have all I need to pull off a big surprise..._ she thought.

She played a Spell Card.

"I play The Warrior Returning Alive," she said.

Passiul slipped out of her discard slot.

She quickly set the card on her Disk, and it appeared reversed.

"I end my turn."

"That's Passiul, I suppose..." said Soth, making a draw.

He looked over his five cards.

"Well... I don't have any way to get rid of a Monster without attacking right now... But let's make sure anyway..."

Bergzak leapt at the Monster swords first, and sure enough, Passiul appeared, and fended off the blow. (0 ATK)

"Eh," said Soth, as he fit a card into his Disk.

A reversed card appeared.

"Better safe than sorry..."

He flipped Marauding Captain around again.

"I take it that means it's my turn," said Jinx.

She drew a card.

"I summon Rampaging Rhynos!" she shouted.

With a roar, the humanoid, armored rhinoceros holding a battle axe appeared on the field. (1,500 ATK)

"Then, I'll Tune him and Passiul together..."

Rhynos and Passiul turned into five glowing stars, and flew up into the sky...

"_Legend of the Old West, he rides from out of the wildness with determination on his face, courage and fortitude riding alongside him! Clustering stars form a path to victory in this wild land..._

"_Synchro Summon... X-Saber Wayne!"_

There was a galloping of hooves, and then the rugged cowboy leapt onto the field. He quickly drew his weapon, and twirled it dramatically. (2,100 ATK)

"Interesting..." said Soth. "Need I remind you that your gunslinger will lose 500 Attack Points if he tries to attack Bergzak?"

"But I'm not done," said Jinx. "When Wayne is Synchro Summoned, I get to Special Summon a Warrior from my hand.

"Like XX-Saber Fulhelmknight!"

In a flourish, the young, caped, dagger-wielding Warrior appeared. (1,300 ATK)

"Next up," said Jinx, "with two X-Sabers on the field, I can Special Summon XX-Saber Faultroll."

Faultroll leapt onto the field, holding his huge sword in front of him. (2,400 ATK)

"And that means I can make another Synchro Summon!"

Faultroll and Fulhelmknight transformed into nine glowing stars this time. Jinx chanted again:

"_Barbarian king in a lawless land, mighty general of a great army! Name synonymous with strength, an avatar of primal power! Clustering stars form a path to lead your troops to victory! Fight on… XX-Saber Gatmuz!"_

With a savage roar, Gatmuz appeared, holding his huge sword above his head. (3,100 ATK)

"Erk!" said Soth.

"Sure, Gatmuz's Attack Score will take a hit when he attacks Bergzak," said Jinx.

Gatmuz made a rush at the Koa'ki Meiru, and his Attack Score fell to 2,200.

"But it's not gonna be enough to save your Monster."

Bergzak, howled, and then exploded in a flaming blast of pure energy.

"Wayne, attack him directly with Saber six-shooter!" ordered Jinx.

Wayne aimed his weapon, and fired six rounds into the Paragon's chest. He grunted and clutched his torso.

"Merely a flesh wound..." he muttered. "A guy like me who deals pain... Has to be used to taking it..."

Jinx looked at him.

"It's your move..." she said.

**(J: 6,900) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,500)**

"Draw..." said Soth, drawing a card.

Then his facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Core Reinforcement," he said.

In a flash of energy, Koa'ki Meiru Tornado reappeared. (1,500 ATK)

"This Trap works like Call of the Haunted for Koa'ki Meiru. The downside is, if the summoned Koa'ki Meiru is destroyed by its own effect, I lose Life Points equal to its Attack Score.

"But... Since Tornado isn't destroyed by its own effect, that's no problem.

"Now, I use its effect... I send this copy of Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru to the top of my deck..."

He placed the card on the top of his deck.

"...and all your Special Summoned Monsters are destroyed!"

A tornado of glowing, sparkling wind enveloped the field. Jinx's two Synchros gasped, and then were eroded into sand.

"WHA!" shouted Jinx. "Wait... YOUR Monster was Special Summoned!"

"But my own Monsters are immune to its effect," laughed Soth. "Meaning you're wide open!

"Attack! Atomic hurricane!"

Jinx braced herself as she was buffeted by a stinging, burning wind from the creature.

She took some deep breaths.

**(J: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,500)**

"Draw..." she said.

She drew a card.

"I summon XX-Saber Boggart Knight," she said.

With a roar, the caped twin of Vorse Raider leapt onto the field. (1,900 ATK)

"And by summoning him, I get to Special Summon another X-Saber, like X-Saber Galahad!"

In an aura of energy, the toad-like Warrior in bronze armor, holding his spear appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"Galahad, destroy Koa'ki Meiru Tornado!"

Galahad rushed at the Koa'ki Meiru, and his Attack Score rose to 2,100. He impaled it, and it dissolved into mist once again.

Soth grit his teeth in anger as Boggart Knight's sword hit him in the chest.

**(J: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 3,000)**

"Make your move..." said Jinx.

"I'll tell you right now," said Soth, as he made a draw.

He looked at it. It was, naturally, Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru.

"I don't like fast women!"

He set a card on his Disk, setting a Monster.

He waved his hand to signal the end of his turn.

Jinx drew a card.

"Galahad, attack!" she shouted.

Galahad rushed at the reversed Monster, his Attack Score climbing to 2,100 again...

...but there was a sound like metal striking metal. A Machine that looked like an unmanned aircraft drone mounted on two large jet engines appeared on the card. (2,200 DEF)

"That's Koa'ki Meiru Speeder," said Soth, "and Galahad isn't tough enough to crack it."

Jinx looked at the two cards in her hand.

"I... end my turn..." she said.

Soth made a draw.

"I play Core Compression. First, I reveal one Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru in my hand..."

He flipped the card around.

"...then I toss one Koa'ki Meiru Monster."

He discarded Koa'ki Meiru Powerhand.

"Then, I get to draw two cards."

He made two draws.

Then he grinned.

"This Monster here is Level 7," he said, "but I only need one sacrifice to summon it if I'm sacrificing another Koa'ki Meiru."

Koa'ki Meiru Speeder vanished into an orb of light.

"So say hello to Koa'ki Meiru Rooklord!"

There was an explosion of raw energy as a ten-foot-tall robot appeared in front of Soth. It was made of blue and white metal, and had gear-like rings on its shoulders. Its arms ended in steel pounders rather than hands, on which the Koa'ki Meiru symbol was etched. (2,800 ATK)

"Ho boy..." said Jinx.

"Frightening, isn't it?" asked Soth. "Now I use its effect. When summoned, I can remove one Koa'ki Meiru in my Graveyard from play..."

Koa'ki Meiru Tornado fell out of his discard slot.

"And in return," he said, as he pocketed it, "I can destroy two cards!"

Jinx gasped as both Boggart Knight and Galahad exploded into pixilated remains.

"You're defenseless!" shouted Soth. "Attack! Pummeling pound!"

Jinx tried hard to keep from screaming as Rooklord's mighty fist slammed into her stomach. She succeeded, although she was knocked flat on her back, barely aware of what end was up.

"Here's a Spell Card I believe our henchman Joaquin played when you dueled him," said Soth, as a Spell Card appeared. "In fact, I'm the one who suggested he put it in his deck. Sebek's Blessing.

"Which, as you know, grants me Life Points equal to the amount you lost.

"I'll set a facedown card..."

A reversed card appeared.

"...then it's your move. And the requirement to keep Rooklord is the same as Bergzak's. If you recall, I have to send an Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru to the Graveyard or reveal a Warrior-Type Monster from my hand..."

He flipped Marauding Captain around again.

**(J: 2,600) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,800)**

Jinx groaned and got up.

She made a draw.

_That Marauding Captain seems to be his way of keeping a lot of his Koa'ki Meiru, _she thought._ And the other card in his hand is an Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru, another way._

_But... With these cards, I might be able to get rid of both..._

She set all three of her cards on her Disk, and a set Monster appeared with two set cards behind it.

"Take turn," she said.

Soth laughed a deep laugh.

"That's a Morphing Jar, right?" he asked.

He drew a card.

"Nice try..."

His facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Trap Stun," he said. "This Trap renders all other Traps out of commission for the rest of the turn.

"Now... I'll summon Marauding Captain..."

In a flash, the familiar armored, caped Warrior holding two swords appeared. (1,200 ATK)

"I don't have another Monster to summon with his effect, but he's enough. When he destroys your Morphing Jar, you may get five cards, but they won't protect you from Rooklord's direct attack.

"Captain... Attack!"

Marauding Captain rushed at the facedown Monster, which was indeed a Morphing Jar. With one swipe of his sword, it was slashed to ribbons.

"Well," chuckled Soth.

He discarded his Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru and Urgent Synthesis.

"By all means, start drawing..."

They both made five draws.

"Now, Rooklord... Finish her off!"

Rooklord rushed at Jinx again.

"Sorry, Soth," said Jinx, as one of her facedown cards shot up, "but not this time!"

"But my Trap Stun..." said Soth.

He stepped back in shock when he saw that it wasn't a Trap at all. It was Enemy Controller.

Rooklord fell backwards and crouched in Defense Mode. (2,200 DEF)

"_Very_ tricky!" he said, angrily. "Make your move."

"Don't forget," said Jinx. "You have to either discard an Iron Core or reveal a Warrior in your hand to keep Rooklord."

Soth flipped a card in his hand around. It was a Warrior called Koa'ki Meiru War Arms.

_Crap,_ thought Jinx, as she made a draw.

"Go, Call of the Haunted!" she shouted, as her other facedown card lifted up.

XX-Saber Gatmuz leapt back onto the field with a roar. (3,100 ATK)

"Then, I summon XX-Saber Garsem!"

The caped gazelle X-Saber dashed onto the field next to Gatmuz. (1,400 ATK)

"And with two X-Sabers on the field, he gains a boost."

(1,800 ATK)

"Attack Marauding Captain! Savanna Saber slash!"

Garsem sprinted at the Captain, and made two swipes with his blade. The Warrior shattered.

Gatmuz leapt at the defending Rooklord...

"Uh, Noriko?" said Soth. "I suggest you brace yourself... When cores this powerful go, they go _big_."

"Huh?" said Jinx.

As Gatmuz's sword hit Rooklord, the robotic Warrior exploded in a deafening blast that lit up the night sky. Jinx barely had time to brace herself, but she managed.

_Lovely... _she thought._ Half of this city must have heard that... The London Shadowchasers had better know their business... The longer this lasts, the more likely someone is gonna investigate..._

She threw two cards into her Disk, and two reversed cards appeared.

**(J: 2,600) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,200)**

"My move..." said Soth.

He made a motion to draw.

Then he stopped.

"On second thought," he said, "I'll forfeit my draw this turn to instead recover Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru from my Graveyard..."

The card fell out of his discard slot, and he took it.

"You see..." he said, "the only way to summon the most powerful Koa'ki Meiru of all is to remove this card in my hand from play..."

The Iron Core card vanished.

"Wait..." said Jinx. "That's now how you summon Valafar..."

"Who said I was summoning that guy?" asked Soth, as a large shape started to appear out of the darkness. "He's not the most powerful Koa'ki Meiru..."

Before Jinx's eyes, a huge Dragon appeared from behind the Paragon. It had a silvery, metallic hide, had joints that looked partially mechanical, and the Koa'ki Meiru symbol on its forehead.

Koa'ki Meiru Maximus let out a loud roar. (3,000 ATK)

"I know what you're thinking," said Soth. "Gatmuz is stronger, right? Well, Maximus can destroy one card every round. Guess which one?"

Maximus's eyes fixated on Gatmuz...

"I activate Emergency Provisions!" screamed Jinx.

One of her facedown cards lifted up.

"I'll send Call of the Haunted and Limit Reverse to the Graveyard, to gain 2,000 Life Points."

The two Trap Cards vanished, and Gatmuz shattered.

"So now, Maximus has no target..."

"But its regular attack will, and so will Koa'ki Meiru Powerhand," said Soth.

He played another card, and a humanoid Machine, a robot that seemed to have drills for hands, shoulders, and cranium. (2,100 ATK)

"Powerhand, destroy XX-Saber Garsem!" shouted the Paragon.

The drill on the Machine's right hand spun wildly, and it stabbed it forward, impaling the Beast. He collapsed and shattered.

"Maximus, attack directly!"

Koa'ki Meiru Maximus blasted a volley of glowing lightning bolts from its jaws, and this time, Jinx was _not_ able to keep from screaming.

She fell to her knees, smoke rising from her shoulders.

**(J: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,200)**

"Anyway..." said Soth, "I don't want to see that Gatmuz again..."

He discarded a card.

"And thanks to my D.D. Crow, I don't have to."

Gatmuz's card fell out of Jinx's discard slot.

"I end my turn, meaning I must now discard an Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru or a Koa'ki Meiru Monster to keep Maximus..."

He discarded Koa'ki Meiru War Arms.

"...and reveal a Normal Trap Card to keep Powerhand."

He flipped a card in his hand around. It was another Jar of Greed.

"Jinx, get up!" urged Shannalla's voice.

"I don't know if I can..." muttered Jinx.

"Don't give up hope yet..." said Shannalla.

"No, I mean I _really _don't know if I can," replied Jinx. "My muscles are kinda locked up from that blast..."

"She's talking to you, isn't she?" asked Soth.

He chuckled softly.

"So many times we came to blows..." he said. "It always ended badly for me... I always had to retreat with bruises and black eyes from the pounding she gave me...

"Seems the roles are reversed, Shannalla! Your true body is gone, and you're powerless to confront me without the help of this weakling!"

Jinx glared at him.

"Weakling..." she said.

She slowly got up.

"I'll show you weakling..."

She drew a card.

"I Special Summon XX-Saber Gardestrike!" she shouted.

With a howl, the wolf-like XX-Saber appeared, swinging his scimitar dramatically. (2,100 ATK)

"Then, I summon XX-Saber Reijigra."

The small, humanoid gecko, holding twin daggers, appeared beside Gardestrike. (200 ATK)

"And by summoning it, I get to recover an X-Saber from my Graveyard."

XX-Saber Faultroll slipped out of her discard slot, and she took it. Then she threw the card on her Disk, and he appeared. (2,400 ATK)

"Continuing," she said, as her facedown card lifted up, "I play Gatmuz's Urgent Orders."

Urbellum appeared first (2,200 ATK) and then Fulhelmknight. (1,300 ATK)

"Then, I Tune Urbellum and Fulhelmknight together!"

The two X-Sabers flew into the sky, and the three burning suns appeared.

"_Strength of legend, beauty beyond compare, entrusted by billions to carry their heritage, given the power unleashed at the moment of Creation! Mighty champion of a deceased race… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force… _

"_Synchro Summon, Shannalla the Fierce!"_

Shannalla landed on the field, and leveled her sword at Soth. She frowned. (2,600 ATK)

"Next..." said Jinx, as she pocketed a card, "I remove Urbellum from play, to boost her Attack Score..."

(4,800 ATK)

"Eh?" said Soth.

"And then I Equip Faultroll with the Sword of Sparkles," continued Jinx.

She played a card, and Faultroll normal sword was replaced by the legendary sword of the X-Sabers.

"Time to end this!" shouted Jinx. "Faultroll, destroy Koa'ki Meiru Powerhand!"

Faultroll made a quick cut with the Sword of Sparkles, cutting the drilling robot clean in half across its armored torso.

"And when an X-Saber destroys a Monster with the Sword of Sparkles," continued Jinx, "I get to destroy another card."

Maximus shattered into pixels.

"Now wait a minute..." said Soth.

Then he yelled out loud, as Gardestrike's scimitar slammed into him.

"Shannalla, finish him off!" shouted Jinx. "Pouncing tiger rage!"

For the first time, Soth looked scared, but there was no escape. Shannalla's sword slammed into him, and he was propelled backwards from the impact...

**(J: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 0)**

...and then he burst, into a cloud of black smoke and ash.

Jinx collapsed on one knee, exhausted. All of her Monsters except Shannalla vanished.

"Is he... gone?" asked Jinx.

"For now," sighed Shannalla. "We have to get out of here, now. The guards will be here any minute..."

"I don't think I can scale the wall again..." said Jinx.

Without bothering to explain what she was doing, Shannalla put her arms around Jinx, and the two of them faded into the shadows, only seconds before the Tower security ran onto the Green.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In her quarters on Snakeskin Island, Hebi-Na was trying to take a nap.

She'd likely be up all night tonight, the Festival of Fangs... Seeing as her family line was modeled after the pit viper, which was diurnal this time of the year, it wouldn't be easy for her to stay up.

Halfway through Jinx's duel with Soth, her eyes opened.

She got up, and looked at the chest containing the Dark Synchro cards on her bedside table.

"You guys are restless," she said.

"Huh?"

She listened, as the message came through in bits and pieces. Hebi-Na rubbed her chin.

She knew Taramanda was very busy right now... But she figured she'd better go tell her about this...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_**Next:**_

_**You remember when you were a kid, when your mom or dad took you swimming, you were a little reluctant to go in the water, and they told you, "a little water won't hurt you"?**_

_**As you probably know, that is one of the common lies that parents tell, along with several ones that start with "When I was your age..." These lies are meant to make children assume that parents are better informed than they are.**_

_**But the fact is, water can hurt you. It can hurt you a great deal. It's clearly killed many folks who my opponent wanted dead. But I have to face her anyway.**_

"_**Aqua Chorus" is coming soon.**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Koriand the Wanderer, Soul-Searcher**

The goliaths, the northern-dwelling, tribal species of Shadowkind, are known for two things. The first is their great size and strength. A male goliath is typically a full seven feet tall, while a female is typically only slightly shorter. Both genders are muscular and strong, able to lift a human-sized creature over their heads with one hand with ease.

The other thing they are known for is their pessimistic outlook on life. They not only believe in Fate, they believe it has dealt them a bad hand. This makes them grim and morose, and they do their best to make their way through their lives, which they believe are predetermined.

Koriand is one of the few goliaths who has considered that his destiny may not be written in stone. At a young age, he was introduced to the worship of Melora, a Shadowkind deity of nature and the wilderness (one of the few not associated with the elven gods) and he quickly took to her words. Melora tells those who follow her to experience the world as much as they can, to see all that it has to offer. Her dogma not only made Koriand more optimistic, it made him decide to go on a soul-searching mission, one that he's been on for the past ten years of his life. He firmly believes that he can find what so many of his kind are missing, if he only knows where to look.

After leaving his clan in Norway, Koriand started to wander Europe. Since then, he's been seen everywhere on the continent, from Britain to Ukraine. At first, he supported himself by doing odd jobs and the like, but eventually, he made alliances with many Shadowkind clans, along with the Shadowchasers. He's always willing to help out if they need a strong pair of arms when he's around, and he can count on them for food and shelter when he needs it.

Koriand isn't sure exactly what he is looking for that will define his searches, although he's pretty sure he'll know it when he finds it. He cannot use divine magic yet, and isn't sure if he will ever understand his faith well enough to do so. He is considering expanding his travels, trekking into Africa or possibly the States. He's still young for a goliath, and one good trait that his whole species has is patience.

**Story Ideas:** Koriand could show up anywhere in Europe as a supporting character in a story. He could be a source of information, having learned a great deal from his constant travels. He also could be an ally in any conflict where physical strength is requires.

Another Shadowkind who shares many opinions with Koriand is Red Feather. The two could well be allies should they ever meet (which hasn't happened yet). A Shadowchasers story that focuses on nature and the environment should involve Koriand at least in part.

**Deck Suggestions:** Koriand plays an Elemental Hero Deck, focusing on the Nature Heroes used by Judai in the manga. He only uses four Fusion Monsters: Inferno, Gaia, Great Tornado, and Absolute Zero, the embodiments of Fire, Earth, Wind, and Water. It's a limited selection, but it works if used efficiently.


	45. Aqua Chorus

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL FORTY-FIVE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Aqua Chorus**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

In her throne room, Taramanda was having an argument with the Supply Master.

"I don't care how much over budget we're going!" she shouted, grabbing the ophidia by the collar. "I want there to be enough foie gras for everyone at the banquet tonight!"

"We'll be eating macaroni and cheese for a month afterwards!" protested the Supply Master.

Taramanda pulled him close to her. He shivered in fright.

"Tonight is the night of my greatest victory..." she whispered. "For this, no cost is too much...

"Now prepare the menu as I planned it, or I'll do to you what I did to the last Supply Master..."

She released him.

"I'll... get on it..." he said.

He rushed out of the room, almost running into Hebi-Na, who was entering, holding the chest containing the Dark Synchros.

"This better be important, Hebi-Na," said Taramanda, as she looked at some papers.

"It is," replied Hebi-Na.

She lifted up the chest.

"The Dark Synchros told me that some folks with the same type of power they have are making their presence known."

"They talk to you?" asked Msskim.

"They aren't incredibly easy to understand, but..." said Hebi-Na.

"Quiet," said Taramanda. "Who are these people they're talking about?"

"There was one in Tokyo and one in London," replied Hebi-Na. "But they've vanished for now. Another one is in Paris, and another is in Rome."

Taramanda scratched her chin.

"Uh..." said Csimith. "We have someone who works for us in Paris... An underworld snitch who's likely awake right now... I can give him a call..."

"Well then do it!" shouted Taramanda.

Csimith took his mobile out of his toga.

"Tell him to find any unusual activity and report back to us," said Taramanda. "If there are any threats we need to know about, let's know about them."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Paris. The City of Lights.

It was two o'clock in the morning, Paris time, when Gears drove his D-Wheel out of the portal, but the city was still alive with life. Paris was a city that never really shut down, no matter what time it was.

Gears checked his equipment. The Paragon he had been tracking seemed to be very elusive.

"Any suggestions?" he asked.

Il Mathman appeared behind him.

"She draws her power from water, much like I do," he replied. "But unlike myself, she rarely strays far from it. More often than not, I've confronted her on beaches and riverbanks, if not underwater."

"Well, I couldn't do that," said Gears, looking down the street. "But... If she wants to stay close to water, the best place in Paris to do so would be the Canal Saint-Martin…"

He slowly started to drive towards that canal, a manmade body of water that had been built in 1802 under the order of Napoleon I to help provide the growing city with fresh water. The Canal connected the Canal de l'Ourcq to the River Seine, cutting a 4.5 kilometer path through Paris in the process. It was now a popular tourist attraction, with many restaurants and cafes built along the scenic canal.

Of course, 4.5 kilometers was a pretty good distance, and Gears was at a loss as to how he was going to search it... Until he saw a large spout of water shoot up in the direction where he was heading. He stepped on the gas and drove towards it.

In the middle of the Canal, right in front of a footpath, was a very large clamshell. Gears dismounted and disengaged his Duel Disk, even as a crowd started to gather.

The clamshell slowly started to open. Gears was a little nervous. If she was going to make an entrance imitating _The Birth of Venus..._

Fortunately, she was clothed... Rather bizarrely. The Paragon wore a very elaborate, and very revealing harem girl's outfit, in blue hues, with a veil over the lower half of her face. Her long, black hair was tied in a ponytail that fell down to her waist.

She looked at Gears as a lot of catcalls came from the onlookers.

"Take a picture," she said, narrowing her eyes, "it will last longer."

She looked at Gears, and her voice took a far more seductive tone.

"Gears, was it?" she purred. "So nice to meet you. I am Menzoberra, the Waterveiled Slayer."

"Huh..." said Gears. "I see the 'veiled' part, but..."

Then a blast of water shot in his face, forcing into his mouth. Gears sputtered and choked, and then gasped for breath when it stopped.

"Now, now..." said Menzoberra. "Don't make me angry..."

A Duel Disk just like the one the previous Paragons used appeared on her left arm.

"After all, I flew from a distant galaxy to get here... I have the worst jet-lag..."

"Funny..." said Gears. "You gonna come ashore? This is kinda... awkward..."

"I'm perfectly fine right here," she replied. "Now let's duel... I'm sure that's what you came here for..."

Gears frowned. He activated his Duel Disk, and the two Disks shuffled the decks.

**(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Menzoberra: 8,000)**

"I'll make the first move," said Menzoberra, making her first draw.

"And I'll throw out Poison Draw Frog in Attack Mode."

The Monster that materialized... Well, it was a frog. That was the best way to describe it. It was bigger than most frogs, about the size of a hen, but it was nonetheless a frog. (100 ATK)

Gears lifted an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I know, it's a weak card..." said Menzoberra.

She fit a card into her Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

"...but you don't know what _that_ is, so tread with caution.

"My turn is over."

_No, but I have a pretty good idea,_ thought Gears, as he made a draw.

_Poison Draw Frog will let her draw a card if I destroy it, so she likely won't prevent me from doing so. _

_Her facedown card will likely shift it to Defense Mode if I attack._

"I summon Ally of Justice Blind Sucker!" he shouted.

In a digital aura, Blind Sucker appeared on the bank of the canal. (1,600 ATK)

"Attack!" he shouted. "Fricassee that Frog!"

Blind Sucker launched its photon torpedoes at the small Monster...

"You're an even bigger sucker than that Monster is," chuckled Menzoberra, as her facedown card shot up.

"Froggy Forcefield?" exclaimed Gears.

"A pretty dumb name for a Trap, considering what it does," replied Menzoberra. "If you attack a Monster with the word 'Frog' in its name, this works just like Mirror Force!"

An aura of energy surrounded Poison Draw Frog, and Blind Sucker's blasts fell back on itself, blowing it to atoms.

"Even better, unlike Mirror Force, I can have three copies in my deck."

"Okay..." said Gears. "That could have gone better..."

He fit a card into his Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

"Your move..."

Menzoberra made a draw.

"I'll move Poison Draw Frog to Defense Mode..." she said, and the small amphibian shielded itself with its flippers. (100 DEF)

"Then I'll set a Monster."

A hidden Monster appeared next to the Frog.

"Go ahead..."

"Hmm..." said Gears, making a draw.

He played one card, and Ally of Justice Garadholg appeared, holding its glowing energy blades. (1,600 ATK)

"Okay, we're gonna try this again," he said. "Get that Poison Draw Frog!"

The Machine flew at the small Frog, and cut it in half. Menzoberra's Disk beeped, and she made a draw.

_I know what she's planning, _thought Gears._ She put it all out in front of me... Clearly, she's using Frogs._

_Her other Monster is clearly a T.A.D.P.O.L.E. When I destroy it next turn, she'll be able to take two more from her deck. Then she'll discard them somehow. _

_THAT will enable her to Special Summon two Des Frogs by Tribute Summoning one. And then she'll use the kill-card – Des Croaking..._

_Or so she thinks..._

He looked at his facedown card.

_As soon as she tries to make the Tribute Summon, I'll use The Transmigration Prophesy to send two T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s back to her deck. She'll only have two Des Frogs, and there'll be no Des Croaking._

"I end my turn," he said.

"I draw..." said Menzoberra, making a draw.

She set a card, and a facedown card appeared.

"That oughta do it..."

_Figures... _thought Gears._ It's obviously Limit Reverse, or something else that will let her get the sacrifice she needs to summon a Des Frog._

He drew a card.

_Here goes..._

"Garadholg, slice and dice her Monster!"

The Machine rushed at the hidden Monster...

But to Gears's surprise, it was thrown backwards, as if it had struck a solid wall.

"HUH?" said Gears.

This was clearly _not_ a T.A.D.P.O.L.E. In fact, the Monster crouching on the card looked like an adult frog. The right side of its body was pink, and the left side was black. It had small wings on its back, the right one feathered and the left one bat-like. (2,000 DEF)

"What the...?" said Gears.

"That's my Substitoad," said Menzoberra. "Hmm... From the look on your face, you were expecting something different... Maybe something with far fewer Defense Points?"

"I... end my turn?" said Gears.

"Not before this activates..." said Menzoberra, as her facedown Quickplay Spell flipped up.

_Scapegoat? _thought Gears._ What on Earth..._

Four fluffy Sheep Tokens appeared. (0 DEF x4)

**(G: 7,600) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 8,000)**

Menzoberra made a draw.

"Time to show you what my Substitoad can do," she said. "If I sacrifice a Monster, I can Special Summon a Monster from my deck with the word 'Frog' in its name."

A Scapegoat vanished, and another large frog appeared, one just the size of Substitoad, but the typical color.

"A Des Frog!" gasped Gears.

"It sure is!" chuckled Menzoberra. "And I can use Substitoad's effect as often as I like..."

Two more Scapegoats vanished, and two more Des Frogs appeared. (1,900 ATK x3)

Gears started to sweat.

_She summoned all three of them without using any T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s at all!_ he thought.

"I know what you were thinking I was going to do Gears," she said, as she took a card from her hand. "But there's an old saying that has been said on every civilized planet in one way or another."

She played the card, and Des Croaking appeared.

"There's more than one way to skin a cat."

The three Des Frogs let out a great bellow, and Garadholg and Gears's Trap Card were blown to shards.

"Attack him directly my Frogs!" she shouted. "Death symphony!"

The three Des Frogs let out a bellow again, hitting Gears like a hammer and knocking him over.

"Ooh..." he said, holding his ribs.

**(G: 1,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 8,000)**

"While you're picking yourself up," said Menzoberra, "I'll use Substitoad's effect one more time..."

The last Scapegoat vanished.

_Another Frog?_ thought Gears.

"I summon Dupe Frog in Defense Mode," she said.

The Frog that appeared wasn't as big as the Des Frogs, had pale skin, a question mark on its forehead, and an academic mortarboard on its head. (2,000 DEF)

"Aren't my Frogs just wonderful, Gears?" she asked.

"Wonderful…" muttered Gears. "About as wonderful as gingivitis… Do you know what we used to do to frogs in biology class?"

"Don't say that, you'll hurt their feelings!" exclaimed Menzoberra. "And besides, you aren't exactly in a position to insult them.

"Let me explain this setup. So long as Dupe Frog is on the field, you aren't allowed to attack any of my Monsters except him."

"Its Defense may be considerable," replied Gears, "but it isn't unbeatable."

"True…" replied Menzoberra, "but Substitoad has another effect. It may not be a Frog itself, but while it's on the field, all actual Frogs can't be destroyed by battle.

"Get the picture? Dupe Frog keeps you from attacking Substitoad. And Substitoad makes Dupe Frog impervious in battle. Not to mention that my three Des Frogs are untouchable. It's a Frog Lock!

"And it's your move…"

Gears made a draw.

"A lock, huh?" he said. "Well, here's the key! I summon Shreddder!"

He played a card, and the industrial-size paper shredder with arms, legs, and a face appeared in front of him. (1,600 ATK)

"Shreddder has the ability to destroy a Monster, so long as I toss a Machine-Type Monster with an equal or lower Level. And since Substitoad is only Level 1..."

He discarded Ally Mind, and Shreddder shot three blades from its top. Substitoad was blown to pixels.

"I'm not impressed," said Menzoberra, putting her hand on her hip. "You can only use that thing's effect once per round, and it can't overcome Dupe Frog's Defense Score. So you only solved half of the problem."

"Maybe, maybe not..." said Gears.

He threw two cards into his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

"Now it's _your_ turn to play 'guess what I have set'," he said. "It's your move..."

Menzoberra made a draw.

"So tell me, Gears..." she said. "Does everyone on this planet have an attitude like yours?"

"Only the ones willing to stand up to folks like you," replied Gears.

"Des Frog number one," said Menzoberra, "wipe out Shreddder with broken note."

One of the Des Frogs let out its awful rhapsody, and Shreddder was blown to pieces.

"I knew you were bluffing," she said. "Des Frog number two..."

"Not so fast!" shouted Gears, as one of his Trap Cards lifted up.

"It's called A Rival Appears, and it lets me Special Summon a Monster from my hand, one whose Level matches the Level of one of yours.

"Since your Des Frogs are Level 5, I can summon Ally of Justice Rudra."

In another digital aura, Rudra appeared, ready to pounce. (1,900 ATK)

"Big deal!" replied Menzoberra. "I can still finish you, even if it costs me a Frog.

"Des Frog, attack Rudra!"

The second Des Frog started to croak again.

"Did you forget about my other Trap?" asked Gears, as his other facedown card lifted up. "DNA Transplant. I can change all Monsters on the field to Light-Attribute, which is bad news for your Frog, because Rudra gains 700 Attack Points when battling them."

Rudra's Attack Score shot up to 2,600, and it spouted a blast of blue flame from its jaws. The Des Frog that was attacking was burned to a cinder.

"Listen carefully, babe," said Gears. "You come down here, dressed like some stripper, and draw me halfway around the globe to meet you... That I can handle...

"But there's no way that my Allies of Justice are gonna lose to a bunch of amphibians! You know what amphibians are? They're an evolutionary step downwards from reptiles. And seeing as the Allies have beaten some of the most ruthless and wicked reptilian beings in the cosmos, they aren't gonna lose to any Frogs!"

Menzoberra's eyes narrowed.

"Take... turn..." she growled.

**(G: 1,600) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,300)**

Gears drew a card.

"I summon... Oilman!" he exclaimed.

Striking a heroic pose, a small robot appeared in mid-air. It looked like a can of motor oil (the brand name was "Hero's Oil") with thin arms, legs, a head, and a cape. (400 ATK)

"You gotta be kidding," said Menzoberra.

"Oh, I'm not..." said Gears.

Oilman's left arm changed shape, turning into a spout. It landed on Rudra, opened a hatch on the bigger Machine's side, and started pouring oil into the hatch.

"Oilman is a Union Monster, that gives a Machine-Type Monster a lube job with something extra.

"I'll show you... Rudra, annihilate Dupe Frog!"

Rudra blasted its scorching breath again, and Dupe Frog shattered into pixels.

"I activate Dupe Frog's other effect!" shouted Menzoberra. "When it goes to the Graveyard, I get to take another Frog _from_ my Graveyard..."

She took the Des Frog that Gears had destroyed last round from her discard slot.

"And thanks to Oilman, I get to draw one card whenever Rudra destroys a Monster," said Gears.

He made a draw.

He quickly set it, and a facedown card appeared.

"My turn is over..."

Menzoberra drew a card quickly.

"Now then," she said, as she played a Spell Card. "I play... Polymerization!"

The three Des Frogs leapt up, and turned into orbs of light.

"I'll fuse all three of my Des Frogs to summon something better... D times three, D.3.S. Frog!"

Some of the onlookers turned and ran as the goliath of frogs appeared next to her. It was ten feet tall, just as much wide, and was incredibly ugly. (2,500 ATK)

"Now there's a face that would make even a mother scream," said Gears. "But 2,500 Attack Points still won't take down Rudra."

"Then I'll just have to make it stronger," said Menzoberra, as she played another Spell Card. "I play Foolish Burial."

A card slipped out of her deck, and she discarded it.

"Let me guess," said Gears, "Treeborn Frog?"

"That's right," said Menzoberra, "and while in my Graveyard, it gives D.3.S. Frog a boost."

(3,000 ATK)

"Destroy Ally of Justice Rudra!" she shouted. "Death croak!"

D.3.S. Frog let out a croak that shook the very ground Gears was standing on...

"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Gears, as his facedown card shot up. "Draining Shield!"

The sonic wave was absorbed by the invisible shield.

Menzoberra put her hand on her hip with a pout.

She fit a card into her Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

"I end my turn!" she said.

**(G: 4,600) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,300)**

Gears made a draw.

It was Drillago.

"Let's take care of the big problem, shall we?" said Menzoberra.

Her facedown card shot up, and a Dust Tornado tore across the field, blowing DNA Transplant to shards.

Gears looked at Drillago.

_I could certainly use this now,_ he thought.

He looked at the other card in his hand.

_But I have to get rid of D.3.S. Frog..._

"I summon Ally of Justice Unlimiter," he said.

The small, unmanned done appeared next to Rudra. (600 ATK)

"Now, by sacrificing it," he continued, as the small Machine vanished, "Rudra's Attack Score doubles for one round."

(3,800 ATK)

"Go! Destroy D.3.S Frog!"

Rudra blasted its energy breath, and D.3.S. Frog bust into pixels.

"Don't forget," he said, "I get to draw once due to Oilman."

He made a draw.

It was Ally of Justice Thunder Armor.

_Not bad... _he thought_. Next round, I can separate Oilman from Rudra, and then sacrifice both Monsters for this big guy..._

**(G: 4,600) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,500)**

Menzoberra looked at him hard.

Then she slowly took the veil down off her face, and grinned at him with a sinister smile.

"You intrigue me..." she said. "Usually, when I use the Frog Deck, the duel is over quickly... But you're so... tenacious..."

She chuckled.

"Or maybe the correct word is _stubborn..._ Either way, you have something to support that attitude besides words..."

She put the veil back over her face.

"It's my move..."

She made a draw.

"First I set a Monster..." she said.

A set Monster appeared.

"Then, I discard one Water Monster from my hand..."

She discarded a T.A.D.P.O.L.E.

"...to Special Summon Swap Frog from my hand."

An orange frog, covered with darker orange patterns and designs on its skin, materialized in front of her. (1,000 ATK)

"By doing that, I'm able to discard a Level 2 or lower Aqua-Type Monster from my deck."

She discarded a second T.A.D.P.O.L.E.

"Now I'll use Swap Frog's other effect. I can send it back to my hand..."

Swap Frog vanished.

"...and in return, I get a second Normal Summon this turn, so long as I use it to summon a Frog.

"But before I do that, I'm discarding my Ronintoadin from my hand to Special Summon Swap Frog again!"

She discarded the card, and Swap Frog reappeared, this time in Defense Mode. (500 DEF)

Then she took a third T.A.D.P.O.L.E. from her deck, and discarded it.

"Now for my second Normal Summon..." she continued, playing her last card. "Meet Beelze Frog!"

Yet another Frog appeared. This one looked a lot like Swap Frog, but was red where Swap Frog was orange, and black where Swap Frog was dark orange. (1,200 ATK)

"It may not look like much, but it gains 300 more Attack Points for each T.A.D.P.O.L.E. in my Graveyard."

(2,100 ATK)

"Get that Machine! Stygian croak!"

Beelze Frog let out an awful harmony of its own. Rudra shuddered, and Oilman was blown to pieces, but the bigger Machine was unharmed.

"Rudra survived..." said Gears. "It used the Union Monster it was Equipped with as a shield."

"In that case, Gears," replied Menzoberra, "it's your move..."

**(G: 4,400) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,500)**

Gears drew a card.

He looked at his hand, which consisted of Ally of Justice Thunder Armor, Dark Mimic LV1, and Drillago.

_Not much chance of summoning Thunder Armor now, _he thought,_ but at least I can keep her from making a double sacrifice._

"I summon Drillago!" he shouted.

He played the card, and the Dark Machine covered with drills appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"I may not be able to use its effect," he said, "but I can still use it to eviscerate your Swap Frog.

"Attack!"

Drillago's drills spun rapidly, and it charged at Swap Frog, blasting the amphibian to pieces.

"Too bad we don't have any hollandaise sauce or garlic butter... This is France, after all..."

The onlookers started to laugh. Menzoberra's eyes narrowed.

"Rudra, destroy her mystery Monster!" commanded Gears.

Rudra breathed a blast of flames again, and a smaller Frog with a rough skin whose eyes seemed to be on the back of its head appeared on the card.

"Sorry Gears, but you activated Flip Flop Frog's effect," said Menzoberra. "Before it's destroyed, the act of being flipped face up returns one Monster to your hand for each Frog I have."

Gears gasped as both Rudra and Drillago vanished, their cards reappearing in his hand.

Flip Flop Frog shattered.

"It's a dirty trick, I know," continued Menzoberra, "but I never based my career on playing clean...

"It's my move..."

She drew a card.

She pointed, and Beelze Frog launched its Stygian croak at Gears this time. He grunted, and held his stomach.

Menzoberra set the card she had drawn, and a set Monster appeared.

**(G: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,500)**

_Okay... _thought Gears, looking at his Disk._ Need something good here..._

He drew a card.

_This will do it..._

"Go, Nanobreaker!" he shouted.

In a flash, Jake appeared, holding the Nano-blade. (1,600 ATK)

"She may be weaker than your Beelze Frog," said Gears, "but she automatically wins when she attacks a Monster that's Level 3 or less. Like Beelze Frog.

"So... Destroy Beelze Frog!"

Nanobreaker slashed at the evil Frog with her sword, and it exploded into a cloud of ash.

"I end my turn..." he said.

Menzoberra made a draw.

"Okay, Gears..." she said. "The first thing I'm going to do is activate the effect of Treeborn Frog... And Special Summon it from my Graveyard."

The small, winged Frog appeared, shielding itself with its flippers. (100 DEF)

"Then I set this, and end my turn."

A reversed card appeared behind Treeborn Frog.

Gears made a draw.

_Okay... _he thought,_ the reversed Monster clearly isn't another Flip Flop Frog, because she didn't flip it herself..._

_But that doesn't mean the other card isn't another Froggy Forcefield..._

He paused. He looked at the card he had just drawn.

_Aw, heck..._

He set the card in his Disk, and a reversed card appeared. Then he played another card, and a set Monster appeared.

"Nanobreaker, attack the hidden Monster!"

Nanobreaker charged at the card. Morphing Jar appeared on it, and she tore it to shreds.

Gears quickly discarded the three cards in his hand, and then they both made five draws.

"It's your move..." he said.

Menzoberra lowered her veil again, the evil smile on her lips once again. She drew a card.

Her facedown card lifted up.

"First, I activate Symbol of Heritage," she said. "Because I have three of the same Monster in my Graveyard, this Equip Spell lets me Special Summon one of them."

One Des Frog reappeared. (1,900 ATK)

"Next," she said, "I remove one Monster in my Graveyard from play with the word 'Frog' in its name..."

She took Swap Frog from her discard slot, and placed it in a pouch on her belt.

"...in order to summon Ronintoadin from there."

A new amphibian appeared, this one with green skin with red designs, standing upright on its hind legs, with definite Japanese features. It wore a belt that held a bamboo sheath (but no sword) wore a leaf on its head, and held a reed in its mouth. (100 ATK)

"Then..." she said. "I sacrifice all three of my Monsters..."

The Treeborn Frog, Des Frog, and Ronintoadin vanished into orbs of light...

_A triple sacrifice?_ thought Gears.

A new Frog appeared, one that had pebbly, orange skin, large sacks on its cheeks, and feathered wings on its back. (1,400 ATK)

"Meet Amphibian Angel," said Menzoberra.

"Uh..." said Gears. "Not very strong for a Monster that needed three sacrifices..."

"It only _needed_ one," replied Menzoberra. "But for each one, it gained an effect. For one sacrifice, you can't attack it if I have at least one other Monster.

"For two, all Spells and Traps on the field are now destroyed!"

Gears's Half or Nothing was blown to shards.

"And for three..." she continued.

All three Des Frogs appeared again (1,900 x3) followed by Beelze Frog. (2,100 ATK)

Gears looked nervously at the horde of Frogs in front of him... He glanced at one of the cards in his hand...

"Hold it..." he said. "Why bring back Beelze Frog when you could have brought back D.3.S. Frog?"

"I have my reasons," said Menzoberra. "Not that it's likely to matter anyway...

"Beelze Frog, it's payback time! Kill Nanobreaker!"

Nanobreaker braced herself under Beelze Frog's terrible croak, but she shattered into pieces.

Then the first Des Frog let out a croak, and Dark Mimic LV1 appeared on the card. It shattered, and Gears made a draw.

**(G: 1,800) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,500)**

"Attack him directly!" commanded Menzoberra.

The last two Frogs and Amphibian Angel prepared to attack...

"All right, enough!" shouted Gears.

He threw a card on his Disk. A strange object appeared. It looked like a pendulum mechanism shaped like a diabolic bat. (0 ATK)

"Huh?" said Menzoberra.

"Since you declared a direct attack," said Gears, "my Battle Fader stops your Monster cold, and ends the Battle Phase."

Menzoberra frowned. She replaced the veil on her face, and set a card in her Disk. A reversed card appeared.

"This is exactly why I didn't summon D.3.S Frog..." she muttered. "You just don't know when to quit... You'll find out exactly why if I have to use that...

"In the meantime..."

She played a Spell Card.

"...I play A Feather of the Phoenix. So I ditch one card..."

She discarded Submarine Frog.

"And I get to take any card in my Graveyard, and place it on top of my deck..."

She took the card from her discard slot.

"Your Des Croaking, I assume?" asked Gears.

"Next round, there'll be nothing in my Frogs' way," she replied. "It's your move..."

Gears looked at his five cards. Then he quickly drew a sixth.

"I play Pot of Avarice," he said, playing one of them.

Blind Sucker, Oilman, Garadholg, Nanobreaker, and Drillago fell out of his discard slot.

"After all," he said, "it's been a long duel..."

His Disk reshuffled the deck, and he made two draws.

"There we go..." he said. "I summon Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator!"

He played the card, and the robotic bird materialized. (1,400 ATK)

"Since that facedown card is clearly something to protect your Des Frogs," he said, as he discarded a card, "I'm using Cyclone Creator's effect to get rid of it."

"Well then..." said Menzoberra, "I'd better activate it now..."

The Trap Card flipped up.

"It's called Blessing of the Avatar," she said, holding up the D.3.S. Frog card. "By removing this big guy from play, and paying 1,000 Life Points, all Monsters of the same Type and a lower Level can't be destroyed this round.

"Too bad, Gears..."

Gears looked at the rest of his cards.

"Then I'll have to improvise..." he said.

"Since I have a Tuner on the field, I can Special Summon the Monster I just tossed... Quillbolt Hedgehog!"

With a cry, the small groundhog with nuts and bolts in its back leapt onto the field. (800 ATK)

"Then," he said, as he played a Spell Card, "I'll play Double Summon, to make a second Normal Summon.

"I'll sacrifice Battle Fader..."

The small Fiend vanished.

"...for Ally of Justice Lethal Weapon."

An odd Machine appeared in front of him. It was cylindrical, with numerous small arms at its top, each of which either ended in a claw or a weapon, including a rotary saw, hammer, and a large drill. (2,200 ATK)

Then, the three Machines flew into the sky, and the three burning suns appeared overhead. They faded into ten stars...

"_Whispered secrets from a race now extinct, trusted to hold the knowledge accumulated over millennia, given the raw power unleashed in the creation of the cosmos! Sage of the forgotten people… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force… _

"_Synchro Summon, Il Mathman the Artificer!"_

Il Mathman landed gracefully in front of Gears. (2,700 ATK)

"And just how is he going to help?" asked Menzoberra. "What part of 'can't be destroyed' don't you understand?"

"Because you'll still take damage if I attack," replied Gears, as he played a Spell Card. "And by playing Battle-Tuned, I can remove Ally Mind from play, to give him 1,800 more Attack Points."

(4,500 ATK)

"I have 5,500 Life Points left!" laughed Menzoberra. "Go ahead!"

"I'm not done!" said Gears. "I play the Equip Spell, Fighting Spirit. Now, Il Mathman gains 300 more Attack Points for each Monster you have."

He played another Spell Card, and Il Mathman glowed with energy. (6,000 ATK)

"Still not enough..." chuckled Menzoberra.

"I have one more card to play," said Gears, as he played his last card. "Enemy Controller! I'm moving one of your Des Frogs into Defense Mode."

The central Des Frog shielded itself with its flippers. (0 DEF)

"Well that was stupid," said Menzoberra. "If it's in Defense Mode, I won't take any damage at all if you attack it.

"You have no more cards to play... No Fairy's Meteor Crush or Big Bang Shot..."

"But you're overlooking the biggest factor," replied Gears. "Il Mathman has an effect of his own..."

A card slipped out of his discard slot.

"By removing a Machine in my Graveyard from play, Il Mathman assimilates its name and effects for the rest of the turn.

"So now, Il Mathman gains the name and effect of Ally of Justice Thunder Armor. And when it is on the field, and an Ally of Justice attacks a Monster in Defense Mode with less Defense Points than it has Attack Points..."

Menzoberra's eyes opened wide.

"The difference is taken out of my Life Points!" she shouted.

"You got it!" replied Gears. "Il Mathman, attack the Des Frog in Defense Mode, with Primordial Pulse Blast!"

The Artificer formed a glowing orb in his hands, and hurled it at the defending Des Frog. Menzoberra screamed and was thrown backwards, falling against the back of her clamshell.

**(G: 1,800) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 0)**

Gears took a deep breath, as the Frogs vanished into mist.

Menzoberra sat up.

"Well, not the outcome I would have liked," she said, "but it was fun, anyway..."

"Fun?" exclaimed Gears.

Menzoberra reclined seductively on the clamshell.

"I'll bet that Iggwilv and Ember are having a great time right now..." she said.

"Iggwilv?" said Gears. "Is that the Fire Paragon?"

"Uh huh," said Menzoberra. "And I want to tell you something...

"Rary, Soth, and I were given explicit orders not to kill you guys... But Iggwilv... She wasn't given that order. She can do pretty much whatever the hell she wants to Ember.

"And right now, the two of them are likely in the middle of a Turbo Shadow Duel..."

"WHAT?" shouted Gears. "Why..."

"Beats me..." said Menzoberra, as the clamshell started to close. "For the amount of money we're being paid, we don't ask questions..."

Then it closed, and quickly submerged.

"Gears," said Il Mathman's voice, "I fear she wasn't lying...

"The city you call Rome is now emitting a tremendous amount of negative energy, far too much to be generated by Iggwilv alone."

"Then what..." said Gears, as he ran to his D-Wheel.

He turned on the scanner, and saw something strange. He expected to see one source of negative energy in Rome that matched the ones that the Paragons had exhibited.

But there wasn't one source. There were two separate ones.

Two separate beings, each of them powerful sources of negative energy.

Gears started up his bike.

"Ember..." he said, "whatever you've gotten into... Let's hope you aren't in over your head..."

He didn't realize that a hobgoblin wearing a trench coat had been watching the duel closer than most of the onlookers.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**AMPHIBIAN ANGEL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Aqua/Effect  
**Attribute:** Water  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 1,400  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description:** This card can be Tribute Summoned by Tributing 1, 2, or 3 Monsters. This card gains the following effects depending on how many Monsters are Tributed to summon it:

1, 2, or 3: This card cannot be selected as an attack target so long as you control at least one other Monster.

2 or 3: When this card is Tribute Summoned, destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field.

3: When this card is Tribute Summoned, Special Summon as many "Frog" Monsters as possible from your Graveyard (except for "Frog the Jam").

_Note: "Amphibian Angel" was first used by Princess Rose in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Happily Never After". The effect given above is not 100% confirmed, but is an estimation based on how it was used. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BLESSING OF THE AVATAR (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** Six Samurai Irou and Six Samurai Zanji charging towards an unseen enemy, as the phantom form of Determined Daredevil appears above them.

**Card Description:** Pay 1,000 Life Points and remove from play 1 Fusion or Synchro Monster in your Graveyard. Until the End Phase of the turn, face-up Monsters of the same Type as the removed Monster that are a lower Level cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Jetta: It took willpower and a great deal of patience to wait as long as I did. I was tempted so many times to break down the door of my cell and fly to freedom, not caring for the consequences. **

**But the thought of foul creatures like the one Ember and I are facing now getting what they wanted convinced me to wait. I'm free now, and though it's been a while, this battle will restore my energy to what it was before. Jetta the Bronze-Hearted flies again!**

"**Savage Colosseum" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Olga, Harpy Visionary**

Many Duel Monsters have more than a passing resemblance to certain Shadowkind. But three Duel Monsters who certainly do not are the three Harpie Lady Sisters. They have about as much resemblance to real harpies as the most handsome humans have to gorillas. Real harpies are not nearly as attractive as Mai Kujaku's signature Monsters, resembling savage humans with vulture's legs, tails, and wings. Also, there are male harpies, although mated pairs don't stay together long. A mixed-gender pack is always a mother and her offspring, who stay together until they mature.

The only thing truly beautiful about a real harpy (note the spelling) is its song, which they use to mesmerize prey (anything weaker than themselves) and draw it close in order to rip apart with their claws.

One legend claims that the first harpy was a beautiful elven witch-queen, who often took the form of a golden eagle to spy on her subjects. She shared this power with her children, all of whom had been fathered by men whom she seduced and enslaved. The key to transforming was a magical tiara, which was also how they transformed back.

But the wicked queen was defeated by a great hero, who forced her into exile and took the tiara. She and her unsavory children were cursed with half-bird forms for the rest of their days, and they propagated a whole new race that became the harpies. The alluring song of the harpy is a legacy of the witch-queen's sinister enchantment.

Is the story real? One who truly believes it is a harpy herself, and her name is Olga. Born in Canada, Olga captured a halfling who offered to tell her something interesting if his life was spared. She said she would think about it; but when she heard the legend of the witch-queen, she became so excited by the possibility, that she did indeed let him go, ignoring the rumblings in her stomach. Olga saw potential in the story... If her forbearers had once been beautiful elves who had been cursed with savage forms, could not the beauty be regained?

Olga has since devoted her life to finding out everything about this lost witch-queen, along with everything she can dig up about anti-curse magic. She realizes that the stolen tiara is likely still on the homeworld of Shadow, but she thinks there must be some way to duplicate its magic.

Most other Shadows think her quest misguided. Other harpies see her as an oddball (most of them have no problem with what they are) and anyone with intelligence who will speak to a harpy often tells her that even if the legend is true, she is clearly not cursed. She cannot be changed back into an elf because she simply never was one; the witch-queen and her offspring created a new race, and that race cannot change back to what sired it. Olga counters this argument by saying that if magic can permanently change someone like that, couldn't it be done a second time?

Olga has not had much success in her quest. Finding a place that will let her in to do research is hard. The veil that conceals Shadowkind hides her true appearance from humans, but even they are put off by the stench that harpies often exude. She has even less luck getting into Shadow-run establishments, as most Shadows believe – without due cause – that harpies are uncivilized beasts. Olga has gradually been trying to adapt to civilization, but it's hard. After so many years of eating raw meat, the roast beef offered by Mundanes isn't very appetizing. But she feels the rewards will make up for it if she is successful. She dreams of a day when she casts her savage form aside and assumes the lovely body of an elf maiden...

**Story Ideas:** Olga's dream is slowly becoming an obsession. In her search for anti-curse magic that could possibly devolve her to what her species previously was, she might do anything, or work for anyone.

Olga is still half-savage, and could be dangerous if made angry. She still keeps a nest in a mountain aerie in British Columbia, and considers the area in a three-mile radius to be her territory. In this place, she is the most dangerous to deal with, and will act like any other harpy here, using her enchanting song to lure prey near, and then tear them apart.

Away from home, she is more approachable. She is even willing to deal with the Shadowchasers in a civil manner if they help her find the piece of information she is currently looking for.

And one can't forget, Olga has one advantage that most Shadowkind and Shadowchasers don't have – she can fly. This advantage can come into play in many different ways.

**Deck Suggestions:** Olga only duels when she is away from her nest, and in a civilized mood. In those times, she doesn't use a Harpie Deck (way too obvious). Instead, she uses a Cyber Girl Deck similar to the one used by Asuka, which uses Cyber Blader and the three Cyber Angels as the power players. The Cyber Girls represent the type of creature she wants to become – beautiful, but still powerful.


	46. Savage Coloseum

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL FORTY-SIX**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Savage Colosseum**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Rome.

A city built on seven hills, it was a proud metropolis, where the history of the once-great Roman Empire and the history of Italy were combined into one. The Vatican was nestled in the center of this city, and testaments to its ancient times still stood in the form of ruined buildings, now protected as national treasures.

Ember was exiting the portal at the same time Gears was emerging into Paris, and she was a little nervous. Frankly, she would have preferred to go to Paris. She was familiar with French (she had been a member of the French Club in high school) but Italian was pretty much unknown to her.

She looked around.

"Any idea where she is?" she asked.

Jetta materialized behind her.

"I think she's waiting for us up ahead," she said, pointing down the street.

Ember lifted an eyebrow. Jetta was pointing to the Roman Colosseum.

Likely the most well-known landmark in the city, the Colosseum was built in the 1st Century AD, used for gladiatorial contests, athletic events, dramas... Practically anything that could be shown in front of a large audience. Although it was now partially ruined due to earthquakes and stone-robbers, it still stood as the iconic symbol of Imperial Rome.

Ember slowly drove her D-Wheel up to the base of the huge structure. Not many tourists were around at this hour.

She wondered what she was going to do. It would be very hard to sneak in...

"Zeyeye must be slipping if she lost to you," said a female voice.

Ember turned her head quickly. She had noticed the woman standing there, but had assumed she was a prostitute.

She was certainly dressed like a harlot, in a spandex mini-skirt, a halter, and stiletto heels. She had auburn hair, and the darkest eyebrows Ember had ever seen.

"You know Zeyeye?" she said, not in the friendliest tone.

"We met once or twice," said the strange woman.

"Oh, where are my manners? I'm Iggwilv, the Holocaust Assassin."

"An assassin who dresses like a call girl?" asked Ember.

"You'd be surprised how many times the outfit let me get close to a victim," said Iggwilv. "I might have even been able to sneak up to you if I hadn't spoken up..."

Flames shrouded her two hands.

"But... I much prefer another way..."

Then everything went dark...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

When Ember opened her eyes, she appeared to be in the very center of the Colosseum.

The thing was, it wasn't in ruins any more. It looked brand new.

She looked up, and saw rolling clouds in the dark sky.

There was a roar of a noisy motorcycle, and Iggwilv drove in front of her, riding a fiery D-Wheel, now wearing a leather riding suit and a helmet.

"Where... are... we?" demanded Ember.

"We're in the Darkfell," replied Iggwilv, with a sinister smile. "This is a realm that exists parallel to your world, much like the Feywild does.

"But rather than being ruled by fey lords, it's inhabited by some of the foulest undead creatures imaginable. The souls of the worst murderers and sadists come here when they die, where they're twisted into dark abominations.

"Rapists, pedophiles, TV reality show hosts..."

She grinned.

"Anyway... Darkfell has versions of many Earth cities in it, including Rome... But here there were no earthquakes or bandits to reduce the Colosseum to ruins."

"Okay, that's the where," said Ember. "Now tell me _why _you've brought us here."

Iggwilv grinned again.

"I needed someplace where we can duel safely," she said. "The deck I'm going to be using for this particular duel uses some pretty serious firepower.

"And I don't want any of the Italian Shadowchasers to interrupt our battle. So I have to avoid making any flashy explosions that they can see...

"Or burning the entire city of Rome to the ground!"

"WHAT?" shouted Ember. "Just how 'serious' is this firepower?"

"Serious enough that it's _impossible_ to use it without the duel turning into a Shadow Duel," replied Iggwilv. "So you'd best be prepared for one."

Ember looked at her.

"Did I mention you have no choice?" asked Iggwilv. "The portal won't open again until the duel is finished.

"Of course, you could try to just leave out the front gate... But then you'd leave the protective aura of this Colosseum, and would have the natives of Darkfell to deal with. They don't like visitors, and wouldn't be the least bit impressed by that mark on your face."

Ember started up her D-Wheel.

"That's it," said Iggwilv.

She hit a command on her dashboard.

"Naturally, we'll still be using the Speed World Field Spell."

The shimmering void of Speed World covered the whole arena.

"Now, get ready," said the Paragon of Fire. "As they say on your world, it's gonna be a hot time in the old town tonight!"

The two of them sped off from the starting point.

"Let's make a deal!" laughed Iggwilv. "First one to get to the first turn makes the first draw!"

"You're on!" replied Ember, as she stepped on the gas.

The two D-Wheels sped towards the far end of the Colosseum...

Then Iggwilv gave Ember's D-Wheel a fierce kick. As Ember struggled to regain control, Iggwilv sped past her.

"Boy..." said Iggwilv. "Seems a_ lot _of you good guys fall for that trick!

"So I go first..."

"Dirty, rotten..." said Ember.

**(Ember: 8,000, 0 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (****Iggwilv****: 8,000, 0 SPC)**

"I toss three cards facedown," said Iggwilv, as three reversed cards appeared, "and then summon Blast Asmodian."

A nasty little Fiend holding two grenades, with several more grenades on its belt, appeared flying in front of Iggwilv's bike. (1,000 ATK)

"That should do it for now," she said, as the three reversed cards faded from view.

"My move..." said Ember.

She drew a card, and both Speed Counters rose to 1.

"I summon Evocator Chevalier!" she shouted.

A flaming portal opened, and the fiery Warrior appeared. (1,900 ATK)

"Attack!" she shouted. "Destroy Blast Asmodian!"

Evocator Chevalier did a 180 and flew towards the Fiend.

"Did you think these were bluffs?" asked Iggwilv, as one of her facedown cards spun around. "I activate... Fairy Box!

"Now, a coin is gonna toss, and if I call it right, your Monster's Attack Score falls all the way to zero."

There was a burst of flame on her rear engine, and a gold coin shot up out of it. It started to spin around on the pavement.

"Heads!" she shouted.

The coin came to a stop. It was indeed heads.

Blast Asmodian cackled, and hurled one of its grenades, blowing Chevalier to particles.

Ember frowned, and set a card on her dashboard. A set card appeared, and then faded from view.

"Your move..." she said.

"I'd like to activate another Trap first..." replied Iggwilv.

Another of her set cards spun around.

"Solemn Wishes," she said. "Now I'll draw..."

She made a draw.

"And I gain 500 Life Points... But I have to pay them to keep Fairy Box."

**(E: 7,000, 1 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (****I****: 8,000, 2 SPC)**

"Blast Asmodian... Direct attack!"

The nasty Fiend cackled as it hurled its grenades, and Ember's bike shuddered as explosions erupted to either side of her.

"That will be all for now..."

Ember quickly drew a card.

_Okay... _she thought._ Fifty-fifty chance..._

**(E: 6,000, 1 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (****I****: 8,000, 3 SPC)**

"I summon the Blue Flame Swordsman!" she shouted.

With a battlecry, the fiery blue Warrior leapt out in front of her bike. (1,800 ATK)

"Now, let's try this again..."

Blue Flame Swordsman rushed at Blast Asmodian...

"Go, Fairy Box!" laughed Iggwilv.

The energy coin tossed again.

"Heads!" she shouted.

The coin spun.

It was tails.

"You lost that toss," said Ember. "And as a result, your Blast Asmodian is a loser as well..."

Blue Flame Swordsman made a slash with his blade, cutting the nasty imp in two.

"That's okay!" laughed Iggwilv, as her last reversed card spun around. "I have one more Trap...

"Begone, Knave!"

Ember gasped as Blue Flame Swordsman vanished, its card reappearing on her gauntlet.

"Now, any Monster that does battle damage goes back to the owner's hand!" laughed the Paragon.

"Make... your... move..." growled Ember

Iggwilv laughed again as she made her draw.

**(E: 6,000, 2 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (****I****: 7,200, 4 SPC)**

"I gain 500 Life Points from Solemn Wishes," she said, "then I pay 500 to keep Fairy Box...

"Then I summon Stray Asmodian!"

In a burst of fire, a weird-looking Fiend appeared. Its limbless body was covered with a dark robe, and its head had three faces (red, blue, and green), with a stone spout on top that was spewing out flames. (1,300 ATK)

"Attack her directly!" she cheered.

Stray Asmodian blew flames from its central mouth, and Ember grunted as they hit her.

"Hey!" shouted Ember. "The effect of Begone, Knave applies to _all_ Monsters! That attack is going to leave you wide open!"

Stray Asmodian vanished, the card reappearing on Iggwilv's gauntlet.

"I know that," she replied. "But I'm not worried... After all, I have two layers of protection with my two Traps...

"So attack me if you dare... My turn is over."

**(E: 4,700, 1 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (****I****: 7,200, 4 SPC)**

Ember made a draw. Her Speed Counters went up a notch.

"Well, what do you know..." she muttered, looking at the card.

She tossed it on her dashboard.

"I summon Tenkabito Shien!" she shouted.

With a galloping of hooves and the whiney of a horse, Shien appeared next to Ember's bike, keeping pace with his fiery steed. (1,500 ATK)

"Go ahead!" laughed Iggwilv. "Attack!"

"Oh, I sure will," replied Ember. "You know about Shien's effect? He's _immune to Traps!_"

"Say what?" said Iggwilv, in shock.

"That means his Attack Score can't be reduced to zero by Fairy Box," continued Ember, "and he can't be sent back to my hand by Begone, Knave!

"So good luck dodging this!"

Shien galloped up to the side of Iggwilv's bike, and made a slash at her with his nodachi blade. Iggwilv let out a yelp of pain.

"All right, sister..." she growled. "You hurt me... And I don't like being hurt...

"It's my move..."

She drew a card.

**(E: 4,700, 3 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (****I****: 5,700, 4 SPC)**

Her Life Point counter went up to 6,200 due to Solemn Wishes, then back down to 5,700 due to Fairy Box.

She set a card on her Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"Mmm!" she said.

Ember made her draw.

"I summon Great Angus!" she shouted.

With a loud bellow, the humanoid, hornless bull flew out of the flaming portal. Fire blew from its jaws. (1,800 ATK)

"Shien, destroy her Monster!" commanded Ember.

Shien galloped out in front of Ember, towards Iggwilv's bike, and Sangan appeared on the card. Shien made a cut with his blade, and it was blown to shards.

Iggwilv smiled evilly. A card slipped out of her deck, and she took it.

Then she looked at it, and her eyes glowed like burning hot coals...

"Great Angus, attack her directly!" ordered Ember.

The Beast blew flames from its maw. Fairy Box glowed, and the energy coin flipped again.

"Heads again!" laughed Iggwilv.

The coin spun, but it was tails this time too. However, Iggwilv barely flinched as Great Angus's flames covered her.

Begone, Knave glowed, and Great Angus vanished, appearing back in Ember's hand.

Ember paused.

"I... end my turn," she said Ember.

_Something's wrong, _she thought._ Something changed when she pulled that card with Sangan..._

"Hey, Michiko," said Iggwilv, making a draw. "You know that 'serious firepower' I mentioned?"

**(E: 4,700, 5 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (****I****: 3,900, 5 SPC)**

"We're going to see it now, right after I gain 500 Life Points from Solemn Wishes, and pay them for Fairy Box...

"You see, the card I mentioned is what I used Sangan to search for."

"HUH?" said Ember. "But... Sangan can only search for weak Monsters..."

"This Monster's Attack Score may be low to start off," replied Iggwilv, "but it's far from weak...

"I send Solemn Wishes, Begone, Knave, and Fairy Box to the Graveyard..."

The three Trap Cards erupted into three hellish bonfires. Lightning flashed...

_Sending three Trap Cards to the Graveyard? _thought Ember._ What..._

Then the realization of what her opponent was summoning came to her.

"No... No!" she gasped. "It couldn't be!"

"Oh, but it is, Michiko!" laughed Iggwilv, as a colossal form started to appear behind her.

Ember looked behind her in fear as the whole creature came into view. The size of a building, it resembled Slifer the Sky Dragon at first glance, but when viewed for more than a glance, it was clearly a demon, not a god, an evil and twisted parody of the Egyptian God Entity.

"Behold the almighty power... Of _Uria, Lord of Searing Flames!_"

The Sacred Beast let out a great roar that shook the whole Colosseum. (0 ATK)

"HOW?" screamed Ember. "The Sacred Beasts were lost in another dimension after Judai confronted Yubel!"

"Nothing that is lost cannot be found," replied Iggwilv. "You know how Uria's Attack Score works, smarty pants? It only _starts _at zero. It gains 1,000 points for each Continuous Trap in my Graveyard!"

Solemn Wishes, Begone, Knave, and Fairy Box appeared behind her. They floated up to Uria's maw, and it snapped them up like a snack. (3,000 ATK)

"Then there's its other effect..." she continued. "The ability to destroy one set Spell or Trap per round."

Uria roared, and Ember's set Martyr's Flame was reduced to particles.

"I'm not done yet," continued Iggwilv. "Since I haven't Normal Summoned yet, I'm going to summon Abaki."

She played a card, and an ugly-looking ogre with red skin and horns holding a kanabo appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"Abaki, teach that Shien a lesson, would you?" she said.

Abaki flew up to Tenkabito Shien, and with one mighty smash, reduced him to shards.

Ember was close to panic. She had absolutely nothing between her and one of the most ruthless demons ever summoned in this game...

"Michiko, hold on!" shouted Jetta's voice.

Ember felt Jetta wrap her arms around her from behind. She quickly understood... She was going to help brace her.

She just hoped it worked...

"Uria..." commanded Iggwilv. "Attack directly with Hyper Blaze!"

Ember screamed as a blast of flame as intense as a forest wildfire surrounded her bike. As Jetta struggled to bear the brunt of it, Ember struggled to keep the D-Wheel from crashing.

"Heh, heh..." said Iggwilv, looking at the cloud of smoke. "If she's even able to get up, she'll likely start begging for mercy now..."

Then, to her shock, Ember drove out of the cloud of ash. Her outfit was burned and scorched, and her D-Wheel had seen better days, but she was still driving it.

**(E: 1,500, 2 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (****I****: 3,900, 5 SPC)**

"You ruined the paint job, bitch," she cursed. "Now I'm mad..."

"What the Hell are you made of?" gasped Iggwilv.

Ember didn't respond.

"Just finish your turn," she said.

_I don't know what I'm made of, _she thought,_ but whoever made me sure didn't skimp on the materials..._

_Still, I have to sound tougher than I really am to keep her off guard. I won't survive another blast like that... Not duel-wise, or literally._

Iggwilv threw a card on her console, and a reversed card appeared.

"Your move..." she said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the dark cavern with the pool, the aboleth was half-submerged, watching the duel intently using one of its viewing portals.

A shadowy figure walked into the cavern.

"Master," said the figure. "I'm concerned about this whole situation. Finding Uria was hard enough... I'm sure you know that demons this powerful are incredibly hard to control.

"Did you give the card to Iggwilv because you thought she could do so... Or because you thought she was stupid enough to try?"

"_A little of both, actually," _replied the aboleth's telepathic voice._ "But we really didn't have much choice._

"_We have no idea at this point what Jetta's abilities are as a Duel Spirit. So we had to push Michiko harder than she's ever been pushed. _

"_We must give her no choice but to summon Jetta to combat Uria. Once she does, we can learn Jetta's capabilities."_

"It's entirely possible that Ember will be blown to Kingdom Come before she manages," replied the minion.

"_A valid concern," _replied the aboleth._ "But that was a risk that we had to take. For now, let's simply watch."_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Don't despair, Michiko!" urged Ember. "This could be a lot worse..."

"Worse?" replied Ember. "Explain to me how this could be worse! Even Judai had a hard time with the Sacred Beasts!"

"Well, uhm..." said Jetta. "Unlike him, you're only facing _one _Sacred Beast."

Ember sighed, and made a draw. She looked at her hand of six cards.

_Hey... _she thought._ I just had the craziest idea..._

She played a card, and Blue Flame Swordsman appeared again. (1,800 ATK)

"Slay her Abaki!" she shouted. "Flaming sword of battle!"

The Warrior roared, and brought his sword down on the ogre. Abaki exploded in a flaming blast.

"Not bad," said Iggwilv, "but when Abaki bites the big one, both players take 500 points of damage."

Ember groaned as a fiery aura surrounded her.

"I throw two cards facedown, and end my turn," she said.

Two reversed cards appeared, and then faded from view.

Iggwilv couldn't help but grin as she made a draw.

**(E: 1,000, 4 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (****I****: 3,300, 7 SPC)**

_Pathetic, _she thought._ Her plan is obvious... She knows that Uria can only use its effect to destroy a set card once per turn. One of her facedown cards is something potent, while the other is a decoy. She's hoping that I aim for the decoy._

_What she doesn't know is, I'm prepared for just such an occasion..._

She played a card, Stray Asmodian appeared again. (1,300 ATK) Then a Speed Spell appeared in front of her.

"With my Counters at least five, I can play Strobe Light!" she exclaimed. "It lets me select one of your set cards and take a look at it.

"So... Why don't we see what the one on the right is?"

The image of a card appeared on her dashboard, and then turned around. It was Sakuretsu Armor.

She laughed out loud.

"Well, now that I know which card is the true Trap," she said. "Uria, destroy that one!"

Uria roared, and Sakuretsu Armor was blown to shards.

"Time to fry..." she said. "Uria... Incinerate her Warrior!"

The Lord of Searing Flames roared again.

"Sucker..." said Ember.

"Huh?" said Ember.

"Whoever said one of my cards was a decoy?" said Ember, as her other set card spun around. "You only _assumed_ that."

"The Transmigration Prophesy?" asked Iggwilv. "I don't get it..."

"This Trap lets me return two cards in either Graveyard to the owners' decks," replied Ember. "So... If I send Solemn Wishes and Begone, Knave back to your deck..."

Iggwilv gasped. Uria roared, but this time it was in anguish. (1,000 ATK)

"And it's too late for you to call off your attack!" shouted Ember. "Blue Flame Swordsman... Destroy that abomination!"

Blue Flame Swordsman flew up to the titanic demon, and with one mighty swipe of his sword, struck its head off. Uria fell to the arena floor with a crash, and both D-Wheels sped away from the explosion and backdraft created by the impact.

"I'm not beaten yet, little girl..." cursed Iggwilv.

Her own set card lifted up.

"I activate the Trap Card, Great Fall! Since a Level 10 Monster was destroyed, I get to draw two cards..."

She made two draws.

"I think I'll set one of them..."

A new reversed card appeared.

"...and I end my turn..."

Ember took a deep breath. She made a draw.

**(E: 1,000, 5 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (****I****: 2,500, 8 SPC)**

"I summon Flamvell Dragnov!" she shouted.

In a burning flare, the fiery Dragon appeared flying next to Blue Flame Swordsman. (1,100 ATK)

"Blue Flame Swordsman, destroy Stray Asmodian!"

The Warrior made a deep cut with his blade, and the weird Fiend burst into a cloud of ash.

"You triggered my Trap!" exclaimed Iggwilv, as her facedown card spun around. "Hallowed Life Barrier! Now, all damage to me this round is reduced to zero.

"I simply have to toss one of my cards..."

She discarded a card from her hand.

"And furthermore, thanks to Stray Asmodian's effect, we both gain 800 Life Points."

**(E: 1,800, 5 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (****I****: 3,300, 8 SPC)**

"Then I end my turn..." said Ember.

Iggwilv made a draw, her Speed Counters rising to nine.

"I toss two more cards facedown," she said, "and then summon Battle Footballer."

Two reversed cards appeared, and then a hulking android wearing a football helmet and jersey appeared beside her bike. (1,000 ATK)

_She summoned Battle Footballer in Attack Mode? _thought Ember._ Makes no sense... Everyone knows that Monster is better in Defense Mode..._

_This has trap written all over it..._

"I end my turn," said Iggwilv.

Ember made a draw. She looked at the card.

"Sorry, Iggwilv, but I'm not falling for it," she said. "I'm going to pass this turn."

"Suit yourself," chuckled Iggwilv, making a draw.

**(E: 1,800, 7 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (****I****: 3,300, 10 SPC)**

"Trap Card number one," she said, as one of her facedown cards lifted. "Embodiment of Apophis!"

In a flash of light, the two-headed serpentine Trap-Monster made famous by Rishid Ishtar leapt out in front of Iggwilv's D-Wheel, holding its scimitar menacingly. (1,600 ATK)

"Next..." she said, "Trap Card number two..."

Her second facedown card lifted up.

"Immortal Class! Now, I can sacrifice two Monsters..."

Battle Footballer and Embodiment of Apophis vanished into orbs of light.

"...in order to Special Summon a Level 7 or higher Monster from my Graveyard."

"What are you talking about?" asked Ember. "The only Level 7 or higher Monster in your Graveyard is..."

She stopped short.

"You don't mean..."

"That's right, Michiko!" laughed Iggwilv. "This Trap Card can disregard the summoning conditions of three specific NOMIs."

Lightning flashed again.

"So, once again... Arise, Uria, Lord of Searing Flames!"

With a roar that was clearly angrier than before, Uria rose over the Colosseum, and glared menacingly at Ember and her two Monsters.

"Not again..." muttered Ember.

"And since the card I tossed to activate Hallowed Life Barrier was Skull Lair," continued Iggwilv, "I have three Continuous Trap Cards in my Graveyard once again, making Uria just as powerful as it was before."

(3,000 ATK)

"You're through! Uria, wipe out Flamvell Dragnov with Hyper Blaze!"

Uria slowly opened its flaming jaws...

"I activate Blue Flame Swordsman's effect!" shouted Ember. "I'll reduce his Attack Score all the way to zero, and give the Attack Points to Flamvell Dragnov!"

Blue Flame Swordsman fell to zero Attack Points, while Dragnov shot up to 2,900. Uria blasted its bolt of burning hellfire, but the impact that would have likely knocked the life out of Ember was reduced to a mere quivering of her D-Wheel as Flamvell Dragnov shattered.

"And guess what?" said Ember. "When Flamvell Dragnov is destroyed by battle, you lose 500 Life Points."

Iggwilv growled.

"I end my turn!" she shouted.

**(E: 1,700, 7 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (****I****: 2,800, 10 SPC)**

Ember made a draw.

She groaned. Any other time she would have been delighted to draw her Draining Shield, but if she set it now, Uria would just destroy it.

She looked at her other cards. Slowly, a new plan was starting to form...

She stashed the Trap Card on her gauntlet and chose another card.

"I set a Monster," she said, "and move Blue Flame Swordsman to Defense Mode."

Blue Flame Swordsman sheathed his sword, and shielded himself. (1,600 DEF) Then a reversed Monster appeared.

"It's your move..."

Iggwilv made a draw, as her Speed Counters hit the maximum. Flames shot out of her engines as they shifted into the highest gear.

She played a card, and Molten Zombie appeared in front of her D-Wheel. (1,600 ATK)

"Uria... Fry her Blue Flame Swordsman!" she ordered.

Uria blasted its blazing death, and Blue Flame Swordsman was no more...

Or was he? In an aura of red flames, the real Flame Swordsman appeared where his lesser incarnation had been. (1,800 ATK)

"This is getting annoying," said Iggwilv. "Molten Zombie, the hidden Monster!"

The undead Pyro breathed a cloud of flame at the concealed card. UFO Turtle peeked out of its shell before the blast hit, and it was blown to shards.

Ember threw a card on her Disk, and Flamvell Archer appeared. (1,000 ATK)

Iggwilv looked at the last card in her hand, which was Staunch Defender.

She set it, and it appeared facedown.

"Make your move..." she said.

Ember drew a card, and her Speed Counters clicked up to 10.

"Ready?" she whispered.

"I'm more than ready," replied Jetta. "It may have been awhile, but if I live a million years, I'll never lose my touch. My race was always warriors. I could fight long before I became a Titan."

"I sacrifice my Archer," exclaimed Ember.

Flamvell Archer vanished into an orb of light.

"...for Flamvell Commando!"

In an aura of flames, the Pyro soldier, appeared, holding his heavy duty flamethrower. (2,200 ATK)

"Next, I play Speed Spell – Summon Speeder," she said, as she played a Spell Card. "I can now Special Summon Rose, Warrior of Revenge from my hand."

The portal opened, and the Warrior Tuner that looked just like her in black leather holding a dagger flew out onto the field. (1,600 ATK)

"Now I can Tune together her and Flamvell Commando to bring someone back who's been gone a long time..."

The Warrior and the Pyro flew into the sky, and the three burning suns appeared, casting sunlight upon the Darkfell for what may have been the first time in centuries. The two Monsters faded into ten glowing stars.

Ember chanted.

"_Power of a supernova, energy of a solar wind, the souls of billions supporting her majestic flight! The raw power unleashed at the moment of Creation flowing through her veins… Heroine of a lost race… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force… _

"_Synchro Summon, Jetta the Bronze-Hearted!"_

In an aura of super-intense fire, Jetta appeared in all her glory. She held up her right hand, and a blade of flame shot from her arm. Then, in a flash, the blade of flame turned into a long, bronze kopesh.

(2,800 ATK)

"Oh, I'm so scared," chuckled Iggwilv.

_Or I would be, _she thought,_ If I didn't have Staunch Defender set. As soon as she attacks Molten Zombie, it will force that bimbo and her Flame Swordsman to attack Uria, and victory will be mine._

"Don't count your chickens yet," said Ember. "Jetta gains 200 Attack Points times the combined Levels of all Fire-Attribute Monsters on the field, other than herself. You do math."

"Wait..." said Iggwilv.

She looked at Molten Zombie.

"Four..."

She looked at Flame Swordsman.

"Five..."

Then at Uria.

"TEN?"

"For a total of nineteen," said Ember, "so take a look now."

Jetta burned with an aura of fire fiercer than the light of the noon sun... (6,600 ATK)

"WAIT!" screamed Iggwilv.

"Attack!" shouted Ember. "Slay the Lord of Searing Flames with Nova Blade!"

The Titan flew towards the colossal Sacred Beast, and her sword cleaved the huge demon in twain with one mighty blow...

**(E: 1,700, 10 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (****I****: 0, 0 SPC)**

There was an explosion, and the whole Colosseum was awash with fire. Ember screamed as she and her D-Wheel were swept up and pulled through the air, though a portal that appeared overhead... She may well have crashed if Jetta had not helped cushion the impact on the way down.

Still, it was a rough landing.

Back on the streets of Rome, Ember staggered off her bike. She clutched her stomach.

She almost threw up again, but she managed to hold it in this time.

Her cell phone rang.

"Mmm..." she said, answering it.

"Ember!" shouted Gears. "You're alive!"

"I'm not certain..." replied Ember.

She felt her chest. Her heart was still beating and she was still breathing.

"Yeah, I'm alive... Boy, have I got a story for you..."

"It seems we're all safe for the moment," said Gears. "But we'd best get back to Neo Domino to regroup."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was noon Japan time when four exhausted Shadowchasers returned to their townhouse in the Tops.

Ember flopped down onto the couch.

"Was it really one of the Sacred Beasts?" asked Jinx.

"Unless Uria was hiding a just-as-evil twin," replied Ember, "yeah."

"These guys definitely don't fool around," said Shichiro.

Boris rushed into the lounge with a tray of lemonade.

"I'm glad you guys made it back," he said. "Jalal called about half an hour ago. He said he was concerned. He was planning on calling back as soon as he changed clothes."

"Changed clothes?" said Gears. "Into what?"

Then the fireplace burned fiercer, and Jalal's hologram materialized. He had indeed changed clothes. He was wearing his armor.

"Uh, hi boss..." said Shichiro. "Uhm... Any reason why you're wearing your good suit?"

"I'll tell you all in a minute," replied Jalal. "Reports are coming in from all over about the duels you all had in the past two hours.

"I had no idea that the Paragons would hit so hard."

"Did they..." groaned Jinx. "I'm sore in places I didn't know I _had_."

"Frankly, boss," said Gears, "we're lucky to be in one piece. Three of them were under orders not to kill us, so they likely pulled their punches."

"Ahem!" said Ember.

"And Ember's opponent had one of the Sacred Beasts in her deck..."

"They're tricky too," added Jinx. "Soth claimed to be a master of the Earth Attribute, but not all his Monsters were Earth."

"This is indeed troubling," said Jalal. "Perhaps even more troubling is, their names. We don't know, but there is definitely something strange about the Paragons. All four of them are named after figures mentioned in legends told by Shadowkind. And none of these legendary figures are folks you want to meet."

"What do you mean?" asked Jinx.

"Well..." started Jalal. "Menzoberra is the one whom the least is known about. Dark elves say that she was the founder of the largest city of their people on the world of Shadow, and also say that her cruelty was unusual, even for a dark elf.

"Iggwilv's exploits are much better known. Perhaps you've heard of the spell, Tasha's Uncontrollable Hideous Laughter?"

"Yeah," replied Shichiro. "A spell obviously created by someone with a sick sense of humor."

"Well, 'Tasha' was a pseudonym used by the real Iggwilv," continued Jalal. "She was a powerful conjurer, so skilled at summoning demons, that she was able to summon and bind Graz'zt himself. The two nonetheless became allies – and occasionally lovers – and caused a great deal of trouble before Graz'zt broke free from her bonds.

"Rary was an archmage, who was a member of a group of aristocrats, but he turned against them, trying to assassinate them to usurp their power. He failed, and formed a rebel kingdom. He was known as Rary the Traitor until his death.

"Soth was perhaps the worst... You may have heard of death knights?"

"We've heard stories about them," said Jinx. "Dark undead lords who were once knights of the highest station, but cursed by the gods themselves for unforgivable crimes, like treason and cold-blooded murder. For their transgressions, they were turned into undead abominations."

"Well, I don't know if Soth was the most powerful," said Jalal, "but he was supposed to be the first. The story of his life – and unlife – could likely fill a book, and some Shadowkind authors have indeed written books about him. Suffice to say he was one of the most despicable criminals that Shadowkind's homeworld ever knew."

"So the four Paragons named themselves after four incredibly bad people?" said Gears. "What does it mean?"

"It means, among other things, that these four individuals you fought have some connection to Shadowkind," replied Jalal.

"It's kind of weird, too," said Ember. "I mean, think about it... The names 'Adolf' and 'Benito' aren't all too common today, even among radical groups that admire them. Naming yourself after a truly infamous criminal is advertising that you like him, and that's never wise."

"These Paragons are clearly a problem," said Jalal. "But now that the danger is passed, for the moment, I can't locate them. They are hiding their auras very carefully.

"But anyway, we'll have to concern ourselves with them later. You asked why I'm wearing my armor.

"Something bad has come up. I'm coming to Neo Domino personally. I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

They all looked at him.

"Why?" asked Gears.

"I'll explain when I get there," said Jalal, as he vanished.

Boris headed for the kitchen.

"I'll go warm up the leftover chicken," he said. "Seems we're having a fifth person for lunch..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was now four AM in Paris. Very few folks were on the streets now.

Close to where Gears had dueled Menzoberra, a lone figure lurked.

She was tall, trim, and dressed in a black leather outfit. Her long, blonde hair was tied in a ponytail, and she wore dark sunglasses, despite the fact that the sun was not up yet.

Her name was Minerva. Her last name didn't matter. She had severed ties with her past long ago, and had revoked her citizenship with her native country and all ties to political and ordinary religious groups.

She was loyal only to one being, and to others who had pledged loyalty to that being.

She looked down the street, and saw what she was looking for. She spoke into a special device in her wristwatch.

"Minerva here," she said. "Target found. Male hobgoblin, about thirty.

"Proceeding alone."

She started to walk towards the figure who was fifty feet down the street.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – SUMMON SPEEDER (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **Dunames Dark Witch surrounded by the energy of Speed World.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have 4 or more Speed Counters. Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Monster from your hand. The Special Summoned Monster cannot declare an attack this turn.

_Note: "Speed Spell – Summon Speeder" was first used by both Yusei and Mukuro in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Surprise, Surprise". It was used in several episodes after that, by several characters._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**IMMORTAL CLASS (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Return Zombie and Lizard Soldier in the foreground, with Zoa lurking behind.

**Card Description:** Tribute two Monsters you control. Select one Level 7 or higher Monster in your Graveyard and Special Summon it. You can use this effect to Special Summon "Uria, Lord of Searing Flames", "Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder", or "Raviel, Lord of Phantasms", in which case its summoning conditions are disregarded.

_Note: "Immortal Class" was first used by Martin (possessed by Yubel) in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Unleash the Dragon (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GREAT FALL (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Magician's Valkyria knocking over the Gate Guardian with a mighty blast of magic.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when a Level 10 or greater Monster that you control is destroyed. Draw two cards from your deck.

_Note: "Great Fall" first appeared in "Soul of Silicon". (In that fic, it was a Quickplay Spell Card. Here, I have made a Trap version.)_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – STROBE LIGHT (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A D-Wheel driving at night, using a high-powered headlight.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have 5 or more Speed Counters. Select one Set Spell or Trap Card on your opponent's side of the field. Pick up and look at the selected card, and then return it to its original position.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**JETTA THE BRONZE-HEARTED (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Pyro/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Fire  
**Level:** 10  
**ATK:** 2,800  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** _FIRE Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner FIRE Monsters_

This card cannot be Special Summoned except via Synchro Summon. Increase the ATK of this card by 200 times the combined Levels of all face-up FIRE Monsters on the field, except this one.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Minerva: Long ago, I swore allegiance to one being. I owe this being everything, and my loyalty is complete and unwavering. Such is my loyalty, that if I was ordered to slay my own family by this being, I would do so. I might sob and cry while I did, and mourn for years afterwards, but I still would.**

**The orders I have received now are a deviation from the norm, and are somewhat strange... But it is not my place to question them. My mission is one of interrogation, and if a battle of Duel Monsters is necessary to complete it, then that's what I must do. **

**Why do I do this? Because my life has no other purpose. When I said I would willingly slay my family, I was speaking hypothetically. **

"**Earth Chant" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Sol Cortyge, Conductor of the Phantom Train**

Many people have different views on what happens to people when they die. Is there an afterlife? Or will they cross over the River Styx? While the debates in the Shadow community exist, there is a whisper that spread among the tribes about what would happen to the dead…

They say that when the body dies, the soul remains attached to this world… However, they do not linger for too long, for there is a being that collects these wandering souls – Sol Cortyge, the owner and conductor of the Phantom Train. Each soul collected remains a passenger on his mysterious train, acting as a purgatory until he delivers the souls to the heavens above or to the underworld below.

How he collects the souls is quite a variety, as many of the souls would not face their fate… In front of the train is a large, human-shaped skull that laughs loudly as it tries to devour the very souls and places them into its many cabins. It is rumored that Sol himself is a modern incarnation of Charon, the Ferryman of Hades, or even the Grim Reaper himself (although both are just rumors), due to the fact that any eye witness accounts peg him as a scrawny man (it's unknown if he's a human or not) with long graying hair, a painfully thin body, dressed in formal attire that some people think is more appropriate for a bartender (save for his conductor hat). There is also a rumor that he keeps a rusty pocket watch that he constantly checks, signifying that he may be a victim of immortality insanity (its unknown what his age truly is).

No matter what, this train is never late to deliver its passengers.

There are even rumors on nights with full moons, when the clock hits a time where the hour, the minute and the second are the same number (example: 7:07:07 p.m.) the ghostly, skeletal train will roam the streets, searching for the souls of the recently departed. However, if a living being was to be in the path of the train at that very second… Well… There might just be an unauthorized passenger on the trip…

For a job like this, it is impossible for one man (if he _is_ a man) like Sol to do it alone, so every once in a while, when either a very noble or very vile soul is on his train, he'll often make them a deal…

"Would you care to try your fate? Or work for me as a sure thing?"

There have been times when his deal has been accepted and times when this deal was declined. What the people don't realize is that when they accept the deal, they become different. Depending on the lives they lived, they either become monstrous parodies of themselves, representing the very sins they committed… Or emerge as beautiful beings in their prime. The only thing is, they become completely loyal to Sol, and almost forget their pasts and memories.

These souls often become guards on the Phantom Train to prevent the other souls from escaping, or as seekers who are sent out to find the wandering spirits. However, there never seem to be more than seven of these dominated spirits at a time. Some say they just faded away, others say Sol himself devoured them in order to continue to live, and some say that they simply bored Sol, and he delivered them to their final destination.

A thing about Sol Cortyge is that he hates wasting time… And often gets mad at those who try to take him off his schedule.

**Story Ideas:** It is unknown how long Sol has been the Conductor for the Phantom Train. However, during that time, he has become bored with his job and constant repetitiveness. So sometimes, to spice things up, Sol will send his seekers to gather the still living as passengers… Offering them a chance to return to their lives should they properly entertain him.

Even though its unconfirmed if Sol is a Shadowkind, a magical being, or a cursed human soul, the Treaty has recently listed him as an exception. Should he steal the souls of the still living, he will be considered as an outlaw. The problem with this is that he and his train are basically ghosts.

One thing that enrages Sol is the beings that are immortal. For so long has his time been wasted that he wishes he could get one of the living beings who has immortality, especially Jalal. For so long has he wished to offer Jalal his deal, just seeing what would happen to the Dragonborn.

However, there are even some places that the Phantom Train cannot pass through. Holy places, places filled to the brim with magic and some truly diabolical realms.

It goes without saying that Sol is a villain (or just a man who loves his job too much), and tries to get what he desires. He could be the main villain who's simply trying to get Jalal out of hiding by stealing the still living souls of Shadowchasers or he could be a step up villain who was promised many souls in a diabolic plan. Just because he's the conductor, that doesn't mean he's bound to the train (that also applies to his seven acquired servants too), there have been some reports of him in the streets at night.

Some Incantifers believe that even if Sol is not bound to the Phantom Train, it is his greatest weakness. Thy say that if it were destroyed, Sol would cease to exist. Of course, it is likely not easy to derail a ghost train...

**Deck Suggestions:** One of the few things that keeps Sol from going completely mad is the fact that he loves gambling. If he was ever a normal human, he was clearly a "high roller" back then. (Some even believe he got his current job due to a lost bet.) He considers Duel Monsters a form of gambling, and as such, he runs a pair of gamble decks, one mostly focusing with the Archfiends with their dice rolls (he often has a few copies of Graceful Dice and Skull Dice). He also has the Ritual Monster Dark Master Zorc hidden inside his deck somewhere. His other deck relies mostly on cards that use coin tosses, such as Fairy Box, Abare Ushioni, and Time Wizard, although it still has a few dice roll cards as well.

As for his seven followers, their decks are based on their past lives, so if they were duelists in their lives they use their own decks. If not, then Sol creates a random strategy for them. This can range from the Counter Fairies to Frogs to even Warriors. One thing to note is that Sol has all seven of them keep his two favorite cards in their decks at all times – Graceful Dice and Skull Dice – as a reminder that they serve him.

_Sol Cortyge was a creation of fanfic author Lux-Nero._


	47. Earth Chant

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL FORTY-SEVEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Earth Chant**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Oblivious to the fact that the strange woman was walking towards him, a hobgoblin in a trenchcoat and a battered old hat, with a Duel Disk on his arm, was standing on a corner, drinking from a flask of whiskey and talking on a mobile.

This hobgoblin – Burt was his name – was the same hobgoblin who had been watching the duel between Menzoberra and Gears, and he was now speaking to Csimith.

Of course, he didn't know the name of his employer, or even that Csimith was an ophidia. The phone number he called was beyond his abilities to trace; Taramanda's men used a very special private line that couldn't be found even in the unlisted directories. The only one who might be able to trace the number was a shadowjack with more skill than the shadowjack who had programmed it.

Still, he was willing to be their eyes and ears in Paris, because the money deposited into his account every week was considerable. And the rare cards he got as bonus pay were nice too.

Thing was, Burt had been a snitch all his life, and he would likely have turned in his own mother if the pay was good enough. He had no loyalty to anyone, other than himself.

"Yeah, I saw it," he said into the phone. "This lady was standing on a clamshell, and she was dressed like some erotic dancer.

"And I don't mean like some college student who works bachelor parties to make money... I mean the kind of erotic dancer who works at the kind of place uptown where folks like me can't even afford the entrance fee!

"Huh? I dunno... Maybe she was a wizard. I have yet to meet a wizard who wasn't eccentric. Anyway, she used a Frog Deck.

"That's right, Frogs.

"I dunno, I never tasted frog's legs. Only very expensive restaurants serve them. I'm more of a fish 'n chips kind of guy. But anyway..."

Then he was interrupted, as the phone flew from his hand. He looked up, to see Minerva pointing a glowing sword at him.

"Wha..." he said.

"Okay, talk..." she said. "I want information about the duel you witnessed."

"Look, babe..." said Burt, nervously. "I don't want no trouble from any Shadowchaser..."

"I said talk!" demanded Minerva.

"It isn't illegal to watch a duel!" replied Burt.

Minerva grabbed him by the collar, and then slammed him against the wall.

"That hurt!" he shouted.

"It was supposed to," she replied. "Who was that woman in the scant clothing?"

"I don't know!" protested Burt.

Then Minerva _threw_ him against the wall.

"I grow tired of asking," she said. "You spill your guts, or I'll spill them over the street..."

Burt nervously got up.

He activated his Duel Disk. Minerva put her left hand on her hip.

"Please..." she said, sounding more impatient.

Then there was a sound like a chiming of bells. Minerva paused.

She took off her sunglasses, revealing sapphire blue eyes. She turned around slightly.

Burt thought this might be a good opportunity to make a run for it. He tried to sneak away, but was stopped short when Minerva's blade pressed against his neck.

Minerva was clearly listening to something. She turned towards Burt again.

"Very well..." she said.

She held the sword up in front of her, and it vanished.

"If you desire a battle of Duel Monsters," she said, "then that is what I will use to extract the information I need from you...

"But... We duel in my arena..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Burt stepped back in shock.

He was in a clearing, in the middle of a dense forest. A warm, afternoon sun shone in the sky, along with large, fluffy clouds. Birds sang, crickets chirped, squirrels hopped among the trees.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"We are in the Wilderness of the Beastlands," replied Minerva. "An unspoiled wilderness that pollution, deforestation, and industry can never ruin. Nature is the uncontested ruler here.

"Specifically, this is Krigala, a realm within the Beastlands where the sun never sets, and daytime creatures frolic and play whenever they choose."

"Since when could Shadowchasers do this?" exclaimed Burt.

"Quiet," replied Minerva. "You wanted a duel, you will get one."

A silver Duel Disk appeared on her arm. It was sleek and streamlined, and printed on its upper chamber were four glyphs depicting the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations: The White Tiger, the Black Tortoise, the Azure Dragon, and the Vermillion Bird.

Both Disks activated.

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Minerva: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Burt: 8,000)**

"Go first if you so desire..." said Minerva.

Burt made his first draw.

He looked at it. He had drawn his strongest Monster, a Level 9 Dinosaur called Jurrac Titan.

_Not bad,_ he thought. _Once I summon this, the duel is mine..._

_Of course... I can't summon it right now... So I'll just have to wait until I can._

"I summon Jurrac Velo!" he exclaimed.

In an aura of flames, a small, fiery Dinosaur standing on its hind legs appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"And I will summon Naturia Cosmos Beet," replied Minerva.

In a shower of sparkling dust, a Monster appeared on her side of the field. It was indeed, a beet, with a face and stubby limbs, and flowers growing out of the top. (1,000 ATK)

"How did you summon during my turn?" shouted Burt.

"This Monster's effect let's me Special Summon it from my hand when you make a Normal Summon," replied Minerva, crossing her arms.

_Curses, _thought Burt._ And I still can't attack, because this is the first turn of the duel!_

"I end my turn," he said. "That beet is a weakling anyway..."

Minerva made a draw.

"This Monster may be weak," she said, "but I can sacrifice it..."

Naturia Cosmos Beet vanished into an orb of light.

"...for the more powerful Naturia Bamboochute!"

A new Plant-Type Monster appeared, this one indeed looking like a bamboo chute, the edible portion of the bamboo plant that looked like an artichoke. Except this one had a face. (2,000 ATK)

"I've seen stronger Level 5s," said Burt.

"It has a potent effect," replied Minerva. "Because I used another Naturia Monster as a sacrifice to summon it, you can't use any Spells or Traps while it's on the field."

"No... way..." said Burt.

Then Naturia Bamboochute shot a flurry of razor-sharp leaves at Jurrac Velo, blowing it to shards.

"I activate Jurrac Velo's effect!" shouted Burt. "I can still use Monster effects, right?"

Minerva nodded.

"Yeah..." said Burt. "When Jurrac Velo is destroyed by battle, I get to bring out another Velo from my deck, so long as its Attack Score is 1,700 or less."

He carefully removed his deck from the Disk, and looked through the cards.

_Got to be careful, here, _he thought._ These Monsters she's using are cute, but they seem to be trying to form a lock. I need something that will help defeat that Bamboochute._

_Okay, I think this one might do it..._

"I choose Jurrac Garim."

In another burst of flame, a weird Dinosaur appeared. It looked like a cross between a lizard and a rooster, still with a fiery theme. (1,200 ATK)

"Anything else?"

"Your move..." said Minerva.

**(M: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,700)**

Burt made a draw.

"All right," he said, "I'm summoning Gilasaurus."

The more familiar Dinosaur appeared next to Garim. (1,400 ATK)

"I'm just Normal Summoning it, by the way, so don't get any ideas.

"Now I'm going to cook that bamboo chute..."

"Oh? How?" asked Minerva. "It seems to have Attack Points greater than either of your Monsters..."

"I didn't mention..." said Burt with a grin, "Jurrac Garim is a Tuner.

"So, I'll Tune it and Gilasaurus together..."

The two Dinosaurs turned into five glowing stars that flew into the sky of Krigala...

"Synchro Summon... Jurrac Velphito!"

There was a roar, and a much larger carnivorous Dinosaur appeared. It looked like an oversized raptor with muscular legs that were shrouded in flames.

"Velhipto's Attack Score is equal to the combined Attack Scores of the two Monsters I used to Synchro Summon it," said Burt.

(2,600 ATK)

"So I don't need Spells or Traps to destroy that thing. Velhipto, attack with flaming dash!"

Jurrac Velhipto charged at Bamboochute, blowing the Plant to ashes in a fiery burst.

"Now that it's gone..." said Burt, "I play the Field Spell, Jurassic World."

He fit the card into his Field Slot, and the forest around them faded away, replaced by a jungle. Flying dinosaurs flew past mountains in the distance, and a smoldering volcano loomed in the background.

"This Field increases both a Dinosaur's scores by 300 points."

(2,900 ATK)

"And it's your move..."

**(M: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,700)**

"I draw one card..." said Minerva.

"I set a Monster, and a facedown card, and end my turn."

The two set cards appeared.

Burt chuckled as he drew.

_Jurrac Ptera, _he thought, looking at it._ Not an offensive Monster, but if I set it, I'd have what I needed to summon Jurrac Titan next turn!_

"Forgot to mention one thing about Jurrac Velhipto!" he laughed. "When it attacks a set Monster, that Monster is destroyed immediately, without being flipped face-up!

"Attack!"

Velhipto charged again, and Minerva's set Monster exploded.

"You're a fool," said Minerva.

"Say what?" said Burt.

"Your Velhipto's effect is worthless," she said. "The Monster you destroyed was Naturia Cliff, and its effect activates when it's sent to the Graveyard via _any_ means, flipped or otherwise.

"I can now Special Summon a low-Level Naturia from my deck... And I choose Naturia Ladybug."

With a chirp, a little ladybug with a flower pattern on its back appeared. (100 ATK)

"That isn't even remotely powerful enough to beat my Velhipto!" laughed Burt.

He set Jurrac Ptera, and it appeared reversed on his side of the field.

"Aw, it's your move..."

Minerva drew.

"I summon Naturia Tulip," she said.

In a flash, a big, red tulip with a smiling, feminine face appeared in front of her. (600 ATK)

Then her facedown card lifted up to reveal Call of the Haunted. Naturia Bamboochute appeared again. (2,000 ATK)

"Hold it..." said Burt. "You said its effect only works if you summon it by sacrificing a Naturia..."

"True..." said Minerva, "but it's still Level 5.

"You see, you aren't the only one around here who knows how to Synchro Summon..."

Naturia Tulip and Naturia Bamboochute faded into seven glowing stars that flew into the sky of Jurassic World. Minerva started to chant.

"_Unyielding and stoic God of the North, avatar of winter! Genbu, appear before me and smite the wicked with your earth-shattering power!_

"_Synchro Summon... Naturia Landoise!" _

There was a rumble, and the ground split...

In the next instant, a colossal form was standing over Minerva. It looked vaguely like a giant tortoise, made of rock, with plants, moss, and even trees growing on its back, with small animals scampering over it. Its face had a sleepy, bored expression. (2,350 ATK)

"Oh...kay..." said Burt, looking up at the huge Synchro. "It's certainly... big. But my Monster is stronger..."

"That's where the effect of my Naturia Ladybug comes in," said Minerva, as the Insect vanished. "By sacrificing it, I can increase the Attack Points of a Naturia Monster by 1,000 points for one round."

Naturia Landoise yawned loudly. (3,350 ATK)

"Destroy Jurrac Velhipto!" ordered Minerva. "Tremor smash!"

The huge tortoise rose up slightly, and slammed its forelegs down, causing all of Jurassic World to shake violently. The Dinosaur in front of it was shaken to bits.

"Ergh..." said Burt.

"I end my turn," said Minerva.

**(M: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,250)**

Burt drew. He looked at the Trap Card.

He set it in his Disk, and it appeared set on the field.

He waved his hand, signaling the end of his turn.

_Go ahead... _he thought._ Attack my Jurrac Ptera..._

Minerva made a draw.

"I summon Naturia Butterfly," she said.

With another shower of sparkling motes, an adorable pink butterfly with pink wings appeared, flying next to the much larger Landoise. (500 ATK)

"A butterfly?" asked Burt. "Somehow, I never took you Shadowchasers for being fans of rainbows, bunnies, and cute things like this..."

"Don't underestimate my Monster because it's cute or because it has low Attack Points," said Minerva. "It has a potent effect. It can negate one attack you make every round in exchange for one card from my deck.

"Now, my Landoise attacks your Monster."

Landoise stomped on the ground again, and the tremor shook Jurassic World again. A fiery pterodactyl appeared on the set card. (1,500 DEF) – (1,800 DEF)

"HA!" laughed Burt. "That's Jurrac Ptera! And when it's attacked, it sends the attacking Monster back to your hand, and gains 100 Defense Points for each Level of that Monster!"

"Or it would," replied Minerva. "If I didn't do this..."

She discarded a card, Verdant Sanctuary, from her hand. Jurrac Ptera shattered, and Landoise showed no signs of leaving. It growled a little.

"What..." said Burt.

"If I discard a Spell Card, Landoise can negate a Monster effect," said Minerva, "and destroy the Monster. So your Monster was the one who was banished.

"And now my Butterfly attacks you directly. Poison pollen."

Burt grunted as Naturia Butterfly flapped its wings, covering him with pollen.

**(M: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 6,750)**

"It's your move," said Minerva. "Unless you want to start telling me who that woman was."

"I'm not saying anything without a lawyer present, Shadowchaser," said Burt, making a draw.

"I summon Babycerasaurus!"

He played the card, and the most unlikely Dinosaur appeared. It looked like a baby triceratops, wearing an eggshell the way any other baby would wear a diaper. (500 ATK) – (800 ATK)

"Who's going for cute now?" asked Minerva. "I know what that Monster can do. If it's destroyed by an effect, you get to Special Summon a Dinosaur from your deck. Have you forgotten what my Landoise can do when you activate a Monster effect?"

"No, I haven't, Shadowchaser," replied Burt. "It's true that I have to destroy this guy to use its effect... But when I do, your Monsters won't survive either.

"I move all the way to my End Phase... And activate this!"

His facedown card lifted up.

"Volcanic Eruption!"

The volcano behind him blew its top. Lava cascaded down the mountains, and fiery rocks fell from the sky. Naturia Landoise, Naturia Butterfly, and Babycerasaurus all shattered into pixels. Then the Field Spell itself vanished, returning them to Krigala proper.

"Now to summon that Dinosaur..." he said. "I think Jurrac Protops will do."

In another burst of flame, a Dinosaur that looked like an _adult _triceratops, with the same fiery theme as the other Jurracs, appeared in front of him. (1,700 ATK)

"Then it's my move..." said Minerva, making a draw.

"I set a Monster," she said, as a reversed Monster appeared.

"Thank you," said Burt. "For each Monster you control, Protops gains 100 Attack Points."

(1,800 ATK)

"I end my turn," said Minerva.

Burt chuckled as he made a draw.

"Here comes Jurrac Brachis!" he laughed.

In another flash of fire, another Jurrac, this one resembling a small brachiosaurus, appeared next to Protops. (1,000 ATK)

"_Finally _we get a Jurrac that is based on a dinosaur that actually lived during the Jurassic Period," said Minerva. "Those Monsters of yours are quite misnamed."

Burt looked at her, rather annoyed.

"Have it your way!" he shouted. "Protops, roast her Monster!"

Jurrac Protops shot a wave of flame from its jaws at the reversed Monster...

But when the smoke cleared, the Monster was still there. Or rather Monsters. It looked like two lima beans, with faces and small limbs. (1,200 DEF)

"Huh?" said Burt. "How did those little guys survive?"

"Naturia Beans has to be defeated twice in one round to be destroyed," said Minerva.

"I can't believe this!" screamed Burt. "My mighty Jurracs are being held at bay by a pair of _beans_?"

"Do you want a tranquilizer?" asked Minerva. "I can give you one..."

Burt took some deep breaths. He sipped from the flask of whiskey again.

"I'll set a card, and end my turn," he said, as a reversed card appeared. "By the way, I think it's fair to warn you... So long as I have another Jurrac on the field, Brachis can't be destroyed by battle."

Minerva quickly made a draw.

"I summon Naturia Rose Whip," she said.

In another sparkle and shower of dust, a rose appeared next to Naturia Beans, with a feminine face with a big smile. (400 ATK)

"What are these Monsters of yours so happy about?" asked Burt.

"They're happy about the fact that they're kicking your behind," replied Minerva. "Now, I Tune it and Naturia Beans together..."

The two Plant Monsters faded into five glowing stars that flew into the sky of Krigala. Minerva chanted again:

"_Primal and savage God of the West, avatar of autumn! Byakko, appear before me and punish the infidels with your powerful claws!_

"_Synchro Summon... Naturia Beast!"_

There was a roar, and a large tiger bounded onto the field. It had green fur, and its powerful legs seemed to be made partially out of wood. (2,200 ATK)

"Terrific..." said Burt.

"And since I successful Synchro Summoned a Naturia Monster," continued Minerva, "I can Special Summon Naturia Ladybug from my Graveyard."

Naturia Ladybug appeared again next to Naturia Beast. (100 ATK)

"Then, I'm sure you remember its effect. I can sacrifice it to boost a Naturia's Attack Score."

Ladybug vanished, and the Beast growled. (3,200 ATK)

"In case that facedown card is a Quickplay Spell, I should warn you... If you try to play a Spell Card, I can discard two cards from my deck, and Naturia Beast can negate it."

Burt looked at the card. It was actually a Trap, but it couldn't help him now...

"Naturia Beast..." ordered Minerva. "Tear apart Jurrac Protops with primal pounce!"

The tiger roared, and leapt at the armored Dinosaur, blowing it to shards.

"And I end my turn..." she said.

**(M: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 5,350)**

Burt made a draw.

He smirked a little.

His Trap Card lifted up.

"I activate Fossil Excavation," he said. "Now, I'll discard one card..."

He discarded Jurrac Deino.

"...and summon Gilasaurus to the field." (1,400 ATK)

He paused for a minute.

_I could summon Jurrac Titan now... _he thought._ But... I have a much better idea..._

"Next, I summon Jurrac Guivre!" he shouted.

In another burst of flame, a medium-sized Dinosaur walking on two legs with a long neck appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"Now, I Tune all _three_ of my Dinosaurs together..."

Gilasaurus, Brachis, and Guivre faded, and turned into ten glowing stars.

Minerva looked shocked for the first time.

"A Level 10 Synchro?" she asked.

"Yeah!" chuckled Burt. "A fringe benefit from my boss!

"This Jurrac wasn't based on a dinosaur from the Jurassic Period either... It wasn't based on any living dinosaur at all... Rather, it was based on something _different_ pertaining to dinosaurs...

"Something that led to their doom!"

There was a long pause.

"So where is your Monster?" asked Minerva.

Burt pointed up.

Minerva looked up, and saw a burning meteor plummeting towards them from the heavens. (2,800 ATK)

"Behold," said Burt, "the almighty power of... _Jurrac Meteor_!"

Minerva tried to brace herself, but it was no use. She was thrown off her feet as the Meteor struck, atomizing Naturia Beast and setting fire to the trees that bordered the clearing.

She got up, coughing as she did so. The fires quickly went out, and the healing properties of Krigala quickly repaired the damage.

"I'll admit you had me worried for a minute..." she said. "But your Monster's effect seems to have destroyed itself as well."

"True," replied Burt, "but once it does that, I'm able to Special Summon a Tuner Monster from my Graveyard.

"Like Jurrac Deino!"

Another fiery Dinosaur appeared. Although its name suggested a deinonychus, it looked more like a ceratosaurus in most respects. (1,700 ATK)

"Attack directly!" shouted Burt.

Jurrac Deino spouted a blast of flame at Minerva. She flinched a little bit, finally showing some signs of strain.

"No way some Shadowchaser is sending me to the cooler!" shouted Burt. "I'll set this card, and end my turn."

He set a card in his Disk, and a reversed card appeared. Then he looked at the last card in his hand, Jurrac Titan.

**(M: 5,700) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 5,350)**

Minerva made a draw.

"I summon Naturia Cliff," she said.

She played the card, and this time Burt saw the Monster clearly. It was a big stone shaped like a rectangle, with a face in the front, with arms and legs. (1,500 ATK)

"I'll end there," she said, quickly.

Burt grinned wickedly as he made a draw.

He looked at it. It was Shrink.

_Not bad…_ he thought.

His reversed card lifted up, revealing Call of the Haunted. Jurrac Brachis appeared again. (1,000 ATK)

"I Special Summon Naturia Rock," said Minerva.

"Huh?" said Burt.

In an aura of energy, a big, purple rock with a face in front and small, stubby limbs, appeared in Defense Mode. (1,200 DEF)

"Okay…" said Burt. "I'm guessing that's the same deal as your Beet…

"Well, it's not gonna help… I sacrifice both my Monsters…"

The two Jurracs turned into orbs of light, and then a huge spout of flame erupted from the spot in front of him…

Standing thirty feet tall, the Dinosaur he had summoned was clearly based on the Tyrannotitan, a species of carnivore similar to the T-Rex, but bigger. Ironically, the real Tyrannotitan was supposed to be even bigger than this, but the card designer didn't know that.

Jurrac Titan let out a roar… (3,000 ATK)

"Don't try using Traps or Effect Monsters on this guy…" chuckled Burt. "He's immune to them. In addition, I can remove one Jurrac Monster in my Graveyard from play each round…"

Jurrac Ptera fell out of his discard slot, and he pocketed it.

"…and the big guy gains 1,000 Attack Points!"

(4,000 ATK)

"Attack Naturia Cliff! Armageddon inferno!"

Minerva covered her face with her hand as a powerful blast of fire blew the Rock Monster to dust.

**(M: 3,200) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 5,350)**

"I use Naturia Cliff's effect!" shouted Minerva. "I summon Naturia Spiderfang to the field!"

With a springing noise, a cartoonish, yellow, spotted spider lowered itself on its webs. (2,100 ATK)

Burt set Shrink in his Disk, and it appeared reversed.

"It's your move…" he said, as Jurrac Titan's Attack Score returned to 3,000.

Minerva made a draw.

"I play… Miracle Fertilizer," she said, as she played a Spell Card. "This lets me Special Summon a Plant-Type Monster from my Graveyard."

Naturia Cosmos Beet reappeared. (1,000 ATK)

"A fat lot of good some vegetable will do you," laughed Burt.

"A vegetable that happens to be a Tuner," said Minerva.

Burt stopped short, as Cosmos Beet and Spiderfang turned into six glowing stars. They flew into the sky, and Minerva chanted for the third time:

"_Wise and regal God of the East, avatar of spring! Seiryuu, appear before me and pass judgment with your divine flames!_

"_Synchro Summon... Naturia Balkion!"_

With a roar, a large Dragon appeared above Minerva. However, unlike most Dragons in the game of Duel Monsters, this was clearly an oriental dragon, wingless, serpentine, with an exoskeleton on its long torso, and a face that echoed wisdom. (2,500 ATK)

"Let me guess..." sighed Burt. "Your big turtle could negate Monster effects... Your Beast could negate Spells... I'm guessing this guy can negate Traps, right?"

"Correct," said Minerva. "And don't forget, since I Synchro Summoned a Naturia Monster, I get to Special Summon Naturia Ladybug."

The Ladybug appeared next to Balkion. (100 ATK)

_She's going to sacrifice that Ladybug to juice up that Dragon's Attack Score to 3,500... _thought Burt._ Well, let her... What she doesn't know is, Shrink is not a Trap..._

"Now, I play this," said Minerva, holding the last card in her hand forward. "Miracle Synchro Fusion!"

"HUH?" said Burt. "What the Hell is that?"

"A Fusion card that lets me fuse the Material Monsters together from the field and the Graveyard," replied Minerva, "by removing them from play, of course.

"The catch is, at least one of them must by a Synchro Monster.

"But for this Fusion, _both_ the required Monsters are Synchro Monsters."

Naturia Beast appeared next to Naturia Balkion, and the two Synchros were drawn into a vortex.

"I summon the most powerful Naturia of all..." she continued. "Appear! Naturia Extrio!"

With a loud roar, a Beast that was just as big as Jurrac Titan bounded onto the field. It looked like a cross between Naturia Beast and Naturia Balkion. To be more specific, it looked like Naturia Beast wearing part of Naturia Balkion's armor. (2,800 ATK)

"Now," continued Minerva, "I sacrifice Naturia Ladybug to use its effect..."

Naturia Ladybug vanished, and Naturia Extrio rose to an Attack Score of 3,800.

Naturia Rock moved into Attack Mode. (1,200 ATK)

"Extrio... Maul Jurrac Titan!"

Extrio roared, and pounced at the huge Dinosaur.

"Not gonna happen!" screamed Burt, as his facedown card shot up. "I activate Shrink!"

"Do you actually think that will work?" asked Minerva.

She discarded a card from her deck, and then took a card from her discard slot.

"Extrio has the powers of Beast _and_ Balkion. By sending one card from my deck to the Graveyard, and removing one card in my Graveyard from play, it can negate a Spell _or_ a Trap."

The Shrink card shattered. Burt watched in horror as his best Monster was torn in half.

Then Naturia Rock shot a stream of bubbles from its mouth, hitting him directly.  
It was adding insult to injury.

**(M: 3,200) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 3,350)**

"It's your move…" said Minerva.

Burt's hand shook as he drew a card.

He looked at it. It was Mirror Force.

It was no good. Any other time, Mirror Force could turn the duel around. But if that thing could negate Traps, it was worthless. He truly had nothing.

He dropped it on the floor and fell to his knees.

"Mercy, please!" he begged. "I give up! I'll tell you anything you want! Just don't hurt me!"

Minerva looked at him with a look of disgust.

She paused, as if she was waiting for something.

She deactivated her Duel Disk, and her two Monsters vanished.

"I doubt it," she said. "I know now that you likely have nothing to tell me."

"Huh?" asked Burt.

"My magic was prepared to prevent the ophidia from killing you right now when you said you'd tell me anything," said Minerva, "as they always do when a minion is in danger of betraying them. But they didn't even try. Obviously, you're such a low man on the ophidia's totem pole, you know nothing."

"Ophidia?" said Burt, in shock. "That's who I've been working for?"

"I was right," said Minerva. "You didn't even know you were working for them. You're some common thug. You're of no use to me…"

"What do you mean?" asked Burt. "I'm… I'm confused…"

Minerva looked at him. She put her sunglasses back on.

"You kept referring to me as a Shadowchaser," she said. "I never denied it... But the truth is, I am not a member of that organization. The Knights of Domiel are far more reaching than they are."

"Huh?" said Burt. "Who are they?"

"You will never know, I'm afraid," replied Minerva. "Because a minute from now, you will awaken back on the street of Paris where I took you from, and will have forgotten every detail about me and this encounter.

"Consider yourself lucky that you were not someone I was actually looking for..."

"Wait..." said Burt.

Then everything went dark.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Burt groaned as he came to.

He was sitting on the corner where he had first met Minerva, slouched against the side of a building, and his head was pounding.

He looked around. He saw the whisky bottle he had been drinking from, which was half empty.

"Bah!" he grunted, throwing it away.

He stood up, holding his head.

"One of these days..." he muttered, "I gotta get on the wagon and stay there..."

He shuffled off, as the sun started to rise over Paris.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In a dark, spacious room, Minerva and two young men who were dressed similar to her were standing around a glowing orb of light.

"All dead ends, my lord," she said. "We questioned every Shadow at the scene, but no-one seems to know anything."

"Disappointing," said a voice from the sphere. "But we must continue our fact-finding mission about these elemental creatures who call themselves Paragons. The orders have come from our liege himself."

"Not to question," said Minerva, "but why are we on this secondary mission? It doesn't seem to fit the purpose of the Knights of Domiel."

"True," said the voice. "Our purpose is to eradicate assassins and hired killers, and these four warriors do not seem to fit that description at the present time.

"But it we have suspicion that their employer has a connection to a being that all seven of the Hebdomad consider a grave threat. The followers of our liege's six colleges are also involved in this fact-finding mission.

"Until we are certain, we will investigate, and report on any information to that end.

"Now go, and continue as you were."

The sphere started to dim. The three Knights raised their swords.

"Glory and honor to Domiel!" they exclaimed.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At Neo Domino, where it was one in the afternoon, the four Shadowchasers nervously waited.

Jalal coming in person was never a good sign. He rarely did so. He didn't want to do anything that might be perceived as favoritism, nor did he want to cause a ruckus in the Shadow community. So he only came to a local Shadowchaser base when there was the direst threat.

They watched as the portal opened, and he walked through, still in full armor, with a worried expression. Gabriel squawked nervously.

"Jalal, why would you leave now of all times?" asked Gears. "The Festival of Fangs is tonight, and from what that monitor said..."

"What the monitor told you was quite misleading," replied Jalal. "The ophidia don't plan on attacking Headquarters again."

He held up a letter.

"This appeared in my mailbox, sent via a magical Stamp of Delivery. No return address, of course."

He handed it to them. Shichiro read.

_Dear Jalal,_

_Meet me in the center of Neo Domino Park at eleven PM Japan time for a rematch, or the next duelists to face the Dark Synchros will be the children at Kaibaland._

_- Empress Taramanda_

"She sent an ultimatum," said Jalal. "One that is too dangerous to disregard."

"Wouldn't it be easier to patrol Kaibaland?" asked Jinx.

"_Which _Kaibaland?" asked Shichiro. "The letter didn't specify, Jinx. There are three locations in Japan, eighteen in the States, twelve in Europe, one in Rio de Janeiro, one in Sydney..."

"Why did Kaiba have to be so prolific?" asked Ember. "Sometimes I think he had too many good ideas..."

"Even if we had the time and the manpower to patrol every one," said Jalal, "what would do if we caught them? Start a fight in a theme park? A place full of children? Children celebrating birthdays, graduations, bar mitzvahs, bat mitzvahs, and other events that are supposed to be happy..."

"Don't forget," said Gears, "most children that age haven't lost the ability to see Shadows."

"Taramanda is playing dirty," replied Shichiro.

"So she's getting what she wants..." said Jalal. "I'll have to duel her... I'll need you four to accompany me."

"This is more than likely a trap..." said Ember.

Jalal sighed.

"I know..." he replied.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Jalal: No golems, no deception, no disguises, no remote control. I'm facing Taramanda directly, her against me, and I have a feeling she'll be as lethal as a cobra. **

**No more needs to be said. If I'm successful, I'll bring our feud with the ophidia to a close. **

**If I fail... Well, let's just say I don't intend to fail.**

"**Two-Pronged Attack" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Xander Xanala-Dorfisk, Hell on Wheels**

The American Highway system is full of danger around every turn. But none is more dangerous then one who is on the road. That one is Xander Xanala-Dorfisk, a man who gives both local and federal law enforcement a run for its money. You name it, he's done it, smuggling, kidnapping, murder for hire, he does his work thoroughly and then vanishes into the night with his big black semi before anyone knows better. Those who have even beaten him in a duel for his arrest have stated that he vanishes in a fiery blazing flash right as the last move is made, leaving only his mark at the point of departure or the hit in the form of the letters H O and W, which is how he got dubbed Hell on Wheels.

The moniker is more appropriate than one might think. Xander is an incubus, a type of demon that is the male equivalent of the succubus. Incubi are supposed to be demons of passion, like the more well-known females, using seduction and pleasures of the flesh to enslave mortals. However, they aren't nearly as successful at it as succubi are. Many demonologists believe, with good reason, that mortal females are not as susceptible to such things as males are, and as a result, succubi are able to lord over their male counterparts in status and power.

Xander gave up the usual MO for his kind years ago, and took a different approach. He is either incredibly skilled in dark magic, or works for a demonic benefactor who is. Before he does whatever the job he is asked to do is, he asks that he employer sign a little contract, showing that he was hired for this job for the reasons known by only himself and the employer, and will do it fully and thoroughly to the best of his ability. It all seems so simple, legal, and clear, until you reach the lines about payment, which states that the one whose name is signed at the bottom of the contract completely gives up the one thing that is most precious to him or her. Such things include the person's love life, their worldly possessions, their talent, or the like. The fact remains that through his power when payment is enacted, the flames of love die, the possessions vanish, and the talent fades until it's gone for good. What's even more evil is the clause that states that payment is enacted even if the job is done sloppily or is interrupted by any form of law enforcement.

Usually when he leaves, he leaves nothing but memories, expect for one time when it literally backfired. Ten years ago, he was hired by a wealthy lady in Toledo, Ohio to kill her husband so that she could get the inheritance; however, through the course of the job, he fell for her and had a simple midnight fling. It wasn't until the job and payment were done until he found out that he had conceived a child within her, and he couldn't get rid of it because it wasn't covered in the contract. That child, a baby girl whom her mother named Shania, ended up become one of his biggest mistakes he ended up ever making, as she shares some of his powers, and has the potential to bring her father down, should her powers ever mature to their fullest potential.

Xander pretends not to care (it will be a while before that happens), but the truth is, he's more worried than he lets on. It's actually a very short time in a demon's lifespan, and he can never enter a second contract with Shania's mother. He continues his work, traversing the highways of the United States in his fiendish semi, trying to think up a way to nullify the threat to him before she becomes an actual threat.

**Story Ideas:** Xander is a good villain to use in any setting that spans several states. He's constantly on the move, driving his vehicle from New York to LA and back, making stops anywhere and everywhere in-between. He may have allies among the Sons of Tyranny or similar gangs that live on the road.

Perhaps after a particularly heinous crime, a group of Shadowchasers manages to keep track of Xander after he vanishes, which leads to a cross-country chase. Such a story could well turn into a "Cannonball Run" scenario, only a lot more serious and deadly.

Any story involving Xander should involve Shania in some way. She is the key to his utter destruction, one way or another. Many Shadowchasers would like to recruit her, but Jalal has steadfastly refused to allow a ten-year-old to join the organization. This is not to say she cannot be an important part of a story. Being half-demon, Shania is pretty much a Shadowkind herself, and will likely never lose her ability to see the Shadows for what they are, as most children do. Whether this will be a boon or a curse, none can say.

**Deck Suggestions:** Xander uses Archfiends most of the time, using the regular ones, as well as the Synchro Monsters Thought Ruler Archfiend and Chaos King Archfiend.

He still uses Archfiends in his Turbo Deck, but he had to be very creative when building it, seeing as he cannot use Pandemonium in such a duel. He deals with the loss of Life Points by using Life-Absorbing Machine and Solemn Wishes, and makes very good use of Battle-Scarred. Thought Ruler Archfiend is more important in this deck, because it can also increase his Life Points.

On the other side of the coin, Shania is learning how to duel as well. She seems attracted to Vairon Monsters for some reason, possibly because they're Fairies and thus enemies of her father's Fiends. This sort of deck would never work in a Turbo Duel, however, as it's too dependent on Equip Spells, so her strategy will likely evolve in time.

_Xander was a creation of fanfic author Rocket Knight 777._


	48. TwoPronged Attack

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL FORTY-EIGHT**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Two-Pronged Attack**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

It was now three in the afternoon.

Boris nervously set some glasses of lemonade down.

"Uh, boss?" he said to Jalal. "You sure you don't want to take off that armor? I'm thinking it must make you awfully hot..."

"Boris..." said Jalal. "There was a time when knighthood was an honored profession, and knights considered their armor to be the symbol of that profession. As such, they only removed it when they slept."

"I'll take that as a no..." said the skull.

Jinx walked in, carrying a letter.

"Another letter came, Jalal," she said. "Stamp of Delivery again. Still no return address."

"They must know I'm here..." he said.

She handed it to him, and he carefully opened it.

He quickly read.

"Dear Jalal," he said, reading, "since you're in Neo Domino, I take it you've agreed to my terms.

"To show you I'm sincere, I've taken the liberty of casting Dimensional Lock on the park. The only way to enter it and the area in a three-block radius will be the old-fashioned way, so neither of us will be able to ambush the other with teleported reinforcements.

"My entourage will be the same size as yours. I take it you want to bring the four you're confiding in right now. We'll be waiting at the fountain in the center.

"I'll expect you there at eleven PM, sincerely, Taramanda..."

"She's lying," said Gears.

"Maybe," said Jalal. "But I think she intends to duel me anyway...

"She has some reason to do so..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The hours past, and finally, the sun set over Snakeskin Island.

Taramanda stood at the head of the table in the banquet hall, where all her minions had gathered.

"My most loyal subjects," she said. "For one thousand years, our people have been at war. For one thousand years, the organization started by a half-dragon has been a continual thorn in our side.

"This war has caused countless casualties, setbacks, and even defections, like my hated sister...

"But tonight, I have what I need for this war to end..."

She held up a deck of cards.

"It all comes down to this, my subjects. Forty-two cards, two of which containing dark power, and then further blessed by our goddess. This is the weapon that will bring us victory tonight. I will bear this weapon personally, and crush the leader of our foes in one swift stoke."

She raised a glass of viperwine.

"Now, let us lift our glasses as the Festival of Fangs begins. Let us make a toast, towards a new future, one in which the ophidia will finally take their proper place as the masters of this world, and where Seghulerak can reign supreme!"

The ophidia cheered, and lifted their glasses.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The full moon shone bright on Neo Domino as the clock moved towards eleven o'clock.

Jalal and the four Neo Domino Shadowchasers were walking towards the park. Taramanda had indeed cast a Dimensional Lock on the place, making teleportation and planar travel to it impossible until about eight o'clock the next morning.

Jalal had made preparations of his own. A call to Jeager had ended with a promise that Security would both stay out of the park and make sure that no civilians wandered in. Jalal just hoped that this promise would be kept. He didn't expect this to be pretty.

Being careful and watching to each side, the small party walked through the pathways, arriving at the center of the park, near the large fountain, right at the stroke of eleven.

Taramanda was there, all right. She had even set up an ornate chair to serve as a makeshift throne. Two torches lit by violet flames were set up on either side. Hebi-Na was next to her, holding the box of Dark Synchro cards, and Csimith, Msskim, and Magdalene were standing behind.

"I knew you'd show up," she said. "You just need to know what buttons to push to get someone to come running."

"You've pushed a whole lot of buttons, your majesty," said Jalal, in a sarcastic tone. "This is ending tonight, one way or another."

"Oh, I fully intend it to," said Taramanda.

She got off her throne, and held out her left arm. Msskim stepped up, and fitted a special Duel Dusk on her arm. It was made of black metal, had a flared tray with spokes in it, and a deck holder shaped like a cobra's head.

She fit her deck into it, and an auto-shuffler shuffled the deck.

"I'll tell you right now," said Jalal, "I'm not afraid of you, or any Dark Synchros."

He activated his Disk.

"Oh, you will be," replied Taramanda. "Let the battle begin!"

**(Jalal: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Taramanda: 8,000)**

"I'll make the first move," said Jalal, making a draw.

"I'll set a Monster, and a facedown card," he said, as two set cards appeared. "And I end my turn."

"Then the turn comes to me..." said Taramanda.

"I will set a Monster, and _two_ facedown cards," she said as three set cards appeared. "And I end _my _turn."

"Nothing much happening yet," said Ember.

"Don't worry," replied Jinx. "There's plenty of time..."

Jalal made a draw.

"I flip Masked Dragon into Attack Mode," he said.

His reversed card flipped around, and the metallic, red Dragon wearing a mask appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"Then, I summon Axe Dragonute."

There was an aura of darkness, and the black-scaled Dragon-man holding his axe appeared. (2,000 ATK)

"Masked Dragon, incinerate her Monster!"

Masked Dragon breathed a cloud of embers at the reversed Monster. Skelengel appeared on the card, and was blown to bits.

"Why thank you..." said Taramanda, as she made a draw.

"You'd best hope it can help you," said Jalal, "because now, Axe Dragonute attacks directly!"

Axe Dragonute flew at the anathema and slammed its axe into her torso. Taramanda grunted a little, but stayed upright.

**(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 6,000)**

"Axe Dragonute now moves into Defense Mode," said Jalal, as it knelt and held its weapon in its lap. (1,200 DEF)

"I'll throw another card facedown," he said, as a second reversed card appeared.

"And I end my turn..."

"But Axe Dragonute _did _help me Jalal!" said Taramanda, as her facedown card lifted up. "I activate Shock Draw. It lets me draw one card for every 1,000 points of damage I took this round."

She made two draws.

"Now, it's my move..."

She made another draw.

"Because you control Monsters, and I don't," she continued, "I can Special Summon Oracle of the Sun."

A beam of light was cast from the heavens, and a man dressed like a southern Native American shaman, holding a long staff with feathers on its end, wearing a medallion shaped like a solar disk, appeared in front of Taramanda. (1,000 ATK)

"Having done that," she continued, "I'll summon the Tuner Monster Fire Ant Ascator."

The new Monster that appeared looked like a large, red army ant, with an oversized head. (700 ATK)

"Now, I'll Tune together my Fire Ant Ascator with my Oracle of the Sun..."

The two Monsters turned into eight glowing stars. They flew into the night sky...

Then, a burst of radiance turned night into day. The four ophidia behind their empress cheered in excitement as a _huge _Monster started to appear. It looked like four serpentine Dragon heads, all connected symmetrically to a glowing disk shaped like a sun with a face at the center.

"Meet Sun Dragon Inti," said Taramanda.

(3,000 ATK)

"Holy..." said Shichiro.

"I'm only half-done!" exclaimed Taramanda, as she took another card from her hand. "I give up 1,000 of my Life Points to Special Summon the Dark Tuner Monster, Black Goddess Witaka!"

In an aura of darkness, a demonic hag with large claws and the lower part of its body trailing into dark fog appeared next to the Sun Dragon. (0 ATK)

"A Dark Tuner..." said Gears.

"That's right," replied Taramanda. "And next, I use its special effect. I choose one Synchro Monster on the field, and Witaka's Level becomes the same. Thus, since Sun Dragon Inti's Level is 8, Witaka's Level is now 8 as well."

Her facedown card lifted up.

"Next, Limit Reverse, which I'll use to summon Skelengel from the Graveyard."

The cherub with its bow and arrow appeared. (900 ATK)

"Finally, I subtract my Black Goddess Witaka from Skelengel..."

The Dark Tuner tuned into eight glowing stars. Skelengel squeaked in terror as they burned into it...

Then it burst into six dark stars, which started circling the field.

"I summon Inti's dark consort..." said Taramanda. "Moon Dragon Quilla!"

The Monster that appeared looked similar to Sun Dragon Inti, except that it was midnight blue in color, and the center was a disk shaped like a moon, again with a face. (2,500 ATK)

"I know these Monsters..." said Jalal. "Godwin himself used them..."

"Yes, and I did the research," replied Taramanda. "I know that these two Dragons represent the Incan gods of the sun and the moon. Incan emperors believed that they were descended from Inti, and that Quilla was his queen. They had a son named Manco Capac…"

"Ccapac Apu was the son of these things?" exclaimed Jinx. "Quite a family…"

"No, not quite," said Hebi-Na. "The Earthbound Gods were usurpers. They were demons, not true gods, and they took the names of the entities that were worshipped by the local humans to pave the way for their own worship. In a sense, they were like ur-priests."

"But they were defeated by the Crimson Dragon," replied Shichiro, "so that plan went out the window."

"And long may they rot…" said Taramanda. "But their servants will now serve the ophidia. You may have defeated every Dark Synchro up to now, but I now command one of the most powerful…

"Sun Dragon Inti, obliterate Masked Dragon with solar blast!"

Inti's ten eyes glowed with a fiery light, and a blast of flame shot from its center...

"I activate... Draining Shield!" shouted Jalal, as one of his facedown cards shot up.

The forcefield deflected the blast, causing energy to flow into Jalal.

"Nice..." said Taramanda. "But I still have Quilla. Attack! Lunar blast!"

Quilla's multiple eyes glowed, this time with cold flames. A bolt of the same energy shot at Masked Dragon, blowing it to shards.

"I can still use Masked Dragon's effect," said Jalal. "To summon a second Masked Dragon."

Another Masked Dragon appeared where the first had been. (1,400 ATK)

"Then, I set one card," said Taramanda, as a new reversed card appeared, "and my turn is over."

Then Moon Dragon Quilla sank into the earth, vanishing.

"Where'd it go?" asked Shichiro.

"Quilla goes to the Graveyard at the end of my turn," replied Taramanda.

"Somehow, I think that's a bad thing..." said Gears.

**(J: 10,100) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 5,000)**

"We'll see..." said Jalal.

He made a draw.

"First thing I'm doing, is moving Axe Dragonute back to attack Mode..."

Axe Dragonute stood up, and lifted its axe. (2,000 ATK)

"Then, I'll summon Chaos-End Master."

There was a beam of light, and the angelic, winged Warrior Tuner appeared. (1,500 ATK)

"Then, I play the Double Summon Spell Card," he said, as he played a Spell. "Now I can summon another Monster. Of course, ganging up is something you ophidia are quite used to, I believe...

"So I'll sacrifice Masked Dragon..."

The small Dragon vanished into an orb of light.

"For Sphere of Chaos!"

With beeps and whirs, the floating, spherical Machine appeared in front of Jalal. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, I'll Tune together Chaos-End Master and Sphere of Chaos..."

The two Monsters faded into eight glowing stars that flew into the night sky...

With a roar, Light End Dragon appeared to face Sun Dragon Inti. (2,600 ATK)

"Now, I'll use my Dragon's effect... By cutting 500 points off its score when it attacks, the attack target loses 1,500!

"Attack! Destroy Sun Dragon Inti! Shining Sublimation!"

Light End Dragon breathed a beam of pure light, its Attack Score falling to 2,100. Sun Dragon Inti's Attack Score fell to 1,500 as the bolt hit it squarely in the solar disk, and it exploded into shards of golden light.

"Yeah!" cheered Ember. "That thing isn't so tough!"

"You may have defeated Inti," said Taramanda, with a wicked grin, "but when Inti loses, it still wins, because it destroys the Monster that defeated it, and deals damage to you equal to your Monster's Attack Score!"

"Huh?" said Jalal.

Then Light End Dragon exploded into gibbets, and Jalal groaned in pain.

**(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 4,400)**

"At least I took out your Monster..." he said.

"True..." said Taramanda, "but when the sun sets, the day ends, and so the night begins, and with it comes the rising of the moon!"

As she said this, Moon Dragon Quilla loomed over the field. (2,500 ATK)

"In other words, if Inti is destroyed, I can immediately summon its Dark consort from the Graveyard."

Jalal considered for a minute. He looked at his facedown card.

"I end my turn..." he said.

Taramanda made a draw.

"First of all," she said, "from this point on, this Continual Spell will be in effect."

She played the card, and with an earth-shaking rumble, a ziggurat with two rows of kneeling statues in front of it appeared behind her.

"Altar of the Sun. With this card in play, all Monsters that are Special Summoned from the Graveyard gain 300 Attack Points.

"Next... I play Double Attack!"

She played a Spell Card.

"It lets my Monster attack twice, so long as I first discard a Monster with a higher Level.

"And since Quilla is a negative Level, even discarding my Level 2 Weeping Idol will do the trick."

She discarded the card.

"No fair!" shouted Gears.

"And what is fair, Gears?" asked Magdalene, speaking up for the first time. "The fact that your Sheddder can destroy a Dark Synchro no matter what Machine you discard?"

Gears stopped short.

"If you folks can find ways to take advantage of the negative Levels of the Dark Synchros," added Magdalene, "then so can we."

"Thank you Magdalene," said Taramanda. "Quilla, destroy Axe Dragonute!"

Quilla fired its lunar blast, and the Dragon man was blown to shards.

"Now, attack directly."

Jalal actually screamed as the powerful blast hit him.

Sweat poured down his brow. He started to turn pale.

**(J: 5,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 4,400)**

"Guys, look at Jalal..." said Ember. "He looks sick..."

"That's impossible..." said Shichiro. "Jalal _can't_ get sick..."

But Jalal knew that Shichiro was wrong. He realized what was happening... He wasn't stupid.

There are many traps that one can fall into when one becomes immortal. One of them is called Baldur Complex. Baldur was the Norse god of love and beauty. (Why this designation had been given to a male god is odd, to say the least.) He's most known for the story of his death, one of the key factors that was supposed to lead to Ragnarok. After both he and his mother had the same dream of his death, they saw it as a prophecy, and his mother made every substance in the world swear never to harm him. But overconfidence made her overlook the mistletoe, which she believed too harmless to pose a threat.

Confident that he could not be killed, the other gods amused themselves by hurling stones, spears, and even arrows at Baldur, making a game out it. But the trickster god Loki found out about his vulnerability to mistletoe, fashioned a spear out of it, and tricked Baldur's brother, the blind god Hod, into killing Baldur with it.

Baldur's Complex is developed by many immortal beings who also get careless, thinking themselves to be completely invulnerable, which often leads to doom. Jalal had been close to this syndrome six-hundred years ago, until a very close call with a lich who could control a Sphere of Annihilation (a dreaded magical artifact that could erase from existence any matter it touched).

Since that point, Jalal had made an effort to keep track of the things that could truly kill him. He knew about metatoxin... He had found out about it two-hundred years ago...

And he realized now that this duel had taken a deadly turn...

"I end my turn," said Taramanda. "So night ends..."

Moon Dragon Quilla sank into the ground again.

"...and day begins, and with it comes the rising of the sun."

Sun Dragon Inti appeared, casting its burning light over the field. (3,300 ATK)

_My plan is working, _she thought._ Jalal is looking a little green at the gills... He'll be able to resist the metatoxin for a while... But should I win this duel, nothing will be able to save him..._

"My move..." muttered Jalal.

He made a draw.

His facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Immortal Dragon to bring Light End Dragon back to the field."

Light End Dragon appeared again with a roar. (2,900 ATK)

"It will be so much fun to destroy it again," said Taramanda.

"Not quite," said Jalal. "I play De-Synchro!"

He played the Spell Card, and Light End Dragon vanished. In its place was Chaos-End Master (1,500 ATK) and Sphere of Chaos. (1,600 ATK)

"Then, I Tune them together again..."

The two Monsters turned into eight glowing stars again.

"You see, Empress... Your Sun Dragon isn't the only Dragon around here that has a Dark counterpart..."

With a roar, Dark End Dragon rose up in front of Jalal. (2,600 ATK)

"All right!" shouted Jinx. "If Jalal uses Dark End Dragon's effect, he'll send Inti to the Graveyard _without_ destroying it! That will mean no Quilla!"

"You heard her," said Jalal. "So... I cut 500 points off of Dark End Dragon's score..."

Dark End Dragon fell to 2,100 Attack Points.

"...and I'll chain this Trap Card," said Taramanda, as her facedown card lifted. "Destruct Potion!"

Sun Dragon Inti shattered into shards of golden light.

"This Trap destroys my Monster, causing Dark End Dragon to lose its target. And I gain Life Points equal to Inti's Attack Score.

"Even better... Since Inti _was_ destroyed..."

Moon Dragon Quilla rose in Inti's place. (2,800 ATK)

"Too bad you can only use that effect once per turn..."

Jalal held his chest.

"I end my turn..." he said.

**(J: 5,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,700)**

Taramanda made a draw.

"I set a facedown," she said, as a reversed card appeared.

"And then I attack with Moon Dragon Quilla!"

Quilla fired its lunar blast, blowing Dark End Dragon to pixels.

**(J: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,700)**

Jalal held his head. He _really_ was feeling sick now. He was dizzy, and breathing harder.

_A lovely shade of chartreuse, _thought Taramanda._ It won't be long now..._

"I end my turn..." she said. "And once again..."

Moon Dragon Quilla sank into the ground, and Sun Dragon Inti appeared again. (3,300 ATK)

Jalal looked at the one card he had left.

He drew another one.

Pot of Avarice.

_It's all or nothing... _he thought._ Let's hope she can't counter it._

He quickly played it, and the goofy jug appeared. He took Dark End Dragon, both Masked Dragons, Chaos-End Master, and Sphere of Chaos from his discard slot. His Disk shuffled his deck, and he made two draws.

He lifted an eyebrow.

He quickly set both cards, and two reversed cards appeared in his Spell/Trap Zone.

"End," he said.

"No Monsters?" shouted Ember. "Is Jalal crazy?"

"He's just not thinking clearly," chuckled Taramanda. "The metatoxin will do that..."

She drew a card.

"Metatoxin?" asked Shichiro.

"A rare type of venom..." groaned Jalal. "Possessed by some creatures native to the lower planes... It attacks the soul...

"Those two Dragons she's using... Have been tainted with it..."

"It's Seghulerak's poison," said Taramanda. "I'm not afraid to admit it now... After all, I don't see how knowing it can save you...

"Attack him directly!"

Inti fired its solar blast...

"I'm not dead yet!" shouted Jalal. "Activate Sakuretsu Armor!"

One of his two reverse cards shot up, and Inti exploded into shards.

"Why thank you, Jalal!" laughed Taramanda. "Now, I'm not only allowed to summon Quilla..."

Moon Dragon Quilla appeared once again. (2,800 ATK)

"But because I Special Summoned from my Graveyard, I get to activate this..."

Her Trap Card lifted up.

"Call of the Reaper. Now I get to bring Fire Ant Ascator back from my Graveyard."

The large Ant appeared again. (700 ATK)

"And don't forget, all Monsters Special Summoned from the Graveyard receive a 300-point bonus from Altar of the Sun."

(1,000 ATK)

"It's pointless, Jalal. You can't stop this cycle any more than you can stop the sun from rising!

"Quilla, attack!"

Jalal truly screamed as the Moon Dragon's lunar blast struck him, with coldness so chilling it was almost hot.

Then Fire Ant Ascator scurried up, and bit him on the leg. He fell down on one knee.

**(J: 500) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,700)**

"To be on the safe side," she said, "I'll set a card facedown..."

A reversed card appeared.

"And I'll end my turn... And with it, night ends..."

Moon Dragon Quilla sank again.

"...and day begins..."

Sun Dragon Inti appeared. (3,300 ATK)

"Sorry, your highness," said Jalal, "but that was just what I was waiting for..."

His other facedown card shot up.

"You say I can't stop the sun from rising? Then I'll just have to take it from you. I activate Tuner's Scheme!"

A familiar classical melody started to play over the field, and a sinister-looking man wearing a dark cloak, top hat, and monocle, holding a tuning fork flew out of the Trap Card.

"What's that music?" asked Csimith.

"Beethoven's Fifth?" said Magdalene.

"Since a Synchro Monster was Special Summoned to your side of the field," said Jalal, as he slowly got up, "Tuner's Scheme lets me take control of it. So I'm taking Sun Dragon Inti!"

Inti's ten eyes glazed over, and it was pulled over to Jalal's side of the field.

A look of panic appeared on Taramanda's face.

_If he attacks with Inti, _she thought,_ Seghulerak's venom will infect me!_

_I'd never survive... I have no choice..._

She looked at her facedown card.

_When he attacks, I'll activate Dimensional Prison... Then I'll move to plan-B..._

_Jalal may live, but there's an old saying... He who fails and gets away lives to win another day..._

"My move..." said Jalal.

He drew a card.

"I have to thank you, Taramanda..." he said.

He played the card he had already had, and Magna Drago appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"I've been saving this next card for a special occasion... And I think now is the time..."

Magna Drago and Sun Dragon Inti faded into ten glowing stars. Jalal threw his arms to the heavens as he felt his strength returning.

"_Mighty lord of Shadows who sired me... Great font of wisdom and avatar of might... Come forth from your palace in the great beyond to again walk the earth where poets once sang of your glory!_

"_Synchro Summon... Great Gold Wyrm!"_

There was a roar, and a light brighter than even Inti's radiance lit up the park as a Dragon twice as big as either of Taramanda's Dragons descended from the sky. Its scales were brilliant gold, and its face reflected both wisdom and incredible power at the same time. It measured a hundred feet long from head to tail, with a wingspan twice as long. (3,000 ATK)

"I don't like this any more!" shouted Msskim.

Jalal took a deep breath.

"That's one way to cleanse your system of demonic poison..." he said.

"Jalal..." said Gears, in awe. "That Dragon..."

"Can it be..." said Jinx.

"I had to pull a lot of strings and grease a lot of palms to get I2 to make this card..." said Jalal. "But it is... A card in the image of my father... Perhaps he was the true reason for the Shadowchasers being founded, even if it wasn't his intention...

"He gave me everything... His wealth, power, and advice were all that helped me start the Shadowchasers from scratch after his death... And even if my immortality causes me to lapse into madness someday, I'll never forget that..."

"Touching..." growled Taramanda. "I suppose you're going to accuse _my_ father of being abusive, which is why I ended up 'this way'."

"Don't put words in my mouth," said Jalal. "It will be up to the prison psychologist to find out your motives.

"Until then...

"Attack Fire Ant Ascator! Radiant blaze!"

The Great Gold Wyrm fired a blast of blazing, violet energy from its jaws at the much smaller Insect...

"Trap activate!" shouted Taramanda.

Her facedown card started to lift.

Then it shuddered, and could not lift further.

"Huh?" she said.

Then she screamed and was thrown back ten feet as the Ant was incinerated.

"Couldn't use your Trap Card?" asked Jalal. "Great Gold Wyrm's powers are released when at least one of the non-Tuners used to summon it is a Light-Attribute Dragon, like your Inti, and its powers increase depending on the power of that Dragon.

"If said Dragon was Level 4 or more, Great Gold Wyrm is immune to Traps that target a specific Monster. Level 6 or more, and it also prevents you from activating Traps until the end of the Damage Step. Level 8 or more, and I also get to destroy one Spell or Trap each time it inflicts damage.

"So… If you would…"

Dimensional Prison shattered into pixels.

Jalal set his last card in his Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

"It's your move..." he said.

**(J: 500) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 5,700)**

Taramanda made a draw.

She fit a card in her Disk, and a reversed card appeared in her Spell/Trap Zone.

"Make your move..." she said.

Jalal made a draw.

"I activate my Trap!" shouted Taramanda, as her facedown card lifted up. "I bring Inti back from the Graveyard with Call of the Haunted!"

"Sorry, your highness," said Jalal, "but after going through that cycle all duel, I'm _not_ starting it again."

His Trap Card lifted up.

"I activate Solemn Judgment!"

Lightning flashed, and a bearded man dressed in robes holding a cudgel, accompanied by two muses, appeared in the center of the field.

"It cost me half my Life Points," said Jalal, "but it's worth every one to make sure Inti doesn't come back."

Call of the Haunted shattered.

"Now, I play... Megamorph! Since my Life Points are lower than yours, this Equip Spell doubles my Monster's Attack Points."

Great Gold Wyrm let out a roar that shook the whole park. (6,000 ATK)

"Mercy... please..." said Taramanda.

"Mercy?" replied Jalal. "After you attacked my men using dark magic, attacked my compound and caused me millions in property damage?

"When you start a war, Taramanda, don't expect mercy when the tide turns against you…

"Attack directly!"

Taramanda screamed in agony as the final blow of the duel threw her against her throne, smashing it to bits.

**(J: 250) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 0)**

Jalal walked forward. Taramanda's crown had been knocked off her head. She was being helped up by her entourage.

He waited until he knew she was looking, and then stepped on it, crushing it.

"How _dare _you..." she said.

"It's all over, 'empress'," said Jalal. "Your empire has fallen. You're under arrest."

"I think not..." said Taramanda, getting up. "I'm getting out of here... And if the five of you don't like it, you can tell _these_ gentlemen!"

The air behind her shimmered and warped, and twenty ophidia soldiers holding scimitars appeared.

"I thought this place was covered by a Dimensional Lock!" gasped Ember.

"It was," said Gears. "Those ophidia were here the whole time. Mass Invisibility."

Jalal shook his head.

"I expected a double cross," he said. "But, you know... I guess it's true what they say...

"Great minds thing alike..."

He waved his hand, and another Mass Invisibility was cast aside. Behind him was a Shadowchasers strike team consisting of twenty soldiers, three Incantifers, and two golems.

"Your highness?" said Csimith. "Uh... Maybe we should surrender..."

"Shut up, Csimith!" shouted Taramanda.

She turned to Jalal.

"If it ends in a fight, Jalal, then that's fine with me... we're more than ready to..."

And then there was an explosion that threw the two leaders in opposite directions, accompanied by a smell of brimstone. A cloud of putrid, black smoke appeared in the center where the duel had been held.

Everyone watched, as a large, muscular, masked creature stepped out of the smoke. The ophidia nobles recognized him... It was the demonic guardian who had given Hebi-Na the Dark Synchros.

"You!" said Taramanda.

"Lovely duel," said the demon. "I couldn't have asked for better entertainment...

"Nice Dimensional Lock you set... But with the Dark Synchros here, it was incredibly easy for me to pick."

"What..." said Jalal. "Who..."

"What is this?" asked Taramanda.

"I see you've made good use of the Dark Synchros," said the Guardian. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid that your use of them is ending now. I'm taking them back."

The box vanished from Hebi-Na's hands.

"WHAT?" shouted Taramanda. "But… You said… You said that with the authority bestowed upon you, the cards were bequeathed to Hebi-Na!"

"I neglected to mention that I actually had _no_ authority in the matter," said the Guardian. "The Shadow Duel was played for mere enjoyment. I gave them to her because their true owner told me to.

"That owner has now told me to take them back. It believes that you snakes have outlived your usefulness."

Taramanda's eyes glowed with anger.

"So we've been _used_ this whole time?" she growled. "And they call _me_ a monster…"

The Guardian chuckled.

"Your subject said that the Earthbound Gods were demons rather than true gods…" he said. "The same can be said of the so-called 'goddess' you have pledged yourself to. As the high priestess of a demon, you should have known firsthand never to have trusted one…

"And Seghulerak isn't much of a demon either. She is what self-respecting demons like myself call a 'parasite of power'. The race she has created is long past its prime, and she has entered a slothful state in which she exists only to be waited on hand and foot by them. Folks like you exist only to keep false hopes of your race's future alive, and make the ophidia think that she is still worthy of being worshipped."

"You lie!" screamed Taramanda.

"Taramanda, calm down," said Jalal. "This creature is dangerous..."

"Do I now?" asked the Guardian. "Tell me… Did Seghulerak send you a vision, an omen, a portent… Did she send you any warning at all to tell you that you were being used by the true master of the Dark Synchros?

"She didn't, did she? It could be she lacked the power to do so... It could be she was as clueless as you…

"Or it could be that she just didn't care…"

That was too much. In pure rage, Taramanda changed into her hideous true form.

"Look out!" screamed Jalal, drawing his sword.

The anathema hissed, and lunged at the demon...

The demon's axe appeared in his hands. He made one mighty swing, and Taramanda fell backwards...

...in two pieces.

Everyone stared in shock for a second. Jalal was the first to respond. He dropped his sword, held his hands in front of him, and a new weapon appeared in them: a glowing M16A2, covered with strange runes.

This came as a shock even to the gathered Shadowchasers. They had heard about Jalal's enchanted assault rifle, but you could count on one hand the times he had actually been angry enough to summon it.

"Put your hands in the air!" he shouted, pointing it at the demon.

"I warned her..." said the demon.

"I said put your hands in the air!" demanded Jalal.

"_You_ warned her," said the demon. "And frankly, she had it coming..."

"Don't force me to kill you..." growled Jalal.

"I won't fight you, Jalal..." said the demon. "Taramanda had the same problem as all the folks who challenge you. She was stupid. Not smart, like me. I figure, you've been leading your group for a thousand years, so you must be doing something right...

"I'll just say that the ophidia's part in this whole deal may be over... But the deal itself isn't over..."

He started to fade away.

"...not by a long shot."

He was gone.

Jalal lowered the weapon.

The Shadowchasers looked at Taramanda's lifeless body. They looked at the other ophidia.

Csimith, Msskim, and Magdalene dropped their weapons. Then the ophidia soldiers did the same, one by one.

Jalal turned on his mobile.

"Jalal here," he said, somberly. "We need a large prisoner transport here... and a coroner...

"Oh yes, I'm absolutely certain that the victim is dead.

"And we're going to need all the grief counselors we have...

"We won... But it was definitely not a happy ending tonight..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

An hour later, Taramanda's body had been transported to the morgue at HQ, and the last of the ophidia had been taken away.

Shichiro walked up to Jalal, who was drinking bottled water.

"What's the tally?" asked Jalal.

"Twenty-six prisoners," said Shichiro. "Most of them already confessing to a variety of charges...

"But... uhm... There is one bit of bad news..."

"What?" asked Jalal.

"Hebi-Na..." said Shichiro. "She's missing... She must have slithered down a drain or something when that demon was making his speech..."

Jalal sighed.

"Figures..." he said.

He tossed the water bottle on the ground.

"Well, we'll find her... I don't know where she'll go now..."

"So what now, boss?" asked Shichiro.

"All we can do now is wait," said Jalal. "But I think a bit of a wait may be good... It's been a horrible night, after all.

"Keep the alert levels where they are...

"Taramanda is gone... But she was a pawn the whole time..."

"The aboleth?" said Shichiro.

"More than likely," replied Jalal. "The connection between the ophidia attacks and that thing's activities is quite clear now.

"It's not the beginning any more... Nor is it the end... We're at a place somewhere in-between..."

Shichiro sighed.

"One question boss..." he said. "If that demon had attacked us... Just what would you have done?"

"Do you think I was bluffing with that weapon, Shichiro?" asked Jalal.

"It could have killed that thing?" asked Shichiro.

Jalal shrugged.

"I'm pretty sure it could have," he replied. "It was what I used against Count Nyleth, after all..."

Shichiro gasped.

"That gun of yours killed the ruler of the Nightmare Court?" he shouted. "It's _that _powerful?"

Jalal nodded.

"Dear lord, Jalal, why do you even bother with your sword?" asked Shichiro.

"Shichiro," said Jalal, getting up, "when someone in a position similar to mine has a weapon of great power, but uses it too often, he becomes addicted to that power. He becomes drunk with the incredible might he wields, and starts to think he's invincible.

"I'll admit that I feel a rush whenever I pull out that thing... A rush of power... I almost feel like I should put a big 'J' on the front of this armor.

"But one of the reasons I didn't panic tonight when I realized that I was poisoned by a venom that could have truly done me in was because I've known for a long time that I'm _not_ invincible.

"So unless the situation truly warrants it, the gun stays locked in a vault, where I'm not tempted by its power."

He got up, and strode towards some other officials, leaving Shichiro to ponder this.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SUN DRAGON INTI (Monster Card, anime version)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 3,000  
**DEF:** 2,800

**Card Description:** _Tuner + 1 or more Non-Tuner Monsters_

Once per turn, you can reduce this card's ATK to 0 until the End Phase. This effect can be used during your opponent's turn. When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, destroy the monster that destroyed it, and inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster's ATK.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MOON DRAGON QUILLA (Monster Card, anime version)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Dark Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** -6  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** _1 non-Tuner Monster – 1 Dark Tuner Monster_

To Special Summon this card, subtract the Level of the Dark Tuner Monster used as Synchro Material from the combined Levels of the non-Tuner Monster(s) used. The value must equal the Level of this card. When a "Sun Dragon Inti" on your field is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon this card from your Graveyard. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon 1 "Sun Dragon Inti" from your Graveyard. During the End Phase of your turn, if this card is face-up on your side of the field, destroy it.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK TUNER BLACK GODDESS WITAKA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Dark Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 10  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** You may pay 1,000 Life Points to Special Summon this card from your hand. When this card is Summoned, select one face-up Synchro Monster on the field. The Level of this card becomes equal to the Level of the selected Monster.

_Note: "Dark Tuner Black Goddess Witaka" and the anime versions of the two Dragons were used by Godwin in the multi-part "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Signs of Doom". Creative credit goes to the writers of those episodes._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GREAT GOLD WYRM (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 10  
**ATK:** 3,000  
**DEF:** 2,500

**Card Description:** _Dragon-Type Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters_

This card cannot be Special Summoned except by Synchro Summon. This card gains the following cumulative effects based on what non-Tuner Monsters are used for its Synchro Summoning:

* Level 4 or greater LIGHT Dragon-Type: This card is not affected by Trap Cards that target a specific Monster.

*Level 6 or greater LIGHT Dragon-Type: If this card attacks, your opponent cannot activate any Spell or Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step.

*Level 8 or greater LIGHT Dragon-Type: If this card inflicts battle damage, destroy one Spell or Trap Card your opponent controls.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Ember: Two visitors come calling, both of which we've met before. The first has vital information that he's willing to give for free. The second, however, seems to have darker motives, and demands that I duel him before giving us what we need.**

**I have to agree to his terms, because it may be the only way we can find the Paragons... But something seems wrong... He's up to something... I just have to figure out what. **

"**Dark Designator" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**The Stork**

Evil comes in many forms, some recognized at first glance for all to see, others hidden behind false appearances and deceptions.

One of the most horrific examples of the latter is the creature known among the Shadowchasers as The Stork.

The Stork is clearly some sort of Shadowkind, but its true species and even gender is unknown. The few times this creature has been heard speaking, its voice comes across as hoarse and rasping. Its name comes from its bizarre yet frightening apparel, dressed in a dark purple opera cloak with a wide brimmed hat and an iron mask resembling the long beaked bird of its _nom de guerre._

The Stork is wanted for many different charges, from break-in to murder, but by and far its greatest crimes have been in kidnapping and human trafficking, primarily in children.

The methods are always the same: late at night when the parents are asleep the creature slips into the house and sedates the child with a potent toxin that, while non lethal, leaves its prey paralyzed and unable to communicate. Then to escape suspicion it leaves behind something that immediately resembles the stolen child.

This other creature seems to be the Stork's partner, whom some have speculated it to be some form of imp or changeling, while other believe its a parasite who works with the Stork in return for its gruesome payment. Some have speculated that the Stork and its partner might be fey creatures of some kind, as fey were once notorious for kidnapping children to get tissue to build their fairy homunculus. (This practice was ended, however, when they found out how easy it was to get children to give up their baby teeth.)

Children fetch a high price for a variety of illegal businesses and necessities amongst Mundane and Shadow alike. Children are used by some of the most immoral Shadowkind as soldiers, slaves, even material in occult sacrifices. Some believe that the Dread Emperor (detailed later) may be one of the Stork's best customers. As long as the creature is paid top dollar for its 'merchandise' it cares not what horrible fate the children come to.

As time went on more gruesome details of this practice came to light from Shadowchasers able to piece together the clues. Apparently once the transaction is done, however long it takes, an unknown signal is given to the creature posing as the stolen child, who then sheds its disguise and murders all present members of the family and consumes their remains. Thus the child's former life is erased.

If something goes wrong and the partner's deception is discovered early (which usually happens if a friend of the family is an Aware able to see such things) it flees right away, apparently more concerned about its own safety than any plan. This is, in fact, how the minute details of the Stork's MO have been pieced together.

The Stork also seems to be some manner of carnivore, as authorities have at times come across one of its makeshift lairs and have found child size bones, leading one to speculate that the Stork is not above consuming its abductees if it feels they are too weak or simply worthless to its potential buyers.

The Stork isn't stupid, of course. It isn't likely to strike in a place like a rich neighborhood where discovery of its partner's deception would cause a state-wide manhunt. It favors areas of high poverty in Europe; there amidst families struggling to feed themselves, it finds an abundance of children to abduct, both alone in the streets or living with vulnerable families. For now the Stork seems content with its gruesome personal agenda, but there is no telling if or when the Stork may grow more ambitious, and perhaps kidnap children of more powerful families.

**Story Ideas:** The Stork, though not as notorious as Darkness or Red Shroud, is one of the few Shadows to have earned a spot on the Shadowchaser's Most Wanted List.

Because of its notoriety, the Stork would prefer to continue its activities away from the eyes of any local or global authorities, and as such would not be considered a villain who would take an active role against the organization.

That is NOT to say though, that its presence in any location would be something to ignore. Any population currently being used by the Stork for abductions would be in very serious danger, and if Jalal were to have the chance to corner this elusive horror, he would likely send his best among the Shadowchasers.

To that end the Stork can fill the need for an intimidating antagonist for short stories, which could chronicle one or more Shadowchasers hunting the Stork across a city before confronting it in a makeshift lair.

Another possibility could be that, through sufficient payment (particularly rare and exotic Shadowkind youth who in certain practices would be worth their weight in gold) the Stork may act as an assassin, as its skill in infiltration makes it a terror to even the most well fortified of families among its prey. Be it a brief cameo, or a long running role, any battle involving the Stork would be likely among the more terrifying encounters of the story, if not for the inhuman nature of their quarry, then for the high stakes should they fail to stop this monster from continuing to prey upon the children of Europe and the rest of the world.

**Deck Suggestions:** The Stork's deck, for when it is either interested in or forced to use it, is unique in its focus on one particular low-Level Light monster, The Unhappy Girl. While most duelists simply see it as a decent stall card, the Stork prizes it as representation of its chosen prey, reveling in the idea of using a symbol of innocence and vulnerability for its own ends.

The Stork uses a variety of common cards that make The Unhappy Girl more useful (Spirit Barrier is one example). But due to its amassed fortunes in its business it has tracked down a series of previously unknown support cards for The Unhappy Girl that turn this card into the centerpiece of a lethal Burn/Lockdown deck, where the opponent receives damage every turn for every monster paralyzed by the Unhappy Girl's effect. Very few of these cards have ever been seen, so much of their nature remains unclear save a few ominous titles such as Miserable Company, Wail of Lament, and Reborn from Anguish

Note: The Stork is a creation of fanfic authors MichaelDj54 and MetalOverlord 2.0. They also made up the support cards for The Unhappy Girl, so any author wishing to use those cards should contact them.


	49. Dark Designator

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL FORTY-NINE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Dark Designator**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

The next two days were busy ones in the Shadowkind community. The status of Outlaw Race on the ophidia was lifted quickly, but that wasn't the primary concern. Whether it had been his intent or not, the demon guardian's words exposed the secret that Taramanda had worked so hard so long to keep hidden. It spread quickly across the globe, and responses came from ophidia clans... Not all of them the type that the Shadowchasers had expected.

While many clan leaders decried the demon's words as blasphemous lies, a surprising number said publicly that they had prayed to Seghulerak for years without a single response, and said that the demon's claim might be true. Several ophidia commoners agreed, claiming that all the sacrifices they had made to their goddess, all the wealth and possessions donated to her clergy, had given them no rewards at all.

In Chicago, on the second day, a group of ophidia met in Grant Park, where they burned several of Seghulerak's sacred tomes and scrolls on a bonfire, along with a deck of cards that included Vennominaga. The local Shadowchasers showed up, but the demonstration ended peacefully.

In Monaco, Tiffany Lords came out of hiding, claiming she had left to visit a sick relative. She and Prince Percival even posed for a photo op, proving that there was no marital discord.

Hope started to rise around the world in the hearts of other races... Hope that the ophidia might reject their wicked goddess entirely, and that peaceful coexistence with at least some of them might eventually be possible.

It all went almost unseen to the Neo Domino Shadowchasers. They were so exhausted, they spent almost all of the two days sleeping.

On the morning of the third day, they gathered around the breakfast table as Boris poured orange juice.

"Still no word from those four lunatics," said Jinx.

"Well, no news is good news, I always say," said Gears.

"I'm still a little confused," said Ember. "Just what is the difference between a demon and an evil god anyway?"

"Well, Ember," said Gears, "it's kind of like the difference between a symbiotic entity and a parasite. When someone worships a true deity, even an evil one, the deity gains power from the worship, and gives something in return. It may be something as simple as enlightenment, or in the case of the best faith, divine magic.

"Demons are different. They're parasites. Even if they're worshipped, they can rarely give their worshippers anything. They're selfish beings who just take all they can without giving anything in return.

"They might be able to grant a boon to some exceptional mortals, like Taramanda, but most get nothing."

"The Dark Signers certainly didn't get much from serving the Earthbound Gods," added Jinx. "At first, some of them thought they had been saved from dying, but it was only a grim parody of life. They were little more than slaves when you look at the whole situation."

"The sad thing is," continued Gears, "Seghulerak was likely a true god at some point in the past... But her power decayed, as did her sanity, and she degenerated into what she is now..."

Then the doorbell rang. They turned their heads.

"Now who could that be?" asked Shichiro.

He walked up to the door with the others following. He slowly opened it.

A tall man in a trenchcoat and fedora was standing at the door.

He took off his hat...

"Mal Ambrose?" exclaimed Ember.

It was indeed the duelist whom Ember had faced at the Harmonium's facility. But now he looked tired and disheveled, not at all as happy as he was before.

"The guy with the Kozaky Deck?" asked Gears.

"Let me in," said Mal. "I don't think anyone has seen me yet..."

"Who's at the door?" asked Gabriel, who was perched on the mantle.

Mal sat down on the couch.

"You?" said the phoenix. "You're a long way from home, aren't you?"

"And it wasn't easy to get here," he replied. "I violated enough dimensional travel laws to have my license suspended...

"Could I have a drink please?"

Boris poured some more orange juice into a glass. The lawyer took it and slowly drained it.

"But why?" said Ember. "You said you'd be rich once you collected your back pay..."

"The Psurlons claimed that they didn't remember any contract promising me overtime pay," he replied. "But they did remember the contract I had signed which requires me not to reveal any of their secrets to the law, which was signed using an enchanted clause. If I break it, I'll be stricken with... the Bells of Baphomet."

Everyone looked shocked, even Ember. They all knew what the Bells of Baphomet was. It was a demonic curse that had gained incredible notoriety. Only powerful demons and their allies could inflict it on mortals, and they reserved it for those who double crossed them, swindled them, or otherwise cheated them.

A mortal who was stricken with this curse would be immediately beset with the horrible din of fiendish bells that only he could hear. No known manner of protection would be able to silence them, and no matter where the victim ran, the horrible bells would torment him constantly, driving him to near-madness. There was no known cure. No form of anti-curse magic had ever been able to permanently silence the Bells of Baphomet. Magically-induced sleep seemed to protect a victim from them, but if this remedy was applied, the victim could never be allowed to wake up – the Bells would return as soon as he did.

And it got worse, because the Bells were actually a beacon for a shadowy assassin that most named the Demon of the Bells. No description existed of this beast; it always struck when the victim was alone, and no victim of the Bells had ever survived its attack. Unfortunate victims of the curse were always found torn to shreds, as if from some savage animal.

"So, the Psurlons are demon worshippers?" asked Shichiro.

"I don't think they worship anything," replied Mal, "but they have several powerful contacts, including many demon generals. But I wasn't helpless. I found my own copy of that contract, and like any good lawyer, I found a loophole in it. I can't tell the Harmonium anything, but the Bells won't harm me if I tell a law enforcement agency that has no jurisdiction over the Psurlons. Like the Shadowchasers."

The four Titans appeared, and started listening.

"Before I agree to tell you," continued Mal, "can the Shadowchasers grant me asylum? Once the Psurlons find out I'm here, I won't be able to go back home… They'll probably kill someone and pin it on me. Or bribe some underage teenage girl into accusing me of rape. There's nothing they won't stoop to."

"Calm down!" replied Shichiro. "We aren't the Men in Black, but…"

"Who?" asked Mal.

"Never mind," said Jinx. "I'm sure Jalal will think of something. Now start at the beginning."

Mal took a deep breath.

"The charges against Jetta were a sham," he said. "The ship that supposedly contained the thirty Psurlons who were killed was an unmanned droid ship. Her actions didn't kill anyone."

"And yet you prosecuted the case?" asked Ember. "You brought charges against her that you knew were lies?"

"The Psurlons told me to," replied Mal. "I just worked for them."

"You could have refused," said Ember.

"Then they would have fired me and quickly found another high-priced lawyer that _wouldn't_ refuse," said Mal. "With folks as rich as the Psurlons, you can't say no to them. They'll just get rid of you and find someone who'll say yes."

"Yeah, we have similar problems with some celebrities on this planet..." said Shichiro. "But... _Why_ did they falsify the claim?"

"I'm not sure..." replied Mal. "For some reason, they were simply angry at her for saving that planet."

"That doesn't make sense!" said Jetta. "The population of that planet had never opposed the Psurlons."

"Unless..." said Il Mathman. "Unless someone sent those comets on purpose..."

"No..." said Shannalla. "Those comets... They were so much like the ones that..."

The four Titans looked scared.

"Get ahold of yourselves!" said Gears.

He sighed.

"I think the key to learning the whole truth might lie with the Paragons... Unfortunately, they aren't gonna send us an invitation..."

"Uh, guys..." said Gabriel.

They saw that he was looking out the window.

"I hate to interrupt, but..."

They all looked out the window, and saw someone standing in the street.

"Joaquin..." said Shichiro. "Mal, stay in the house... It looks like someone has come back for more trouble..."

The four Shadowchasers walked out of the house, where Joaquin was standing on the street.

"Okay, Joaquin," said Shichiro. "What's the deal this time?"

"You likely don't think too highly of me, don't you?" asked Joaquin. "Well, you have me all wrong. I never killed anyone. I never even robbed anyone. I just do the work they're too proud to do. Wash their clothes, get their coffee, massage their feet…"

"And you have no problem with what they do?" asked Jinx.

"It's none of my business," replied Joaquin. "It's not like I have anything else to do, you know…"

"Why are you here, Joaquin?" asked Gears.

"Delivery…" he replied.

He took four sealed envelopes out of his robe.

"I was wrong," said Shichiro. "They _did_ send us invitations."

"But before I hand them over..." continued Joaquin.

He pushed back his sleeve, revealing his sinister-looking Duel Disk.

"...I want one more duel... With _you, _Ember."

"What?" asked Ember. "Why?"

"Does everything need a reason?" asked Joaquin.

There was a long pause.

"Maybe he's right…" said Gears. "Maybe he doesn't need a reason… But you know... I tend to think there is a reason..."

Ember looked at him. She loaded her deck into her Duel Disk.

"I don't know what your game is..." she said. "But I'll duel you if that's what you want... I'm not scared of those Aliens…"

The two Disks activated.

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Joaquin: 8,000)**

"I'll go first..." said Joaquin, drawing a card.

He chose a card, and set it on his Disk. A reversed Monster appeared.

"That will be all for now."

"Then it's my move!" said Ember.

She made a draw.

_All right!_ she thought.

"I summon Flamvell Firedog!" she shouted.

The burning hellhound appeared in a blaze of flames. (1,900 ATK)

"Typical..." said Joaquin.

"Roast his Monster!" she commanded.

Firedog spouted its flame at the facedown card. The Monster that appeared on the card was also a canine of sorts. It had the head of a demonic jackal, a muscular torso, batlike wings, and a lower body that trailed off into a smoky haze. (2,200 DEF)

"Emperor Sem?" exclaimed Gears. "Oh, that's bad news..."

"I've heard of that card, but..." said Jinx.

"When Emperor Sem is on the field," said Gears, "whenever a Monster is Tribute Summoned, each player can take a card from his Graveyard, and put it on the top of his deck. As you might expect, it works best in a Monarch Deck."

_Maybe, _thought Joaquin_, but it has other uses besides Monarchs... Like the Monsters I'm using... Creatures of nightmares more frightening than Monarchs could ever be._

"I set one card," said Ember, as a facedown card appeared, "and I end my turn."

**(E: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 8,000)**

Joaquin made a draw. He looked at it.

"I play my Foolish Burial," he said, as a Spell Card appeared.

He took a card from his deck, and discarded it.

_Probably Treeborn Frog,_ thought Ember.

"Then I'll set a Monster," continued Joaquin, as a reversed Monster appeared, "and end my turn."

_Okay... _thought Ember._ Maybe it wasn't Treeborn Frog..._

She made a draw.

"First, I summon Neo Flamvell Shaman," she said.

The tribal drums started to play, and the fiery witch doctor leapt onto the field. (1,700 ATK)

_Emperor Sem is too tough for Firedog to crack... _she thought._ Let's see if his other Monster is..._

Firedog blasted a stream of fire at the hidden Monster. A nasty little imp with large eyes appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

"So much for that," said Ember. "Now I Special Summon Flamvell Archer."

Archer appeared, pointing his bow. (1,000 ATK)

"And now, I Tune both my Monsters together..."

The two Flamvells flew into the sky, and turned into seven glowing stars...

Flamvell Enchantress alighted on the field. (2,900 ATK)

"Not bad..." said Joaquin.

"It's your move..." said Ember.

"I draw!" said Joaquin, making a draw.

"And that Monster you destroyed last turn was a useful little guy called Scout of the Inverz. At the beginning of my first Main Phase, if I control no Spells or Traps, I can Special Summon it from the Graveyard."

The small imp appeared again. (200 ATK)

"So it IS like Treeborn Frog," said Ember.

"Not quite," said Joaquin. "I can only sacrifice Scout for the Tribute Summon of another Inverz Monster."

"Inverz Monsters?" said Jinx.

"What the hell are those?" asked Gears.

"I'll show you," said Joaquin. "I sacrifice my Scout..."

Scout of the Inverz turned into a glowing orb of energy.

"...to summon Inverz Madith."

In an aura of darkness, a tall, muscular, and incredibly ugly demon appeared. It was covered by a black exoskeleton similar to an insect's, and had scythe-like claws similar to that of a praying mantis and a long, segmented tail. (2,200 ATK)

"Eww..." said Ember.

"First, Emperor Sem's effect kicks in," said Joaquin. "But I think I'll forego it. You're free to use it if you want..."

Ember considered. Then she took Flamvell Archer from her discard slot, and put it on top of her deck.

"Next, since I summoned Madith by sacrificing another Inverz," continued Joaquin, "I can pay 1,000 Life Points to Special Summon another Inverz from my Graveyard. So I'll summon the one I put there with Foolish Burial, Gatekeeper of the Inverz."

A large, hulking creature, again with a black exoskeleton, on all fours, crouched next to the other two Fiends. (1,900 DEF)

Joaquin set a card in his Disk, and a reversed card appeared behind the three Monsters.

"I end my turn."

**(E: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 7,000)**

_Something's wrong here... _thought Ember, as she made a draw._ Madith is clearly weaker that Enchantress... But he still could have attacked Shaman..._

She looked at the card she had drawn, which was Archer.

_I could summon Jetta... _she thought._ But it may be too risky..._

"Enchantress, attack..." she started.

"I activate my Trap!" shouted Joaquin, as his facedown card shot up.

"Aggressive Wave! To activate this, I have to send one Inverz that I previously Tribute Summoned back to my hand..."

Inverse Madith disappeared.

"...and in return, I get to destroy one card."

A blast of energy shot out of the card, striking Flamvell Enchantress and blowing her to shards.

"HEY!" shouted Ember.

She paused.

_He's going to summon Madith again next round..._ she thought.

She set a card on her Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared. Then Neo Flamvell Shaman crouched in Defense Mode. (200 DEF)

"I end my turn!" she shouted.

Joaquin made a draw.

"Once again, I Special Summon Scout of the Inverz," he said.

Scout appeared once again. (200 ATK)

"Then, once again, I sacrifice it..."

Scout of the Inverz vanished, and Madith appeared again. (2,200 ATK)

"Emperor Sem's effect activates, and this time, I'm using it."

Joaquin took a card from his Graveyard, and placed it on the top of his deck. Ember took Flamvell Enchantress's card, and returned it to the Extra Deck.

_It's obviously Aggressive Wave..._ thought Ember.

"Next," continued Joaquin, "because Gatekeeper is on the field, and I just summoned an Inverz, I'm allowed to make another Normal Summon.

"So... I'll sacrifice Gatekeeper..."

Gatekeeper vanished into grains of light.

"...to summon Inverz Morth."

Another ugly, bug-like demon appeared next to Madith. This one had large insectile wings, worn like a cape, a muscular torso, short antennae, and again, a segmented tail. (2,400 ATK)

"You're free to use Sem's effect..."

"I don't think so..." said Ember.

"Then I'll use Morth's effect," continued Joaquin. "When it's Tribute Summoned, I can give up 1,000 Life Points to send two of your cards back to your hand."

Ember gasped as Neo Flamvell Shaman and her Trap Card were blown off the field.

Joaquin turned a card on his Disk, and Emperor Sem moved to Attack Mode. (1,300 ATK)

_This is gonna hurt..._ she thought.

"Emperor Sem," ordered Joaquin, "attack her Monster! Focus blast!"

Sem formed a ball of glowing, crackling energy in its hands, and threw it at the reversed Flamvell Archer, blowing him to bits.

"Madith, attack directly with razor storm!"

Ember grunted in pain as the fiend gestured, and a volley of razor-sharp shards flew into her.

"Morth, sonic scream!"

The other Fiend let out an ear-splitting wave of sound, and Ember was knocked on her behind.

**(E: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 6,000)**

"Feeling hurt?" asked Joaquin, "well this will make you feel better..."

He played a Spell Card.

"Upstart Goblin. You gain 1,000 Life Points, but I get to draw one card."

He made a draw.

"In other words," said Jinx, "he's getting the card he recovered with Sem's effect now."

"That's right," said Joaquin, as he fit it into his Disk.

A reversed card appeared.

"And it's your move..."

**(E: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 6,000)**

Ember made a draw.

_All right... _she thought._ He's definitely serious about this..._

_But what's with these Inverz? Do they have some sort of symbolic meaning like the Aliens did?_

_Hard for these... things to represent any sort of childhood memories..._

"I'll re-set this first..." she said, as her reversed card appeared again.

"Then I'll summon Tenkabito Shien!"

There was the neigh of a horse, and Shien galloped onto the field. (1,500 ATK)

"Shien here is immune to Traps," said Ember. "That means he can't be destroyed by Aggressive Wave."

"That may be true," said Joaquin, "but I can stand to lose Sem..."

"You misunderstand," said Ember.

She played a card.

"Once I play Battle-Tuned, and remove Flamvell Archer from play, Shien will be strong enough to take on your big boys."

(2,500 ATK)

"Cut down Inverse Morth!" she shouted. "Sword of burning pride!"

Shien galloped towards the wicked Fiend, and made a slash with his nodachi, cutting it in twain.

**(E: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 5,900)**

She glared at Joaquin.

"I'm finished..." she said.

Joaquin frowned he made a draw.

"Madith and Morth may be 'big boys' among the Inverz," he said, "but there are even bigger ones. This next Monster is Level 7...

"However, I can summon it with one sacrifice, so long as said sacrifice is an Inverz.

"So, goodbye Madith..."

Inverz Madith vanished into a globe of light.

"...hello Inverz Gilafer!"

The Fiend that appeared this time was far more hulking than the last two. Its exoskeleton was muscular like a bodybuilder, and covered completely with spikes and barbs. Its face was covered with horn-like protrusions, it had a longer tail than the others, and it had a prosthetic right hand that looked uncomfortably like a cannon muzzle. (2,600 ATK)

"Impressive, isn't it?" asked Joaquin, "I think I'll forego Sem's effect again... But by summoning Gilafer, I can send one card on the field to the Graveyard."

Ember stepped back in shock as Shien vanished.

"As you can see, I didn't have to pay Life Points that time," continued Joaquin. "In fact, as a side effect, I _gain _1,000 Life Points.

"Now... Attack her directly!"

Gilafer aimed its cannon arm, and fired a blast of burning plasma...

"Did you forget about _this_?" asked Ember.

Her facedown card shot up, and Draining Shield appeared. The blast was absorbed by an invisible dome.

"Cute..." said Joaquin. "Sem... Your turn..."

Emperor Sem fired its focus blast, hitting Ember in the chest. She doubled over in pain.

Joaquin smirked.

"It's your move..." he said.

**(E: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 6,900)**

Ember drew a card.

"Gilafer may be too tough for me to handle," she said, "but you left Sem vulnerable!

"You remember Neo Flamvell Shaman, right?"

She played the card, and Shaman leapt onto the field again. (1,700 ATK)

_C'mon, take the bait..._ she thought.

"Sorry..." said Joaquin.

His facedown card shot up, which was indeed Aggressive Wave. Gilafer vanished, and Shaman was blown to bits.

Ember smirked slightly. She took two cards from her hand, and set them in her Disk. Two reversed cards appeared in front of her.

"That's all for me..." she said.

"Fine then..." said Joaquin. "I draw!"

He drew a card.

"And that's what I've been waiting for!" exclaimed Ember, as one of her cards shot up.

"The Transmigration Prophecy! Now I can send two cards in either Graveyard back to the owners' decks.

"And I choose Scout of the Inverse, and Aggressive Wave!"

Joaquin was so shocked, he nearly dropped his cards.

"All right!" exclaimed Gears. "Joaquin just lost his easy way to summon his Inverz, and he can't get back that Trap using Sem's effect!"

Joaquin growled as his deck was reshuffled. He looked at Gilafer's card. Then he looked at the other three cards in his hand.

_Emperor Sem isn't an Inverz... _he thought._ So I can't use him to summon Gilafer with one sacrifice..._

_Oh well..._

"Emperor Sem," he ordered, "attack her directly!"

Emperor Sem formed its focus blast again. Ember quickly considered whether or not to use her other Trap Card.

At the last minute, she decided against it, and the blast slammed into her.

**(E: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 6,900)**

"Continuing," said Joaquin, as he placed a card in his Disk, "I'll end my turn by playing Nightmare's Steelcage!"

The ground erupted in flames around Ember, and a large, domed, iron cage studded with spikes formed around her.

"Now you can't attack for two of your turns."

"Yeah, well," said Ember. "Neither can you..."

"It's your move..." said Joaquin.

Ember made a draw.

She played a card, and Flamvell Gurnika appeared in front of her in an aura of flames. (1,700 ATK)

"That will be all for me," she said.

Joaquin made a draw.

"I play my Akashic Record Spell Card," he said, as he quickly played it. "I'm sure you know how this works... I get to make two draws, but if either card has already been used, I lose both of them..."

He made two draws. He looked at them. Then he turned them towards Ember to show that they had now, indeed, been used yet.

Ember shivered a little. One of them was Call of the Haunted, which was common enough... But the other was a Level 8 Monster, and she did not like the look of it at all.

Joaquin chuckled.

"I know what you're worried about," he said. "You're worried that this Monster, like Gilafer, has an effect that lets it be summoned with one sacrifice.

"Well, worry no more. It doesn't. In fact, to use its true effect, I must summon it by sacrificing two Inverz Monsters.

"I set a card facedown, and then move Emperor Sem to Defense Mode."

A reversed card appeared, and then Sem shielded himself with his arms. (2,200 DEF)

"And I end my turn..."

Ember quickly made a draw.

"I set a Monster," she said, as a reversed Monster appeared, "and move Gurnika to Defense Mode."

Gurnika knelt, and crossed his arms. (200 ATK)

_Even if he uses Call of the Haunted to summon one of his Inverz, _she thought,_ I'm safe from that big Monster's effect for at least a round..._

"My turn is over," she said, as the Nightmare's Steelcage dissolved and turned to dust.

Joaquin drew a card.

He grinned.

"I think he has a good card..." chirped Gabriel.

"That I did," chuckled Joaquin, as he played it. "I activate the Spell Card, Alter Ego! Now, I can remove a Monster on the field from play, and in exchange for that, summon one from the Graveyard...

"However, the one I summon has to be the same Type and Level as the one I remove.

"So... Since Emperor Sem is a Level 4 Fiend, I can get rid of it..."

Sem vanished into nothing.

"...and there's only one Monster in my Graveyard that fits the bill, but it will do..."

Gatekeeper of the Inverz appeared in front of him. (1,500 ATK)

"Next, Call of the Haunted!"

His facedown card lifted up, and Inverz Madith appeared next to the Gatekeeper. (2,200 ATK)

_No..._ thought Ember.

"Now, begone!" exclaimed Joaquin, as the two Inverz turned into globes of energy.

The two combined into one large globe that turned into a glob of shadow... A loud snarl came from it...

Then it burst...

Standing in all its horrible glory was the biggest and nastiest Inverz of all. It had the basic gargoyle-shape of a typical demon, covered with an insectile exoskeleton, with beetle-like wings on its back, three horns on its head, a thick, segmented tail, and claws that looked like long barbs.

"I give you... Inverz Gasath!"

(2,800 ATK)

The Fiend growled as it stared hungrily at Ember. Saliva dripped from its pointed teeth.

"Gross..." said Ember. "I'm starting to think that Kaibacorp is making this a little _too_ lifelike."

"Need I remind you that since I sacrificed two Inverz to summon it," said Joaquin, "I can use its effect?

"Actually, _two_ effects. I get to choose which. I now get to either destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field, or destroy all Monsters on the field except for this one.

"Seeing as that facedown card of yours was apparently of no use against my last attack... I think I'll choose the latter option..."

Ember stepped back in shock as Inverz Gasath hurled a bolt of black, shadowy energy, blowing Gurnika and her concealed Neo Flamvell Origin to bits.

"Ember!" screamed Jinx.

"I'm fine!" shouted Ember.

She looked at the huge Fiend, who was preparing to fire another blast.

_At least I hope I am..._ she thought.

"Attack directly!" shouted Joaquin. "Wave of destruction!"

The shadowy energy shot forward in a concentrated beam, and Ember let out a bloodcurdling scream...

**(E: 1,300) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 6,900)**

When the smoke cleared, Ember was still standing, but she was limp, her head was bowed, and she was taking gasping breaths.

She slowly looked at Joaquin.

"I'm not done," he said. "I play a facedown..."

A reversed card appeared.

"And then, the Equip Spell, Gauntlet of Supremacy."

Inverz Gasath lifted its right arm, and an ugly iron glove studded with spikes around the wrist appeared on it.

"This Equip will last for two of your turns. During that time, Gasath cannot be beaten in battle by Monsters who are a lower Level than it is."

"Say what?" said Ember.

"And I end my turn..." said Joaquin.

Ember paused before she drew.

She looked at the two cards in her hand, Spirit of Flames and Rekindling.

She looked at Gasath, then at the Equip Spell...

...then at the facedown card.

Then she looked to her side, and saw Jetta standing next to her.

_I know what she's thinking... _she thought._ It seems a little TOO obvious._

_I could summon her... But I have a feeling it's not a good idea..._

She looked at her deck.

_Here goes nothing..._

She drew a card.

She lifted an eyebrow.

Tenkabito Shien slipped out of her discard slot, and she pocketed it.

"I'm removing one Fire Monster from play," she said, "to Special Summon Spirit of Flames."

A bonfire appeared in front of her, and the demonic fire elemental appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"Now, I play Rekindling!"

Four more bonfires appeared, and they turned into Flamvell Firedog (1,900 ATK), Flamvell Gurnika (1,700 ATK), Neo Flamvell Shaman (1,700 ATK), and Neo Flamvell Origin. (500 ATK)

Joaquin smirked slightly...

"I sacrifice Spirit of Flames and Neo Flamvell Shaman..." said Ember.

"Huh?" said Joaquin.

The two Pyros turned into a ball of fire...

In an explosion of flames, Infernal Flame Emperor loomed over the field. (2,700 ATK)

"Hey, wait a minute..." said Joaquin.

Ember took the Spirit of Flames card from her discard slot.

"Let's see just what the deal is..." she said. "Emperor... Destroy what he has hiding!"

Infernal Flame Emperor hurled a fireball at the card, and it lifted up before exploding into ash. Everyone was shocked when they saw what it was.

"Tuner's Scheme?" gasped Jinx.

"He was going to pull the same trick that Jalal used on Taramanda?" added Gears.

"Well..." said Ember, with a chuckle. "Copycat, copycat, shame on me... To think... I thought these Inverz Monsters had some deeper meaning...

"They're nothing but eye-candy, aren't they? The plan was to capture Jetta the whole time."

"Yeah, but don't blame the Paragons for it," replied Joaquin. "I was just supposed to give you the invitations and leave.

"But I figured I might be able to score some brownie points this way."

"Why?" said Shichiro. "Why would you want to please them?"

"Do you know what it's like working for them?" asked Joaquin. "Menzoberra complains for two hours minimum if I put regular cream cheese on her bagel instead of strawberry flavor.

"To them I'm little more than a gofer. It's always 'Joaquin, go for coffee!' 'Joaquin, go for sandwiches!' And that's the better part of my job.

"Any time I can do something to impress them, I do it..."

"So I suppose you were telling a boldfaced lie when you said you never hurt anyone?" asked Shichiro. "Or maybe you believed it... Maybe you thought that your attempts to impress them weren't hurting anyone...

"Well, maybe you should go back and look into what happened in the aftermath of each time you did something like this. You might be _very_ surprised!"

Joaquin looked at him.

"This duel isn't over yet, Michiko!" he shouted. "Infernal Flame Emperor may be Level 9, which makes that Gauntlet useless, but Gasath is still 100 Attack Points stronger!"

"True," said Ember, "but now that the coast is clear, I can Tune Origin, Firedog, and Gurnika..."

The three Flamvells soared into the sky above the Tops. They dissolved into ten glowing stars as the three blazing suns appeared.

"_Power of a supernova, energy of a solar wind, the souls of billions supporting her majestic flight! The raw power unleashed at the moment of Creation flowing through her veins… Heroine of a lost race… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force… _

"_Synchro Summon, Jetta the Bronze-Hearted!"_

Jetta alighted next to the other Pyro, and gave Joaquin a dirty look. (2,800 ATK)

"Uh... oh..." said Joaquin.

"Now, my Trap Card activates," said Ember, as her reversed card finally revealed itself. "Call of the Haunted!"

With a howl, Flamvell Firedog bounded back onto the field. (1,900 ATK)

Jetta's flaming sword formed in her hand.

"Now, let's add 'em up!" exclaimed Ember. "With a Level 9 Fire Monster and a Level 4 one on the field, Jetta gains a bonus of 2,600 points!"

(4,400 ATK)

"And since Jetta is Level 10, that Gauntlet can't stop her from crushing your Monster either..."

Jetta leapt up over the field.

"But... I think you already knew that. Destroy Inverz Gasath! Nova blade!"

The demon let out an unholy scream as the Titan cut deeply with her fiery blade. An explosion rocked the street, and Inverz Gasath was no more.

"Infernal Flame Emperor... Attack him directly!"

The huge Pyro blew a blast of fire at Joaquin, and the henchman hollered.

"Argh!" he screamed. "It burns, it burns!"

"Too bad!" said Ember. "Firedog... Finish him off!"

Joaquin screamed again as Firedog's flame hit him in the chest...

**(E: 1,300) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 0)**

...but when the smoke cleared, he was gone. All that remained were four envelopes lying on the ground.

"Be careful, people..." said Shichiro.

He walked up to the four envelopes.

They were sealed with wax using old-fashioned signet rings, and their names were hand-written on the fronts with what looked like equally old-fashioned pen.

"Gears?" asked Shichiro.

Gears checked the device he had brought to detect magical auras. However, he was not getting so much as a flicker.

"They seem to be safe," he said. "But let's be careful anyway..."

Shichiro took the one with his name, and broke the seal.

"Yeah, it's an invitation, all right," he said, as he read it. "Even has a map drawn here. And a clock with the time he wants me there..."

Jinx, Gears, and Ember took theirs.

"Interesting..." said Gears, as they compared them.

"People..." said Jinx. "These locations... They're pretty far apart from each other... You'd have to cross the city four times to go to each one."

"Figures," said Shichiro. "They aren't dumb... They're making sure each confrontation is on their turf, like last time...

"People, it may be difficult, but we have to meet them on their terms. This may be the only way to that aboleth, the one who's causing all this mess."

"Agreed..." said Gears. "Maybe we should head out now... If we get there early, we may foil any traps that they can set... And maybe set some of our own."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fifteen minutes later, four D-Wheels sped down the streets of the Tops.

None of them saw that Minerva was watching, as she had during the whole duel.

As soon as they were out of sight, she spoke into her communication device.

"The four Shadowchasers have gone to confront the Paragons," she said. "I fear this may end badly."

"There is very little we can do Minerva," said the voice on the other end. "The terms of Domiel's Benediction, which Jalal agreed to, are quite clear. We cannot interfere with their business except to do what we promised to do, and in return, Jalal's men stay out of ours.

"If the Paragons agree to fight them via duel battle, it is out of our jurisdiction.

"For now... You may observe..."

Minerva turned off the device, and mounted a D-Wheel of her own. She sped off in the direction Shichiro had gone.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The four Paragons were bored.

They were beings of Chaos, and as such, careful planning and adherence to rules, which the aboleth insisted on, made them sick. They really hated the times it or its allies called on them to do something.

But seeing as they had no choice, they did anyway.

Right now, the four of them were doing their best to stave off their boredom. In another cavern containing a large pool of water (an entrance to the seawater-flooded complex where the aboleth made its lair) they were seated around a table made from a sawed-off stalagmite, playing cards, using cookies and other snack foods for poker chips.

"I'll see you and raise you an Oreo," said Rary.

"Fine..." said Iggwilv. "I'll see that, and raise you a Fig Newton."

"I'll see both of you and raise you two Chips Ahoy," said Soth.

"You're bluffing!" said Menzoberra.

"You're right!" exclaimed Soth with a sigh. "I fold..."

"All right..." said Menzoberra. "All in, people..."

Iggwilv put her cards on the table.

"Three sevens!" she said. "Beat that."

"Gladly," said Rary, putting his hand down.

It was three twos and two aces.

"Full house! Read 'em and weep!"

"Ugh..." said Iggwilv, throwing her cards down.

"Well, Menzoberra?" asked Rary.

"Aw, gee..." said Menzoberra. "All I got is two pairs..."

"Heh..." said Rary, as he started to reach for the pot.

Then Menzoberra grabbed his hand.

"As I was saying..." she said, as she turned her cards around. "I have two pairs... A pair of tens... And another pair of tens..."

Rary sighed as she took the winnings.

"There should be a rule against wearing veils at a card table," he said. "It makes it easier to have a poker face."

"Guys, this is stupid!" said Soth. "We're playing cards for fudge bars and macaroons, while above us a whole planet ripe for the taking!

"Couldn't you feel it when you were up there? The pulsating life energy just calling out to you?

"If I could go up there, I'd be like a kid in a candy store..."

"_More like a bull in a china shop,"_ said the aboleth's voice.

They stood up, and saw the creature surface out of the pool.

"_While I despise the sentient races that populate this planet, Soth, _it said,_ "I know from experience that by the time you four are done with a world, it is often unable to even support life._

"_And this planet still has value for me in that regard. Thus, this world cannot turn into one of your typical binges. _

"_Anyway... I have good news and bad news... The bad news is, Joaquin will not be attending you for a while. He is being disciplined for defying orders."_

"I knew the little twerp would get in trouble one of these days..." sighed Rary.

"_The good news is," _continued the aboleth,_ "it's time..._

"_Go... I trust you know the plan that we've gone over so many times..."_

The four Paragons lifted their left arms, and the evil-looking Duel Disks appeared on them.

The Rary turned into a cyclone of wind, and then dissipated. Soth melded into the ground with a rumble. Menzoberra melted into liquid and vanished. And Iggwilv vanished into an aura of fire.

The aboleth let out a long sigh...

It had worked with elemental beings for eons... Why couldn't any of them simply use the door?

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALTER EGO (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A split scene with a jagged line down the middle. One the right, Warrior Lady of the Wasteland is rushing towards the middle, and on the left, D.D. Warrior Lady is rushing away from it.

**Card Description:** Remove 1 Monster you control from play. Special Summon from your Graveyard a Monster of the same Type and Level as the removed Monster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GAUNTLET OF SUPREMACY (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image: **Dark Ruler Ha Des wearing an iron, spiked gauntlet, glowing with magical power.

**Card Description:** The Equipped Monster cannot be destroyed by battle by Monsters that are a lower Level than the Equipped Monster. On your opponent's second End Phase after this card is activated, destroy this card.

_The Inverz cards will be released in "Duel Terminal 10: Raid of the Inverz!"._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Shichiro: Something weird is going on here... I expected to meet Rary...**

**But this place that the invitation has led me to doesn't suggest the type of place that a master of Wind would want to use as a battleground. It just doesn't seem right. **

**I may not get what I expect... And I may get more than I bargained for...**

"**Bone Temple Block" is coming soon...**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**The Dread Emperor, Enigma of Evil**

Evil has some secrets that remain dark and mysterious. One mystery that the Shadowchasers have been investigating for the past few years is the Dread Emperor, an insane killer who has been encountered on almost every continent. His motivations and intentions remain a mystery, but he is clearly a sociopath.

It is not known if the Dread Emperor (who does not seem to rule any empire, despite his name) is human or Shadowkind. He always wears full plate armor, complete with a visored helmet. The armor is of the finest quality, of masterwork design. He carries no weapon, however. Most shocking, three or four children are always chained to his belt with collar chains. These children are clearly under some form of mind control, and never speak, simply plodding along with their captor.

The Dread Emperor is actually not one to start a fight via his own initiative. He usually shows up in places where the criminal element is powerful, like slums of cities and lawless nations where the government has little power. He meets with criminals and unsavory Shadowkind like ophidia and dark elves to sell potions, scrolls, and magic items. But even in these places, people often challenge him to rescue the children... And that's when the bloodshed starts.

It's quite rare for the Shadowchasers to actually confront the Dread Emperor; he's usually long gone by the time they reach the site of one of his outbursts, leaving them to investigate the smoldering ruin he leaves in his wake. According to frightened survivors, when a fight breaks out, it becomes clear that, despite the armor, he is not a warrior at all, but a wizard with power on par with an archmage. His spells are not subtle – he decimates enemies with Fireballs and Lightning Bolts. One witness even described a spell that was probably Meteor Swarm, which is an epic-level spell.

Some Incantifers believe that the children he keeps with him must have some practical use connected to his magical ability. They have theorized that perhaps they act as familiars of some sort, enabling him to use magical energy that he would otherwise not have access to. The truth remains a secret known only to him.

The Dread Emperor seems to have few allies. He is always alone, aside from the children (and they are not the same children each time). Some believe that the Stork might provide the children, but even then, it is not known if they are allies. It is not known where the Dread Emperor's base of operations is either.

The Dread Emperor's ultimate goal is a mystery as well, but he is sometimes seen with a Duel Disk, hinting to others that he is close to finding "the Dark Ones". Possibly, he is looking for some special cards. It may be that he is trying to find the Wicked Gods or Haou Judai's Evil Heroes. How close he is to his goal, none can say, but one hopes that the answer is "not very".

**Story Ideas:** A lot of the Dread Emperor's slate has been left clean for others to fill in. Who is he? Anyone's guess is as good as the next. He might be a knight who was cursed for some reason. Possibly, he is even a death knight, like Jalal mentioned, or Sir Belvedere himself, the first of the Lost Ones.

If any hero encounters this fiend, it is his or her top priority to try to take him down. Clearly, the children are slaves of some sort, and one cannot let this continue. Of course, defeating a wizard this powerful is tricky. It will take clever strategy and fast thinking.

A short story can be constructed around the Dread Emperor's strange goals. Such a story might even cumulate in him completing these goals and finding the cards he is looking for. If this happens, he is likely to become even more powerful, becoming a mighty wizard _and_ a mighty duelist. What he might do next is anybody's guess.

**Deck Suggestions:** The Dread Emperor does duel when the situation warrants, and uses a simple, yet deadly strategy. He first summons Lava Golem or Grinder Golem (or both, if possible) to his opponent's side of the field. Then he uses Owner's Seal or Remove Brainwashing (depends on the situation) to move both to his side of the field. With the use of Equip Spells like United We Stand or Megamorph, this can often result in an OTK.


	50. Bone Temple Block

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL FIFTY**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Bone Temple Block**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Shichiro slowly drove his D-Wheel through the quiet rural areas just outside of Neo Domino.

He stopped for a minute, and paused. Here and there, by the sides of the road, were several small shrines.

They were common sites in the countryside. People used them to make offerings to the various spirits that were once more widely believed in; the creatures of Japanese folklore that represented the forces of nature.

Of course, Aware humans knew that these spirits were actually Shadowkind, as were most creatures of any myth.

He drove on, and eventually saw his goal. A Shinto shrine loomed in front of him at the end of a cul-de-sac. A sign that said "Under Renovation" was posted in front.

He eyed the place suspiciously for a minute. He had suspected somewhere at a higher altitude.

Nonetheless, he got off his bike, and walked in the front door.

He looked around. This didn't seem to be under renovation... The stone lanterns were lit, the statues and screens were in good repair...

From the look of it, this was clearly a Tenjin shrine.

These shrines were dedicated to the 9th Century scholar Sugawara no Michizane. He had been unjustly exiled in life, and had originally been enshrined not to be worshipped, but to placate his spirit, whose anger was believed to be the cause of a plague and other disasters.

_Odd... _thought Shichiro._ Why here?_

"Rary?" he said out loud.

"Sorry, he couldn't make it," said a voice.

Shichiro turned his head, and saw Soth leaning against a statue, slowly shuffling a deck of cards.

"Rary had an appointment with his dentist..." he said, "so he asked me to fill in..."

Shichiro raised an eyebrow.

"Right..." he said. "You probably were going to be here all along...

"And I want answers... I've been finding out bits and pieces, but they're starting to fit together. I'm starting to think that those comets that struck the Titans' home planet were not an act of God."

"Hmm..." said Soth.

He placed his deck into his Duel Disk.

"So you're saying someone sent them on purpose?" he asked. "That would make someone responsible for multiple genocide... Quite a serious claim you're making there...

"Of course... If it was true and I knew something about it, and that's not an admission, it would probably be in my best interest to keep my mouth shut."

As he said that, the door behind Shichiro slammed shut.

"You didn't need to do that," said Shichiro. "I have no intention of leaving without answers."

"Then duel me," replied Soth. "Maybe, just maybe, you'll get some before it's over."

The two Disks activated, and the decks were shuffled.

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Soth: 8,000)**

"I'll make the first move," said Shichiro, as he made a draw.

"I play... the Continuous Spell Card, Gateway of the Six."

He played the card, and the large wooden doorway with the glowing symbol of the Six Samurai appeared behind him.

"We'll get to that later. For now, I'll summon Six Samurai – Irou."

In an aura of darkness, the blindfolded Samurai holding his long katana appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"And I'll leave it at that."

"Not bad..." said Soth, making a draw.

"I'll defend with a Monster, then set one card, and I'll end MY turn."

A reversed Monster and a reversed card appeared in front of him.

Shichiro made his second draw.

"All right," he said. "I summon Six Samurai – Kamon."

In a burst of fire, the Samurai demolitions expert appeared, casually palming an explosive. (1,500 ATK)

"And since I have two Samurai on the field," continued Shichiro, "Irou can automatically destroy any reversed Monster when he attacks.

"Go! Setting sun strike!"

Irou made a slash at the card, cutting it in half.

"Kamon, attack directly! Greek fire grenade!"

Kamon lit the explosive, and hurled it at Soth. The Paragon grunted as the explosion enveloped him.

**(Sh: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (So: 6,500)**

Then he grinned.

"Not bad..." he said. "But I still have plenty of tricks waiting..."

He drew a card.

"Like this one! Come on out, Gozuki!"

With a growl, a hulking, muscular demon with a bull's head, holding a huge hammer, appeared in front of Soth. (1,700 ATK)

"Gozuki?" gasped Shichiro.

"That's right," said Soth, as a card slipped out of his Disk. "And using its effect, I can send one Zombie from my deck to the Graveyard each round."

He discarded the card.

"And now, my Trap Card..."

His facedown card lifted up.

"Night of One-Hundred Horrors! It lets me Special Summon from my Graveyard both of the Zombies that are there... Crow Tengu and Onmoraki!"

The two Monsters that appeared certainly didn't look like Zombies. At first glance, they looked more like Winged Beasts. The first one was a humanoid crow, holding the Goblin Fan. (1,400 ATK) The other looked like a big, black crane. (1,200 ATK)

But they were indeed Zombies... They were special ones called Yokai, modeled after the demons of Japanese folklore. Shichiro knew of a Shadowchaser who worked in Vegas who used a deck like this.

_What was his name again?_ he thought.

"Due to Onmoraki's effect," said Soth, "I get to draw one card..."

He made a draw.

"And thanks to Crow Tengu, I get to destroy one Monster. I think I'll destroy Irou!"

Crow Tengu's eyes glowed.

"You obviously don't know much about the Six Samurai," said Shichiro. "They're so close as a team, that if one would ever fall, another can fall for him.

"So Crow Tengu's effect will be affecting Kamon instead."

Kamon shattered into pixels.

_Darn... _thought Soth._ Not how I would have wanted it... but..._

"Gozuki..." he said. "Attack Irou!"

The Yokai lifted its hammer, and Irou lifted his sword.

"They'll kill each other!" shouted Shichiro.

"No skin off my nose..." said Soth.

The two Monsters leapt at each other, and were blown to pieces in an explosion.

"You're wide open!" shouted Soth.

Shichiro staggered as the two feathered Zombies dug their talons into him.

**(Sh: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (So: 6,500)**

Shichiro held his chest.

_Hyde Vance... _he thought._ THAT was his name..._

Soth set a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"I end my turn..." he said. "And because I summoned them using that Trap Card, both my Monsters are destroyed..."

Onmoraki and Crow Tengu shattered into pixels.

"...but hey... Maybe we'll see them again..."

_He's right... _thought Shichiro._ The whole point of a Yokai Deck is to summon from the Graveyard..._

He drew.

_But I can inflict some serious harm..._

"I activate the effect of Gateway of the Six," he said. "Each time I summoned a Samurai, it gained two Bushido Counters.

"Now that it has four, I can remove them to take a Samurai from my deck..."

A card slipped out of his deck.

"Now, I summon Samurai Yaichi!"

He played the card, and the archer of the Six Samurai appeared. (1,300 ATK)

"Next..." said Shichiro, "I Special Summon Grandmaster of the Six Samurai."

With a flash, the elderly sensei of the Six Samurai appeared next to Yaichi. (2,100 ATK)

"Then, with two Samurai on the field again, I can use Yaichi's effect... By forfeiting his attack this round, I can destroy one set Spell or Trap."

Yaichi fired an arrow from his bow, and Soth's Dimensional Prison was blown to shards.

"Uh..." said Soth.

Then he was knocked over as the Grandmaster's sword slammed into him.

**(Sh: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (So: 4,400)**

"I end my turn..." said Shichiro.

"I'll bet you think you're pretty smart..." said Soth, making a draw.

"Well, I can be smart too. Case in point, I play Spellbook of the Pot. Now, we both draw three cards."

He played the card, and made three draws. Shichiro shrugged, and also drew three.

"Next, I set a card..." continued Soth.

A new facedown card appeared.

"...and then play Card Destruction!"

He played a new Spell Card.

"We must each fold our hands and draw an equal number."

He discarded his four cards, and then made four draws. Shichiro sighed. He discarded five cards, and drew five new ones.

_Actually, somewhat of an improvement,_ he thought, looking at them.

"Continuing," said Soth, "I summon Shutendouji."

A new Yokai appeared in front of him. It was a horned, red-skinned ogre with long, unkempt hair, holding a Saki bottle. (1,500 ATK)

"You think some drunk demon scares me?" asked Shichiro.

"We'll soon see," replied Soth. "It has two effects, and this round, I'm going to use the effect that lets me remove two Zombies in my Graveyard from play to draw one card."

He took Gozuki and Crow Tengu from his Graveyard and pocketed them. Then he made one draw.

He looked at it. Then he took another card from his hand, and set it in his Disk. A new facedown card appeared.

"All right! Shutendouji... Attack Samurai Yaichi!"

Shutendouji breathed a volatile cloud of fire at the archer, and he vanished in a shower of ash.

"Ergh..." said Shichiro.

**(Sh: 5,200) - - - - - - - - - - (So: 4,400)**

"Heh, heh..." said Soth, crossing his arms. "Your move..."

Shichiro drew a card.

It was Junk Synchron.

_Hmm..._ he thought.

"I summon Samurai Zanji!" he exclaimed.

In a golden aura, the armored Samurai holding his naginata appeared. (1,800 ATK)

One of Soth's two facedown cards shot up.

"I activate Threatening Roar!" he exclaimed.

Shichiro sighed.

"Darn..." he said. "I can't do anything else."

"Then it's my move..." said Soth, making a draw.

"I use Shutendouji's _other_ effect," he said. "I can take one Zombie that's been removed from play, and put it on the top of my deck."

He placed a card on the top of his deck. Then his facedown card lifted up.

"Then, with Jar of Greed, I can get it right away."

He quickly drew it.

"Now, I'll summon it!"

Gozuki appeared once again. (1,700 ATK)

"Next, I'll use Gozuki's effect again..."

He took a card from his deck, and discarded it.

"Then, I'll sacrifice my two Zombies..."

Gozuki and Shutendouji vanished into grains of light.

"...to Special Summon the Nine-Tailed Fox from my Graveyard!"

In an aura of fire, an evil-looking fox with nine long, sharp tails appeared in front of him. Its eyes glowed like smoldering coals. (2,200 ATK)

"Attack! Destroy his Grandmaster!"

Nine-Tailed Fox's long tails shot at Grandmaster, piercing his chest and blowing him to shards.

**(Sh: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (So: 4,400)**

Soth grinned.

"It's your move..." he said.

Shichiro drew a card. He looked at it. It was Tuningware.

_Hmm..._ he thought.

"I summon Junk Synchron," he said, as the cute robot appeared in front of him. (1,300 ATK)

"Now, it can give Zanji a Tune-up..."

Junk Synchron gave its ripcord a yank, and both it and Samurai Zanji dissolved into seven glowing stars. Shichiro chanted:

"_Clustering stars form an arrow shot from the heavens to strike like a bolt from the blue! Appear!_

"_Synchro Summon... Junk Archer!"_

Junk Archer appeared, aiming its bow at the bestial Zombie. (2,300 ATK)

"I could just attack your Fox," said Shichiro, "but I'd rather use Archer's effect, which lets me remove it from play for the rest of the round.

"Go! Bull's eye banishment!"

Junk Archer fired its bow, and Nine-Tailed Fox was sucked into a vortex.

"That means I can attack you directly!" shouted Shichiro.

Junk Archer fired its bow again, and Soth grit his teeth in pain as the arrow ripped though him.

"I end my turn," said Shichiro. "And that means your Monster comes back."

Nine-Tailed Fox appeared again. (2,200 ATK)

**(Sh: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (So: 2,100)**

Soth frowned as he made a draw.

"I move it to Defense Mode," he said.

The Fox sat in a Defensive Position. (2,000 DEF)

"Then, I throw two cards facedown."

Three reversed cards appeared behind it.

"...and I'm finished."

Shichiro eyed the facedown cards as he made a draw.

_They might be Traps... _he thought._ But if they're bluffs, I could win the duel with this strike!_

Junk Archer fired his bow again, and Nine-Tailed Fox vanished again.

"Junk Archer, attack..." he started.

"I activate Burial From a Different Dimension!" shouted Soth, as his Quickplay Spell flipped up. "I'll send Nine-Tailed Fox and Crow Tengu to my Graveyard."

He discarded the cards.

"Then, a Trap Card," he said, as his other card lifted up. "Haunted Shrine! Because I have no Monsters on the field, I can Special Summon a Zombie from my Graveyard.

"And I think I'll summon one I just put in there..."

Crow Tengu appeared in front of him. (1,400 ATK) Its eyes glowed with unholy light, and Junk Archer shattered into pixels.

Shichiro frowned. He took two cards from his hand and set them, one in his Monster Zone, and one in his Spell Zone. The two set cards appeared in front of him.

He looked at Gateway of the Six.

_Six... _he thought._ I have just enough, but I'll wait until next turn..._

"It's your move, Soth," he said.

Soth drew a card.

"I set two more cards facedown," he said, as two reversed cards appeared.

"Then I attack with Crow Tengu!"

The Yokai dive-bombed the hidden Monster. Tuningware appeared on the card, right before Crow Tengu cut it in half with one slash from the Goblin Fan.

"That's all for me," he chuckled.

Shichiro made a draw.

"I activate Double-Edged Sword Technique!" he exclaimed, as his Trap Card lifted up. "This powerful card lets me Special Summon not one, but _two_ of the Six Samurai from my Graveyard."

First, Irou appeared. (1,700 ATK) Then Zanji. (1,800 ATK)

"But," added Soth, "when your turn ends, both of them will be destroyed, and you'll take damage equal to their Attack Scores. Is it worth 3,500 Life Points?"

"Actually," said Shichiro, "I don't intend to keep them. I summon Nitro Synchron."

He played a card, and the small, robotic propane tank appeared next to the two Samurai. (300 ATK)

Then the needle on its gauge moved into the red. It and the two Samurai flew upwards, and the three blazing suns appeared.

"Sorry about this..." said Soth. "I mean, as much as I'd just _love_ to tussle with Trymus right now..."

One of his reversed cards lifted up.

"...I'm not going to. I activate Enma's Judgment!"

A dark pall fell over the room, and a grim figure seated at a judge's bench appeared behind Soth. He held up five cards: Shutendouji, Onmoraki, Nine-Tailed Fox, Nurikabe, and Onagakokuba.

"By removing five Zombies in my Graveyard from play, I can call upon the power of the dark judge Enma, to undo your Special Summoning..."

Enma rapped his gavel on his bench. The three Monsters shattered, and the three suns faded away.

"This card has another effect..." said Soth. "It lets me Special Summon Enma's servant... The Red Ogre!"

There was a roar, and a large, hulking figure appeared out of the shadows. It was eight feet tall, muscular, covered with red fur, had diabolical horns over its bestial face, and carried a huge kanabo. (2,800 ATK)

"So..." said Soth with an evil smile. "What now, Osaka?"

Shichiro gave him an angry look.

"I'll show you what now!" he said. "My Gateway of the Six has ten Bushido Counters on it. And by removing six of them, I can Special Summon Great Shogun Shien from my Graveyard!"

In an aura of flames, Shien appeared, holding his blazing katana. (2,500 ATK)

"No fair!" shouted Soth. "I never sent _him_ to your Graveyard!"

"Yes you did," replied Shichiro. "When you played Card Destruction, remember?

"And now, I remove two more Counters more to increase his Attack Points by 500 for the rest of the turn."

(3,000 ATK)

"Destroy Red Ogre! Sword of Burning Pride!"

Great Shogun Shien leapt at the huge Yokai, and with one swipe, cleaved it in half down the middle.

**(Sh: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (So: 1,900)**

"It's your move, Soth," said Shichiro. "Don't forget, with Shien on the field, you can only use one Spell or Trap per turn."

Shien returned to an Attack Score of 2,500.

Soth's eyebrows narrowed. He drew one card.

"Very well..." he said. "I choose this one..."

His last facedown card lifted up.

"Ghostly Reinforcements. I give up 1,000 Life Points, and in return, I get to Special Summon two low-Level Zombies from my Graveyard."

The first Yokai to appear was Gozuki. (1,700 ATK) The second was the most popular Yokai, a horse-headed, axe-wielding demon that was used in several other varieties of Zombie Decks. (1,700 ATK)

"WHAT?" shouted Shichiro. "You had Mezuki in your Graveyard this whole time, and never used its effect?"

"I believe it was someone on your world that said, 'patience is a virtue', Mr. Osaka," said Soth.

He frowned.

"But as of last round, I'm all out of it...

"I sacrifice Mezuki and Crow Tengu..."

The two Yokai vanished into a glob of darkness...

With a roar, a Monster even bigger than Red Ogre appeared. Fully twelve feet tall, it had the body of a muscular bear wearing a kit, one glaring eye, and a lolling tongue. (2,900 ATK)

"What is THAT?" shouted Shichiro.

"That's Daidarabotchi," said Soth, with a grin. "Don't let its good looks fool you...

"And since you seem to know about Mezuki's effect, I'll do that now, removing it from play to Special Summon a Zombie from the Graveyard..."

Red Ogre appeared again. (2,800 ATK)

"By the way..." he continued, "Daidarabotchi gains 200 Attack Points for every Zombie on the field, other than itself."

(3,300 ATK)

"Red Ogre, take your revenge!" he shouted. "Slay that Shogun!"

The Oni leapt at Shien, and spouted a wave of flames from its maw. Shien grunted, and shattered into pixels.

"Now, Gozuki, attack him directly!"

Gozuki leapt at Shichiro, and smacked him upside the head with the huge mallet. Shichiro struggled to keep standing.

"Daidarabotchi, Earthshaker Crush!" shouted Soth.

Daidarabotchi roared, and slammed its fist down so hard, the whole shrine shook. This time, Shichiro could _not _keep standing. He collapsed.

**(Sh: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (So: 900)**

Shichiro hadn't felt this bad in years... Not since he was fourteen and had tried to use his older brother Shiro's abs cruncher. Blood dribbled from his nose, and his head was pounding.

"I might as well tell you, Shichiro..." said Soth. "Yeah... The comets that destroyed the Titans' homeworld... They were sent on purpose. The boss told me it was part of some big plan."

"Why..." moaned Shichiro.

"Not sure," said Soth. "Apparently, that was on a need-to-know basis, and the boss didn't think I needed to know."

Then Soth grabbed him by the throat. Shichiro didn't hear anything else. He fell unconscious.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The aboleth was carefully watching through its portal viewing device.

"Hey boss!" said Soth. "Mission accomplished. That new deck you gave me worked great."

"_I'll pass the compliment to the one who put it together,"_ said the aboleth.

The portal vanished.

"_I trust you heard him?"_ it said, as a figure walked out of the shadows.

The figure walked into the light.

It was Trueman.

"Indeed I did," replied the Messenger of Darkness.

"_Seems you're much better at building decks than you are at actually using them, Trueman,"_ said the aboleth.

"And so long as those Shadowchasers think I'm dead," replied Trueman, "I'm free to work in the shadows without them suspecting. It's given me access to some powerful cards. And powerful cards lead to powerful decks."

"_You should try deceit more often, Trueman..." _said the aboleth._ "You'll find that it often has many advantages over always being truthful..."_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Back at the shrine, Minerva walked in. She had been hiding out of sight during the whole duel, unsure of what to do. She had wanted to help Shichiro, but didn't want to disobey orders.

She spoke into her communication device.

"Bad news..." she sighed. "Mr. Osaka has been defeated."

"Where is he now?" said the voice on the other end.

"He was taken by the victor," replied Minerva. "He was alive when last I saw him... How long that may be, I have no idea...

"Is there nothing we can do? Nothing at all?"

There was a long pause.

"I will look over my copy of the Benediction," said the voice. "It is a long and complex document, as such things often are. Perhaps we can find something.

"Continue as you were, and report back on any news."

The transmission ended, leaving her alone.

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**CROW TENGU (Monster Card) **

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute:** Wind  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,400  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** When this card is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, destroy one Monster on the field.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ONMORAKI (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute:** Fire  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** When this card is Special Summoned from your Graveyard, draw one card from your deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**NINE-TAILED FOX (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute:** Fire  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,200  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** When this card is in your Graveyard, you may Tribute two Zombie-Type Monsters that you control to Special Summon this card from your Graveyard. When this card is Special Summoned via this effect, it gains the following 2 effects: *When this card battles a Defense Position Monster with a DEF lower than this card's ATK, inflict the difference as battle damage to your opponent's Life Points. * When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon two "Fox Tokens" (Zombie/Fire/Level 1/ATK 300/DEF 300) to your side of the field in Defense Position.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GOZUKI (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,700  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description:** Once per turn that this card is face-up on your side of the field, you can send one Zombie-Type Monster from your deck to the Graveyard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DAIDARABOTCHI (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 10  
**ATK:** 2,900  
**DEF:** 2,500

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card gains 200 Attack Points for each Zombie-Type Monster on the field, other than this card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**HAUNTED SHRINE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Two ghostly spirits flying out of a cavern.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when you control no Monsters. Special Summon one Zombie-Type Monster from your Graveyard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**NIGHT OF ONE-HUNDRED HORRORS (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A mob of ghoulish creatures in a dark wood.

**Card Description:** Special Summon as many Zombie-Type Monsters as possible from your Graveyard. At the End Phase of the turn, destroy all Monsters that were Special Summoned by this effect.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ENMA'S JUDGMENT (Trap Card)**

**Counter Trap**

**Image: **Enma, the King of the Underworld, seated at a judge's bench, with a kneeling prisoner in front of him, with Red Ogre standing nearby.

**Card Description:** Activate when your opponent Special Summons a Monster. Remove from play five Zombie-Type Monsters in your Graveyard. Negate the Special Summon of that Monster and destroy it. Then, you may Special Summon 1 "Red Ogre" from your hand or deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GHOSTLY REINFORCEMENTS (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A warrior on a dark battlefield strewn with broken armor and weapons, with mysterious lights hovering behind the trees in the background.

**Card Description:** Pay 1,000 Life Points. Special Summon 2 Level 4 or lower Zombie-Type Monsters from your Graveyard.

_Note: The proceeding nine cards were all used by Misawa at various times in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" Manga. Creative credit goes to the writers._

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**Next:**

**Jinx: I expected to meet with Soth... But now that this map has led me to the reservoir, it has become clear that Menzoberra has decided to meet with me. Even stranger, it seems that her deck has done a complete 180, and is not what one would expect from a master of Water at all. **

**It's hard enough when you face the biggest and strongest Monsters in the game... It seems she's decided on something significantly smaller...**

"**Pride of the Weak" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Riza, Divine Imposter**

For a long time, Taramanda was the highest authority among the ophidia. Because her anathema form was proof that she had the blessing of Seghulerak herself, no ophidia dared to publicly question that authority. Now that she is dead, a power vacuum exists in their society that many would like to fill. One who might do so is not even an ophidia, but a demon who is posing as the aspect of Seghulerak, who heads a clan in Mumbai.

Three years ago, after the leader of that clan was arrested by the Shadowchasers for performing blood sacrifices, her apprentice decided to continue her work, and use a powerful incantation that she hoped would summon Seghulerak to the mortal world. On the night of a full moon that shone blood red, she cast the blasphemous rite... However, it didn't go as she planned.

What she summoned was not Seghulerak, or any aspect of the goddess. It was a class of demon called a marilith. Marilith are powerful demons who act as generals and strategists of the Blood War (a daunting job, considering how chaotic demon armies are). They appear as human females with six arms from the waist up, and huge serpents from the waist down. Marilith are known for their incredible martial skill (able to adequately wield a sword in all six arms at once) and their cruel nature.

This marilith, whose name was Riza, appeared even more serpentine than the average marilith, having the same snake-like scales on her humanoid half that she had on her tail. Thus, although the ritual was a failure, the assembled ophidia saw the serpentine demon in front of them, and thought that it had been successful. At first, Riza was furious at being summoned (as demons usually are when summoned by mortals) but once she realized that these mortals were intent on worshipping her, she calmed down a great deal.

After a while, Riza (who was careful not to use that name) learned about the situation, and ideas started to form in her head. In the Abyss, she had been a general serving a demonic king... Here, she could be queen if things fell into place. Using her skills as a strategist, she directed her minions to gather power in secret, preparing for an ultimate confrontation where she would take Taramanda's place as the ultimate authority of the species.

Recent events have complicated matters, and forced her to change her plans considerably. But soon, Riza will reveal herself to the rest of the world, and a new power player among Shadowkind might emerge as a result.

**Story Ideas:** Taramanda's death and the revelation of her secret have worked to Riza's advantage in many ways. There is no longer a need to overthrow Seghulerak's true chosen, and if she can prove to others that she is truly the embodiment of the goddess, she may be able to rekindle the weakening faith in the ophidia's worship.

Of course, Riza cares nothing for Seghulerak or any other god (the closest thing demons have to gods are the Abyssal Lords) and this may cause another problem; someone might find out that she is an imposter. Up to this point, she has quietly done away with any ophidia suspected of knowing the truth about what she is, but once she goes public, it is entirely possible that an expert on demons might recognize her for what she is.

An even bigger monkey wrench might be thrown in her plans if Seghulerak herself takes offense at what she does. The ophidia goddess may not take much interest in her followers, but _all_ deities, as a rule, _hate _imposters. In the past, creatures who impersonate deities only last as long as doing so amuses the deity in question. Of course, Riza might try to contact her allies in the Abyss and try to make a bargain with the snake goddess... It could be worth a shot...

**Deck Suggestions:** Dispatching enemies via dueling, at least ones that pose an actual threat, isn't Riza's style. Like most marilith, she prefers to cut an enemy to pieces quickly and be done with it. Still, she can duel if the situation warrants it, and she knows that it might in the future.

Riza's deck reflects her love of martial fighting, using a deck that focuses on Equip Spells. She doesn't use Vairon Monsters (it would be unwise for a demon to use Fairies) but she uses many other useful cards, like Armed Samurai Ben Kei, Evocator Chevalier, and Seven Sword Warrior.

Recently, Riza has uncovered information about Power Tool Dragon, and unlike most of Rua's opponents, realizes its great potential. She likely would have challenged him for it a long time ago, if not for the fact that the Crimson Dragon, an entity that she is justly afraid of, seems willing to protect him. She has time to wait, however, and will follow Rua's exploits closely.


	51. Pride of the Weak

_Sorry if this chapter is a little short. It was hard to fit a lot into this particular theme._

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL FIFTY-ONE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Pride of the Weak**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

"_Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink."_

So said the line in the old poem, and it was an ironic fact for any town situated on the coast. Although water dominated the landscape of Neo Domino, it was seawater, and wasn't drinkable. Coastal towns needed to get their water supply from inland, more often than not.

As Jinx drove her D-Wheel to the concrete dike that surrounded the reservoir, located two miles out of town, she couldn't help but think this was unusual.

She took off her helmet and looked at the large, manmade expanse of water.

_Not exactly the place I'd expect to find Soth, _she thought._ Seems more like..._

As if to answer her, a spout of water shot up in front of her...

Menzoberra stepped out of the lake, clearly not very happy. She brushed herself off, as if to get some grime off of herself.

"So..." she said. "You actually drink this stuff?"

Jinx glared at her.

"Well, we were toying with the idea of filling the reservoir with Aquafina," she said, sarcastically, "but that idea was turned down in favor of putting sushi bars in the subway stations."

She frowned.

"Where's Soth?"

"Oh, come on Noriko," said Menzoberra, as her Duel Disk appeared on her arm. "Do you really want to duel that big lug instead of me? I'd think you'd jump at the chance for a little 'girl talk'..."

"More than likely," said Jinx, "you guys just didn't want to be trounced a second time, so you swapped targets.

"Well, I'm not afraid to face you or your Frogs. Bring it on..."

She stepped off her bike, and activated her Disk.

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Menzoberra: 8,000)**

"I draw one card..." said Menzoberra, making a draw.

She took three cards from her hand, and set them in her Disk. Three reversed cards appeared.

"I end my turn."

Jinx gave a funny look.

"What?" asked Menzoberra. "Something you didn't understand?"

"No Monsters to summon?" asked Jinx.

"Maybe, maybe not," replied Menzoberra. "You're just going to have see for yourself."

Jinx narrowed her eyes. She made a draw.

"You're not going to fool me with mind games!" she exclaimed.

"I summon X-Saber Urz!"

With a bellow, the demonic-looking Warrior clad in furs appeared in front of her, holding his two scimitars. (1,600 ATK)

"Get her!" she shouted.

Urz leapt at Menzoberra. She blocked the blow from his sword with her bracelet, but still took three steps backwards.

**(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,400)**

"Seems you were bluffing," said Jinx.

Menzoberra lowered her veil, and grinned wickedly at Jinx.

"No I wasn't," she chuckled, as one of her facedown cards lifted up. "It cost me 1,600 Life Points, but that direct attack enabled me to activate Wolf in Sheep's Clothing.

"The first thing I do is show you a Level 1 Monster in my hand..."

She flipped a card in her hand around.

"That's a... Mokey Mokey?" said Jinx.

"It sure is!" laughed Menzoberra. "And now I get to summon it, along with another one from my deck."

In two showers of pixie dust, two little creatures that looked like marshmallows with faces, stubby limbs, small wings, and question marks on top, appeared in front of Menzoberra.

"Mokey-Mokey!" they both squeaked. (300 ATK x2)

_Ho boy..._ thought Jinx.

She looked at her hand.

"I... have to end my turn..."

Menzoberra replaced the veil, and drew a card.

"Ready, Noriko?" she asked. "Because Key Mace certainly is..."

She played a card, and a small Fairy wearing a blue and yellow harlequin outfit holding a staff shaped like a key appeared. (400 ATK)

"Then, I use my secret weapon..."

She fit a card into her Disk.

"The Continuous Spell Card, Mokey Mokey Smackdown."

The Spell Card was both intimidating and funny at the same time. It showed a picture of an incredibly angry Mokey Mokey, its face red and its question mark changed to an exclamation point.

Jinx knew how this worked... If a Fairy was destroyed, the Attack Scores of all Mokey Mokeys controlled by Menzoberra would become 3,000 for the rest of the turn... It was a powerful and deadly strategy.

"Key Mace, attack X-Saber Urz!" shouted Menzoberra.

The small Fairy flew at the Beast-Warrior, but he simply swatted it aside with a backhand slap, smashing it to pixels.

Then the two Mokey Mokeys freaked out. They quickly morphed into the Mokey Mokey on the Spell Card. (3,000 ATK x2)

"Attack Urz!" shouted Menzoberra. "Infinite Anger Burst!"

The first Mokey Mokey let out a scream, and the Warrior exploded into shards.

Then the second Mokey Mokey let out another scream, and Jinx hollered as she was knocked over onto her back.

**(J: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 5,200)**

"Of course," said Menzoberra, "the effects of the card only last until the end of the turn. So I'll activate this now..."

One of her facedown cards lifted up.

"Destruct Potion. By destroying one of my Mokey Mokeys with this card when it has 3,000 Attack Points, I gain 3,000 Life Points. Seems I'm back up to full power."

One of the Mokey Mokeys shattered. Jinx pulled herself up.

"And now, my last Trap..." said Menzoberra, as her final facedown card lifted up. "The dreaded Human-Wave Tactics!

"This Continuous Trap allows me to Special Summon one Monster at the end of each turn for each Level 2 or lower Normal Monster that was destroyed by battle that turn. Of course, the Monsters I summon also have to be Level 2 or lower Normal Monsters.

"So... I'll end my turn, and summon my third Mokey Mokey."

A third of the cubical Fairies materialized, as the first one calmed down. (100 DEF)

**(J: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 8,200)**

"I just gotta ask..." said Jinx. "Why the _heck_ did you choose Mokey Mokeys as a weapon?"

"What?" said Menzoberra. "You were expecting some enormous sea monster? Sometimes you can do just as well with small Monsters as you can do with big ones.

"Besides, Fish, Aquas, and Sea Serpents aren't my only passion, you know...

"You might say feel a bit of a rapport with Mokey Mokey..."

"How come?" asked Jinx.

Menzoberra tapped her Disk, and the cards in her Graveyard appeared in front of Jinx.

"Read what its flavor text says," she said.

Jinx looked closely, and read the text:

"_An outcast angel. Nobody knows what he is thinking at all. Sometimes he gets mad, and that is dreadful."_

"I don't get it..." said Jinx.

"I have sympathy for outcasts," said Menzoberra.

Jinx looked at her.

"You think _you're_ an outcast?" she asked, in an annoyed tone. "What makes you an outcast? You and the rest of the Paragons killed the whole population of your planet!"

"I'm an outcast due to an older event than that, little girl," hissed Menzoberra, "an event that defined the whole history of my species!

"So even when we didn't agree with them, my people had something in common with anyone who had been cast out of society...

"Perhaps I'll tell you the specifics later... For now, it's your move..."

Jinx made a draw.

_Got to do something to take out those Mokey Mokeys, _she thought._ At least she's limited to three._

"I summon X-Saber Galahad," she said.

The toad-like Warrior in armor, holding a long spear appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"Attack the Mokey Mokey in Attack Mode!" she shouted.

Galahad rushed at the small Fairy, and his Attack Score rose to 2,100. He speared the little creature, and Menzoberra winced a little.

**(J: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,400)**

"I'll throw these facedown, and end my turn," she said, as two reversed cards appeared.

"And I activate the effect of Human-Wave Tactics," said Menzoberra, as thunder rumbled in the distance. "I think I'll bring out Happy Lover this time."

With a happy cry, a spherical Fairy with a big smile, feathered wings, and a heart on its forehead appeared. (800 ATK)

"Now, I draw," said Menzoberra, making a draw.

She played an odd Spell Card. It had an image of Goblin of Greed building Mokey Mokeys on an ominous-looking assembly line.

"Dark Factory of Mass Production?" asked Jinx.

"Not a very well-named card," said Menzoberra. "Factories build things... This card _recovers_ things. It recovers two Normal Monsters from my Graveyard."

Two Mokey Mokeys slipped out of her discard slot. Menzoberra took them, and then played her last card.

"And now that I have them, I can play Polymerization!"

The three Mokey Mokeys turned into globes of light and swirled to together... A large shadow fell over Jinx...

She stepped back in fear as a colossal Mokey Mokey, the size of a large building, hovered in the air over her and Galahad!

"MOKEY-MOKEY!" boomed the Mokey Mokey King. (300 ATK)

"What does THAT thing do?" shouted Jinx.

"Well..." said Menzoberra. "What _doesn't_ it do?"

She pointed, and Mokey Mokey King floated towards Galahad. His Attack Score fell to 1,300...

"Fight it off, Galahad!" shouted Jinx.

Galahad leapt up, and made a mighty swing with his pike. Mokey Mokey King's eyes bugged out, and the earth shook as the colossal Fairy exploded.

**(J: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 5,400)**

"Not bad," said Menzoberra, "but when you deep-six Mokey Mokey King, I get to bring back the three regular Mokey Mokeys."

Jinx looked nervously as the dust cleared. Indeed, three regular Mokey Mokeys were sitting in front of Menzoberra. (300 ATK x3)

"Mokey-Mokey!" they squeaked. "Mokey-Mokey, Mokey-Mokey..."

"This is bad..." said Jinx.

"Happy Lover, attack Galahad with Happy Burning!" ordered Menzoberra.

The smiling cherub flew at Galahad and shot a stream of sparkling lights from its mouth. Galahad knocked them away with the back of his hand, and the Fairy shattered.

The Mokey Mokey Smackdown card glowed, and the three Mokey Mokeys became enraged once again. (3,000 ATK x3)

"Attack number one!" shouted Menzoberra.

The first Mokey Mokey let out its scream.

Then both of Jinx's facedown cards shot up. The first one was Draining Shield, and the Anger Burst was absorbed by the energy shield. The second was Emergency Provisions, which consumed Draining Shield immediately after.

"You're more durable than a vending machine," chuckled Menzoberra.

The second Mokey Mokey let out its scream, and Galahad shattered. Then the third hollered, and Jinx was knocked backwards.

**(J: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,900)**

"I end my turn..." said Menzoberra. "And once again, due to the effect of Human-Wave Tactics..."

A second Happy Lover appeared, this time in Defense Mode. (500 DEF)

Jinx took some deep breaths.

She made a draw. Then she added it to her hand, and looked at her four cards: X-Saber Passiul, X-Saber Anabelera, Gatmuz's Urgent Orders, XX-Saber Reijigra.

_I could attack one of her Mokey Mokeys with Anabelera,_ she thought.

_But... On her turn, she'd have more than enough Life Points left to attack Anabelera with Happy Lover, triggering the Smackdown, and... _

_...beating me to a bloody pulp..._

_I could attack Happy Lover with Anabelera... But that would trigger Human-Wave Tactics, letting her summon a third Happy Lover, and..._

_Okay, attacking with Anabelera is a bad idea. I'll defend for now..._

She took Passiul and set his card on her Disk. The reversed card appeared. Then she fit Gatmuz's Urgent Orders into her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"Your move..." she said.

"I draw," said Menzoberra.

She drew a card. She looked at it.

"Pass," she said.

Jinx drew a card.

_Got it!_ she thought, as the solution came to her.

"You like Level 1 Monsters?" she said, as she played a Spell Card. "Well, I like 'em too! And by playing One For One, I discard one Monster from my hand..."

She discarded Reijigra.

"...to Special Summon a Level 1 Monster from my deck."

X-Saber Axel appeared. (400 ATK)

"Next, I summon X-Saber Anabelera..."

The armored, female X-Saber appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"...and flip X-Saber Passiul into Attack Mode."

Her set Monster flipped up, and Passiul appeared, holding his sword aloft. (100 ATK)

"Then, I Tune Passiul and Anabelera together..."

The two X-Sabers flew into the sky, and turned into six glowing stars...

XX-Saber Hyunlei landed in a flourish, leveling her katana at Menzoberra and the four small Fairies. (2,300 ATK)

"GAH!" shouted Menzoberra.

She shielded herself as Mokey Mokey Smackdown and Human-Wave Tactics were both blown to shards.

"Next," said Jinx, "I activate Gatmuz's Urgent Orders!"

Her facedown card lifted up and Reijigra appeared (200 ATK) followed by Passiul. (100 ATK)

"Due to Reijigra, I can recover Galahad from my Graveyard..."

She took the card from her discard slot.

"And now, I Tune together Passiul, Reijigra, Axel, AND Hyunlei..."

The four X-Sabers soared into the sky. The three blazing suns appeared.

"_Strength of legend, beauty beyond compare, entrusted by billions to carry their heritage, given the power unleashed at the moment of Creation! Mighty champion of a deceased race… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force… _

"_Synchro Summon, Shannalla the Fierce!"_

Shannalla landed with a crash, holding her mighty sword. (2,600 ATK)

"Now..." said Jinx, taking a card from her discard slot, "I'll remove Hyunlei from play, to boost Shannalla's Attack Score..."

She pocketed the card, and Shannalla glowed with energy. (4,900 ATK)

"Attack one of the Mokey Mokeys!" shouted Ember. "Destroy it!"

Shannalla made a savage slash with her blade, and Menzoberra was thrown backwards as the Mokey Mokey was blown to bits.

**(J: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 300)**

"You've got only 300 Life Points left, and you've lost two key parts of your strategy," said Jinx. "Care to give up?"

"Never!" shouted Menzoberra, making a draw.

She played a card.

"I play Supremacy Berry!" she shouted, as a Spell Card appeared. "Since my Life Points are less than yours, I gain 2,000!"

She fit the card she had just drawn in her Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

Then she moved the cards on her Disk, and both Mokey Mokeys moved to Defense Mode. (100 DEF x2)

"I'm done for now..." she said.

**(J: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 2,300)**

Jinx drew a card.

_Hmm... _she thought, looking at it._ Klein's Labyrinth... Might come in handy later..._

"Okay, sister, I'm setting this card facedown," she said, as she fit it into her Disk.

"Then I summon X-Saber Galahad again!"

Galahad appeared, looking somewhat pissed this time. (1,800 ATK)

"Galahad, Shannalla, take out those blasted Mokey Mokeys!"

The two Warriors charged at the two cubical Fairies, and with two slashes of blades, they were cut down.

"I end my turn, Menzoberra," she said. "Want to keep going?"

"Yes," said Menzoberra, making a draw.

She placed the card on her Disk, and a set Monster appeared.

She nodded.

"Lucky," said Jinx. "Well, you aren't the only one who can draw a Monster..."

She made a draw.

She frowned.

"Didn't draw one, did you?" said Menzoberra, who looked almost ready to laugh.

Actually, Jinx had; she had drawn XX-Saber Faultroll. But in order to summon him, she needed two X-Sabers on the field.

_At least I can finish her Monsters..._ she thought.

Galahad charged at Happy Lover, and drove his spear through it, blowing it to shards.

Then Shannalla rushed at the facedown card.

Skelengel appeared on the card before being blown to bits.

"Thank you..." said Menzoberra, making a draw.

"Just make your move..." said Jinx.

Menzoberra made another draw.

"Oh, I certainly will..." she said.

Her facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Graceful Revival to bring back one Mokey Mokey from my Graveyard."

Mokey Mokey appeared again. (300 ATK)

"Then... I play Creature Seizure!"

"Creature Seizure?" said Jinx. "I've heard of Creature Swap, but..."

"Same idea," said Menzoberra, "except that the Monster I give you has to be a Normal Monster.

"So make a choice."

"I choose X-Saber Galahad!" said Jinx with a sneer.

The two Monsters vanished, and reappeared on the opposite sides of the field.

Menzoberra lowered her veil, and the evil smile was on her face again.

"Thanks..." she said. "I was kinda hoping you'd choose him..."

"Huh?" said Jinx.

Menzoberra played her last card, and Dark Tinker appeared next to Galahad. (1,000 ATK)

"A Tuner..." said Jinx. "You're Synchro Summoning?"

"That's right," said Menzoberra, as the two Monsters faded into six glowing stars. "You see, Noriko, some people on your planet say that the meek will inherit the Earth, but in all honesty, the meek can't do much unless they have a powerful and strong leader supporting them.

"That's probably why Communism never worked out the way Karl Marx intended it to...

"But back to the matter at hand... I Tune my Dark Tinker and your X-Saber Galahad together to Synchro Summon the Monster Meister."

With a hoarse roar, an eight-foot tall, hulking creature clothed in a wool jacket and a worn pair of trousers appeared in front of Menzoberra. The best thing to compare it to might have been the classic version of Frankenstein's Monster, but it lacked the scars and neck-bolts that Universal Studios had used in their iconic version.

"Let me explain how this creature's Attack Score is tallied," continued Menzoberra. "We take the weakest Monster on the field, Mokey Mokey, and subtract its Level from the Level of the strongest, which would be Shannalla. Then we multiply by 500.

"You do the math."

(4,500 ATK)

_Good thing I still have Klein's Labyrinth..._ thought Jinx.

"Also," continued Menzoberra, "Monster Meister gains other powers depending on how much the difference is. Since it's at least eight, he can remove one card from play per turn."

Jinx almost laughed.

"You remove Shannalla from play," she said, "Monster Meister's Attack Score will fall to 2,500."

"I said _card,_ not Monster," replied Menzoberra. "I'm going to use the effect on... _that_."

Monster Meister pointed to Klein's Labyrinth, and it vanished into nothing.

_No..._ thought Jinx.

"Monster Meister..." ordered Menzoberra, "attack Mokey Mokey with burning blast!"

Monster Meister let out another hoarse roar, and blasted a bolt of burning lightning from its hand, blowing Mokey Mokey to pieces and knocking Jinx back five feet, not to mention on her back.

**(J: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 2,300)**

When Jinx looked up, Menzoberra was standing over her.

"So, Noriko..." said the Paragon. "You like oysters?"

"Oysters?" asked Jinx. "Why?"

Then she gasped as Menzoberra grabbed her by the throat.

"You'll find out soon..." she replied.

Jinx quickly fell unconscious.

Menzoberra turned as a portal appeared in mid-air.

"Mission accomplished," she said into it.

She started dragging Jinx towards something she had prepared ahead of time...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Snakeskin Island.

At first, some would think that Hebi-Na would be stupid to come back here. After all, the Shadowchasers knew of this place's existence now, and this would likely be the first place they would look for her.

But Hebi-Na knew she had time. After all, the Shadowchasers knew this was a dangerous place, and were likely debating the best way to approach this island and deal with the hazards. She estimated she had at least a week before even a team of golems was sent here to check things out.

Hebi-Na was not in the palace right now. She was wandering thought a cave not far from it, where she hoped to find information from the water weird that lived here.

Elemental weirds were oracles, fonts of knowledge, who were bound to a certain spot in the mortal world by a pool of elemental matter. They usually made pacts with whoever lived in the local area, trading their knowledge for one thing or another.

Hebi-Na slithered into a cavern lit by luminous crystals, with a pool of water in the center. She carried a large satchel.

"Fallala?" she shouted. "Come out, I need to talk to you!"

No answer.

"Come on, I don't have all day!" she shouted.

She frowned.

She opened the satchel, and took out a can of motor oil.

"You want to play hardball, Fallala?" she asked.

She slithered up to the pool, and was about to pour the motor oil into it...

Then a watery hand shot out, and grabbed her hand.

The rest of the creature emerged. It looked like a shapely human female, made entirely of water.

"Just who do you think you are, Hebi-Na?" she asked. "You just violated our agreement. I could reduce your Empress's whole palace to a pile of rubble for what you just tried to do..."

"Fine," said Hebi-Na. "Taramanda is dead, and I'm sick of the place anyway.

"I just need information from you one more time, and then you'll never see another ophidia again."

Fallala put her hands on her hips.

"Well, being rid of you snakes would be a relief..." she said. "Fine... What do you need?"

Hebi-Na took out a slip of paper, on which she had drawn a picture of the demon guardian's axe.

"This axe belonged to a demon of some sort," she said. "He was big, muscular, and wore a metal mask over his face... Do you have any idea what he was?"

"Oh yeah..." said Fallala. "That would be a drekavac."

"Huh?" said Hebi-Na.

"A demon that is often summoned in the Slavic regions," replied Fallala. "Folklore there claims that they're the spirits of children that died without being baptized, but that's ridiculous... I mean, if that were the case, any of the historic plagues in that area of the world would have created armies of these things.

"They're demons, just like any other residents of the Abyss. It's as simple as that. Folks summon them to guard things. They're known for having big egos."

"That sounds like him," said Hebi-Na. "So... How many of them are on Earth now?"

"Well, let's see..." said Fallala.

A tome appeared in her hands.

"There's a mercane in Moscow who has one guarding his estate... There's a wizard in St. Petersburg who summoned one to guard the local bank at night... There's a dark elf sorceress in Omsk who..."

"Look, just tell me the ones who aren't in Russia," said Hebi-Na.

"Well, only one..." replied Fallala. "Says here that after Zero Reverse, a particularly powerful one was summoned to guard the back door to the Underworld."

"Back door?" asked Hebi-Na.

"Yes..." said Fallala. "Once with only a very small fraction of the power of the main entrance, that at the Old Momentum reactor. The King of the Underworld couldn't channel his power at all through this back door, it was such a small opening...

"But one thing it could be used for was transporting physical objects from the mortal world to the Underworld, and vice-versa."

"Paydirt..." said Hebi-Na, with a smile. "So who summoned this drekavac? Was it Rudger?"

"Well, let's see..." said Fallala.

She turned the page.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MONSTER MEISTER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** ?  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** _Fiend-Type Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters_

If this card is the only face-up Monster on the field, destroy this card. This card's ATK and DEF are 500x the difference of the Level of the face-up Monster on the field with the highest Level and the Level of the face-up Monster on the field with the lowest Level. This card gains the following effects based on the amount of the difference of the Level of the face-up Monster on the field with the highest Level and the Level of the face-up Monster on the field with the lowest Level: 6 or more: This card is not affected by Spell Cards that target a specific Monster. 8 or more: Once per turn, you may remove one card on the field from play.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Gears: I come face-to-face with Rary at a spot where a Signer and a Dark Signer clashed, and in this cursed area, Rary combines Light and Darkness into a deck of Chaos! What is happening? The sky is darkening... Is a storm starting to form over this city? **

"**Chaos Burst" is coming soon.**

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**The Purifiers, Enemies of Diversity**

Who are the Purifiers? That is a question that has haunted those that have heard of them, an organization that travels the multiverse, seeking out only one thing, the proven superiority of the white race. More or less, they are white supremacists, but it would be wrong to call them Nazis or Neo-Nazis, as they predate the founding of the Third Reich, or even of _any_ German government. They may have been around before civilization even existed on Earth. Truly, among such groups, they were the first.

A very long time ago – exactly how long ago no one is entirely sure, possibly thousands of years, or maybe even millions (such time does not matter to such groups) – Morgana's Kin was much more overt in their actions. Entire fleets of their ships could be seen traveling through the multiverse, spreading their knowledge to whoever was willing to listen. But then, their operations stopped unexpectedly, members where called back to the Origin Universe, and no one was sure why.

What had happened was that they had found a universe ruled by a race whose technology nearly rivaled their own. This race had succeeded where the Nazis would one day fail, having exterminated all races deemed "inferior" to their civilization. Morgana's Kin had made the grave mistake of sharing their knowledge of the multiverse with these people, who would become known as the Purifiers, and the Purifiers would use that knowledge to spread their message of hate to other universes. It is entirely possible that they are connected to the Upholders (as seen in Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's: Dragon Lords) in some way, perhaps their military arm or something.

Morgana's Kin and the Purifiers have clashed on many occasions. They are sworn enemies, simply because of the all-female structure of Morgana's Kin. The Purifiers believe such a structure promotes homosexuality, which, like most similar groups, they believe to be a crime against nature.

While so far the Purifiers have never reached the Earth dimension, their principles have been a threat to Shadowkind in other universes. Out of possibly the strangest irony, their arrival in a Shadowkind-inhabited universe unites Shadows and humans more than anything else, to fight a common enemy.

**Story Ideas:** The Purifiers, while having the technology to move between universes, are a hate-group, plain and simple. They believe in the subjugation, if not eradication of all groups they believe to be inferior to them, and this includes Shadowkind. They are also likely to show up in any fanfic that involves Morgana's Kin.

Their arrival in the Shadowchasers universe would definitely merit attention from the Shadowchasers. While they have yet to encounter any other Shadowchaser organizations (there are likely many in the multiverse), they will most likely become their enemies as well because of the alliance with Morgana's Kin. It is possible that this was also the reason that Morgan made that alliance in the first place.

There are even rumors that they have some ties to a Shadowkind deity. The mad god of tyranny Cyric is the most likely suspect. Cyric was once a mortal king who hated all races other than humans (which was likely what he was) and his ego was legendary. When he ascended to godhood (after stealing divine power) he created a powerful magical book, which would cause anyone who read it to believe everything it said, compelling him to worship Cyric as the most supreme god in existence. His plan was to trick other gods into reading it; but he made the fatal mistake of reading it himself. Developing an unfathomable superiority complex and questionable sanity, and believing himself to be the only true god, he now directs his followers to stamp out all beings not worthy of being in his presence, which results in his dogma being one of hate.

**Deck Ideas:** The Purifiers don't normally duel, but if it ever does become necessary, because of their militaristic tendencies, they'd probably use Warriors or certain types of Machines. B.E.S. Monsters or Machiners are possible, and a few high-ranking members might even have a copy of Air Fortress Ziggurat.

_The Purifiers are a creation of fanfic author Ruin, Queen of Oblivion._


	52. Chaos Burst

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL FIFTY-TWO**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chaos Burst**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Satellite.

With the Daedalus Bridge nearly complete and renovations in full swing, the place was looking much better nowadays.

But some places were just as decrepit as always... Places that people were simply too frightened to go near.

The ruins of the old Domino City Amusement Park that Gears drove his D-Wheel into at this moment was one such place. Not only was this area close to the epicenter of Zero Reverse, it was where Aki and Misty had battled, where Black Rose Dragon had defeated Ccarayhua, and where Divine's sadistic career had come to a lethal end. Almost everyone, Awares, Mundanes, Shadows, and even stray animals avoided this place, thinking it cursed.

Gears stopped his D-Wheel and nervously looked around.

"_Step right up! Test your strength!"_ said a voice.

He looked towards a broken strength testing game booth, where a ghostly carnie was standing by. A ghostly man holding a mallet was about to try to ring the bell, while another ghost who looked like his girlfriend watched.

More ghosts appeared. Children started running around him, laughing. Broken vendors carts became occupied by ghosts selling hot dogs, popcorn, and cotton candy. Clowns, jugglers, and fire eaters appeared.

These ghostly creatures were apparently unaware of Gears's existence, or uncaring.

"Phantoms..." he whispered.

Awares could sometimes see phantoms when they manifested. They weren't undead creatures, at least not in the usual sense. They were more like images. Whenever some event happened that caused large-scale death in one area – in this case, Zero Reverse – these haunting spiritual images of the victims, doing what they were doing moments before their lives suddenly ended, could sometimes be seen.

But not always. It usually took a powerful influx of negative energy to create such a large manifestation of phantoms...

As Gears suddenly realized what this meant, he heard a loud motor, the phantoms vanished, and a black D-Wheel pulled up in front of him. Gears didn't like the look of it at all. It brought to mind Kiryu's Dark Signer D-Wheel.

The rider took off his helmet. It was Rary.

"Nothing like a day at the carnival, eh Gears?" asked the Paragon of Wind.

"I was expecting Menzoberra..." said Gears. "I think I get the idea...

"You folks decided to swap targets, to regain the advantage of surprise... I'd almost say I was impressed."

"What's wrong?" asked Rary. "You Shadowchasers surprised that you finally found some bad guys with a little common sense?"

He started up his D-Wheel.

"Just because I'm crazy, Gears, doesn't mean I'm stupid..."

He lowered his helmet onto his head.

"Catch me if you can!"

Gears was more than prepared. The two D-Wheels sped down the midway as Speed World covered the whole carnival.

**(Gears: 8,000, SPC: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (Rary: 8,000 SPC: 0)**

"Just try to keep up!" laughed Rary, as he made his first draw. "I'm the Paragon of Wind, after all... Feeling it rush past my face only invigorates me!"

He threw a card on his console, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"That will be all for now."

"Then it's my move!" said Gears.

He drew a card, and both Speed Counters rose to 1.

"I summon Robotic Knight," he said.

A portal opened behind him, and the Machine sergeant emerged. (1,600 ATK)

Robotic Knight pointed its left arm at the reversed Monster. A small, female imp with pigtails and bat wings wearing a red mask appeared shielding herself with her arms.

Robotic Knight fired a round of bullets, and she was blown to pieces.

"What was THAT?" asked Gears.

"Fabled Topi," replied Rary. "But don't worry, you didn't activate any effect."

_Fabled Monsters? _asked Gears._ Aren't those supposed to be Light-Attribute Fiends?_

_He's actually using Light Monsters against my deck?_

He took two cards from his hand, and set them on his Disk. Two facedown cards appeared, and then faded from view.

_He's either just plain dumb, or he has some strategy that I should be wary of... Well, this should help..._

"End!" he shouted.

Rary drew a card.

"I summon Brron, Mad King of Dark World!" he exclaimed.

A flaming portal opened, and maddening laughter filled the air as a tall, lanky, and very ugly Fiend emerged. His skin was grey, and he had a skull like face with bony protrusions on top instead of hair; his other clothing was also bone-like, except for a long, blue, fur cape. His arms were secured to his torso with thick chains. (1,800 ATK)

"Ergh..." groaned Gears.

"I take it you know about this guy?" asked Rary.

"We've met..." said Gears.

_And it wasn't a pleasant experience... _thought Gears._ This is not the first time I've fought the army of Dark World..._

"Now, your majesty..." said Rary.

Brron threw up his arms, shattering the chains.

"...rip that Robotic Knight to shreds with lunatic lunge!"

Brron laughed manically, and leapt at the Machine, making a swipe with his claw and tearing it in two.

**(G: 7,800, SPC: 2) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 8,000 SPC: 2)**

"Next, I activate Brron's effect," continued Rary. "When he dishes out damage, I get to toss one of my cards..."

He discarded a card.

"The card I discarded was Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World, and by doing that, he's summoned to the field."

In an aura of golden light, an atypical demon, complete with wings, horns, and a tail, clad in golden armor and holding an axe, appeared in front of Rary. (2,300 ATK)

"Attack him directly!" shouted Rary. "Dark gold rush!"

Goldd flew towards Gears...

"Surprise," said Gears, as one of his cards spun around. "I have a Trap..."

"A Rival Appears?" gasped Rary.

"That's right," replied Gears. "Since Goldd is a Level 5 Monster, I can now Special Summon Ally of Justice Rudra from my hand."

The portal opened behind Gears, and the large, metal wolf bounded onto the field. (1,900 ATK)

"Big deal!" shouted Rary. "My Fiend will turn your Ally into tinfoil!"

Goldd flew at Rudra.

"But I have another Trap!" shouted Gears, as his other facedown card lifted up. "DNA Transplant!

"By turning your Fiend into a Light Monster, Rudra's effect kicks in, and it gains 700 Attack Points while fighting it!"

Rudra growled and pounced. The Wu-Lord tried to fight it off, but he dropped his axe and shattered.

"All right, you win that round..." growled Rary. "I end my turn..."

Gears made a draw, and looked at the card.

_At least he can't use Dark World Lightning and Gateway to Dark World, _he thought._ And he won't have many chances to use Dark Deal... But still..._

Then a realization came to him.

_No... _he thought._ Playing Fabled and Dark World... Fiend-Type Monsters that are easy to Special Summon?_

_If Iggwilv used Uria in her deck... Is it possible that Rary could be using Raviel in this one?_

_If he is, I'd better win the duel before he gets a chance to use it!_

**(G: 7,800, SPC: 3) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 7,700 SPC: 3)**

"I summon Ally of Justice Researcher!" he shouted.

He played the card, and the robotic all-terrain buggy appeared, driving next to his bike. (1,400 ATK)

"Rudra, annihilate his Mad King!"

Rudra roared, and leapt at Brron, and its Attack Score rose to 2,600. The Mad King only cackled louder as it dug its claws into him, and the mad laughter echoed over Speed World as he shattered.

"Know why he was laughing, Gears?" asked Rary.

He threw a card on his console.

"Because you fell for my set-up completely! Since I took battle damage, I get to Special Summon Tragoedia!"

A plume of black smoke erupted in front of the two D-Wheels, and the horrible, demonic thing with black scales and multiple limbs rose with an unholy bellow.

"Good lord..." said Gears.

"Tragoedia's Attack Score is 600 for each card in my hand," explained Rary. "I have three at the moment..."

(1,800 ATK)

"...so it's too much for your Researcher..."

_But even once he has four cards, _thought Gears,_ Rudra will be stronger._

He took a card from his hand and set it on his console. A facedown card appeared.

"I end my turn," he said.

Rary drew a card. Tragoedia's Attack Score rose to 2,400.

**(G: 7,800, SPC: 4) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 6,900 SPC: 4)**

"You know, Gears," he chuckled, "I'm glad you summoned that Researcher... You made things a lot easier...

"I'm activating one of Tragoedia's effects. By sending a Level 3 Monster in my hand to the Graveyard, like Broww, Huntsman of Dark World..."

He tossed the card, and Tragoedia fell back to 1,800 Attack Points.

"...I can steal _your_ Level 3 Monster!"

"HEY!" shouted Gears, as Researcher was pulled to the front of Rary's bike.

"Now I'm using Tragoedia's other effect," continued Rary. "I choose one Monster in my Graveyard... And I think I'll choose the guy I just discarded, Broww.

"For the rest of this turn, Tragoedia's Level becomes the same as Broww's."

_Changing Tragoedia's Level? _thought Gears, as he narrowed his eyes._ That could only mean one thing..._

"That's right, Gears!" laughed Rary. "Next I summon the Tuner Monster, Fabled Raven!"

The portal opened again, and a sinister figure flew out. It was dressed in black leather with a cowl, with blade-like wings on its arms. Its eyes glowed red. (1,300 ATK)

"I Tune Raven, Researcher, and Tragoedia together..." said Rary, as the three Monsters dissolved into eight glowing stars.

He chanted.

"_Celestial general banished for seeking perfection, lead the armies of the Netherworld in your quest for greatness! Fallen seraphim of war, crush all who oppose you..._

"_Synchro Summon... Fabled Valkyrus!"_

In a flash of light, a large, hulking creature appeared flying in front of Rary's bike. He had large, batlike wings, and a slim moustache on a face with oriental features. He wore full plate armor stained red, gold, and black that suggested the ceremonial attire of a shogun; but it was clearly of Fiend design, with numerous sharp edges and barbs. (2,900 ATK)

"So Gears, what do you think?" asked Rary.

"He looks like a big show-off," replied Gears.

Rary frowned. He took a card from his hand.

"I'm using his effect," continued Rary. "I just have to discard a Fiend-Type Monster from my hand, like Fabled Gallabas here..."

He discarded the card.

"...and in return, I get to draw one card..."

He made a draw.

"Now for your Rudra... It may gain 700 Attack Points when Valkyrus attacks, but with Valkyrus at 2,900, that's not gonna be enough.

"Valkyrus, chaos bolt blast!"

Valkyrus turned around in mid-air, and formed a glowing bolt of lightning in his hand. He hurled it, and Rudra sparked and sputtered, then exploded.

Rary took one of his two remaining cards, and set it on his console. It appeared facedown, and then vanished from view.

"It's your move, Gears," he said. "Let's see if you can summon something that can top my Valkyrus..."

"I can sure try," said Gears.

He made a draw.

**(G: 7,500, SPC: 5) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 6,900 SPC: 5)**

He looked at the card.

_Ember..._ he thought.

Some cards you become attached to... But cards you receive as gifts always have a special purpose to a duelist. He remembered when Ember had given him this card, shortly after she had completed her final test as an apprentice.

"_A toast," said Jinx, raising a glass of V8. "To our newest member…_

"_She has passed all the tests, overcome every pitfall, and triumphed over every obstacle put in her path. Ember may now truly call her herself a Shadowchaser!"_

"_Here, here!" said Gears._

_Ember blushed._

"_Uh, Gears…" she said. "Now that we're all friends and all… I want to give you something…"_

_She handed him an envelope._

"_Uhm, thanks Ember," said Gears. "But… My birthday isn't until February."_

"_No, no, you don't understand," said Ember. "I've had this card for a long time, but it's always been a mystery to me… I never understood its effect._

"_But… Now that I've seen you duel, it's all clear to me. I think you can use it."_

"Are you gonna play that card, or are you just gonna look at it?" asked Rary.

"Oh, I'm going to play it," said Gears, as he threw it on his console. "I summon Flamvell Magical!"

In a burst of flame, a fiery sorcerer, wearing a black pair of trousers, no shirt, and a bronze medallion, with a red goatee, and a topknot of hair, holding a staff shaped like a fire, appeared in front of him. (1,400 ATK)

"Huh?" said Rary. "Why does a Machine Deck need some second-rate Spellcaster?"

"First of all, Flamvell Magical gains 400 Attack Points when an Ally of Justice is on the field," said Gears. "Second, he's a Level 4 Tuner.

"So... I activate Soul Resurrection!"

His facedown card spun around, and Robotic Knight flew onto the field. (1,800 DEF)

"So... I'll Tune Flamvell Magical and Robotic Knight together..."

The two Monsters faded into eight glowing stars...

"_Wanderer of the spaceways, traveler of the flow! Weapon of the Healing Darkness, seeking out the minions of the Light Ruin where their evil beacons shine in the universe!_

"_Synchro Summon, Ally of Justice Light Gazer!"_

In an aura of energy, Light Gazer flew onto the field. (2,400 ATK)

"Light Gazer gains 200 Attack Points for each Light Monster in _your_ Graveyard," said Gears. "With those three Fabled Monsters there, that's 600 more points."

(3,000 ATK)

"Ah, big deal," sneered Rary. "Like losing 100 little Life Points is going to set me back..."

"You're about to lose much more..." said Gears.

He quickly played the last card in his hand, a Speed Spell.

"I play Cosmic Crusher. For this round only, when my Ally attacks a Light Monster with less Attack Points, damage calculation is ignored, that Monster is automatically destroyed, and you take damage equal to it's Attack Score."

"Hey, wait a minute..." said Rary.

"Attack Fabled Valkyrus!" shouted Gears. "Cosmic Cannon!"

Light Gazer fired a mighty blast, and Rary screamed as his Monster was blown to gibbets he struggled to maintain control of his D-Wheel.

**(G: 7,500, SPC: 5) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 4,000 SPC: 3)**

Gears took a deep breath.

"I end my turn..." he said.

Rary made a draw.

Then his facedown card spun around.

"I use my Wicked Rebirth Trap Card," he said. "I'll drop 800 Life Points, and guess who's back?"

Valkyrus flew onto the field again. (2,900 ATK)

"So he is," said Gears. "But I don't see what you can do with him... He's Level 8 after all... Unless you have an even higher Level Synchro Monster that you can use him to summon..."

"Oh, but I do!" laughed Rary. "Level 10 Synchros may be rarer than roc's teeth, but I have one...

"Of course, to summon it, the Tuner has to be a Fabled Monster. So I'm bringing out Fabled Miztoji."

The Fiend that appeared next to Valkyrus looked like a bent, hunched old man, with small horns on his bald head, wearing a dark robe and thick spectacles, holding a knobbed cane. (400 ATK)

"Now, I Tune both together..." he said, as Valkyrus and Miztoji turned into ten glowing stars.

He chanted again.

"_Cast out of the celestial realms for the sin of Pride, a powerful seraphim finds a realm in the Netherworld where he can rule as king! Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven..._

"_Synchro Summon... Fabled Leviathan!"_

There was a flash of light so intense it hurt Gears's eyes. When he could see again, an even more intimidating Fiend was flying in front of Rary's bike. He resembled Valkyrus somewhat, but his armor was even more decorated and more form-fitting, with an overall design that resembled visual kei fashions. His wings were huge and leathery, and he wore a mask over his eyes. (3,000 ATK)

_Leviathan? _thought Gears._ As in the demon mentioned in Hebrew folklore?_

He paused.

_I'll worry about it later... But there's definitely something weird about his choice of Monsters..._

"You obviously can't add too well, Rary," he said. "With two more Light Monsters in your Graveyard, my Light Gazer is even stronger."

(3,400 ATK)

"But because I have at least two Light Monsters and two Dark Monsters there," said Rary, as he reached for his last card, "I can play this..."

He played a Speed Spell.

"Chaos Damper! For this round only, all Light and Dark Monsters lose their effects.

"Naturally, that means Leviathan can't use his effect this round, but seeing as he can't use it at all unless he croaks, it doesn't matter. More importantly, it means Light Gazer's Attack Score falls to its base Score."

(2,400 ATK)

"Leviathan... Destroy that droid with chaos energy blade!"

Fabled Leviathan put his hands together, and a glowing sword of pure light appeared in his hands. He flew at Light Gazer, and with one slash, cut the Ally cleanly in half. The two pieces shattered into pixels.

**(G: 6,900, SPC: 6) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 3,200 SPC: 4)**

"It's your move," laughed Rary.

_Okay, let's look at the pros and cons, _thought Gears._ Pro, you've got over twice as many Life Points as he does..._

_Con, you've got no cards in your hand, the only thing you have on the field is DNA Transplant, and you've got a 3k Attack Point Fiend staring you in the face..._

He made a draw.

_This might help..._

He set it on his console, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"Go," he said.

"Gladly!" laughed Rary.

He made a draw.

_Hmm, a Trap Card, _thought the Paragon._ Not exactly the right time for this, but... Might be useful later..._

He set it on his dashboard, and it appeared facedown.

Then Leviathan flew at Gears's Monster, swinging his chaos blade. Dekoichi appeared on the card, and was cut in half.

Gears made a draw. He looked at it.

"That's all for me," said Rary.

Gears drew a second card. His and Rary's Counters went up to 8 and 6, respectively.

Gears said nothing. He simply set a card, and a facedown card appeared in his Spell Zone.

Rary laughed.

"No Monsters to summon Gears?" he laughed. "That's the weakness of your deck, you know... Too many of the Allies of Justice are high Level...

"I'm guessing you've survived on luck so far... But sooner or later, everyone's luck run's out."

"Are you going move, or are you going talk all day?" asked Gears.

Rary drew a card.

**(G: 6,900, SPC: 9) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 3,200 SPC: 7)**

"Not the best..." he said, "but this guy will do... I summon Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World!"

He played the card, and a tall, thin, incredibly ugly demon appeared next to Leviathan. It wore armor that was made of bone, had a skull-like face, rubbery limbs, and a metal band covering its eyes below its helmet. It held a long spear that was also made partially of bone. (1,600 ATK)

"This is just an observation on my part," said Gears, "but the Fabled Monsters seem to be a lot handsomer than the Dark World ones."

"The Fabled Monsters used to be fallen angels," replied Rary. "Dark World Monsters were born Fiends.

"I suggest you brace yourself..."

Gears, of course, _had _been bracing himself. However, it didn't stop him from nearly spinning out of control when the two Fiends' weapons crashed into his bike.

The Shadowchaser struggled to regain control as a warning light on his dashboard flashed. He quickly changed gears, and within the space of fifteen seconds, was back in pursuit of his foe.

**(G: 2,300, SPC: 5) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 3,200 SPC: 7)**

"You are good..." chuckled Rary. "Well, I end my turn..."

"That means it's time to activate this..." said Gears.

His facedown card shot up.

"Shock Draw! Now, for each multiple of 1,000 in Life Points that I lost that turn, I get to draw one card."

He quickly made four draws.

"You son of a..." shouted Rary. "That other card in your hand... It's a Monster, but you didn't set it because you wanted to make the most of Shock Draw!"

"Sometimes you have to make sacrifices in order to win," said Gears. "It's my move!"

He made a draw.

He threw two cards facedown, and two set cards appeared in his Spell Zone.

Rary laughed again.

"Guess I was wrong..." he said. "Even with five more cards, you have nothing to summon."

"It's your move..." said Gears.

Rary made a draw.

Then he laughed out loud.

"This duel is over, Gears!" he cackled.

He played the card, and a Speed Spell appeared.

"Speed Spell – Power Failure! I play this card, and for this round only, neither player can activate Spells or Traps during the Battle Phase!

"Seems I got you completely pinned down... Leviathan... Finish him off!"

Leviathan lifted his sword.

"He who counts his chickens before they hatch gets scrambled eggs," said Gears, throwing down a card. "I don't need Spells or Traps so long as I have Battle Fader."

The demonic pendulum appeared in front of him, and Leviathan was stopped dead in his tracks. (0 ATK)

"As weak as it is," said Gears, "it stops your direct attack, and ends the Battle Phase immediately."

"Curse you!" shouted Rary. "Now you're just making me angry!"

"It's my move, windbag," said Gears. "Time to show you what I was really planning..."

He made a draw.

"I sacrifice Battle Fader..."

The small Fiend vanished.

"To summon Ally Mind!"

With a series of whirs and beeps, the spherical computer board appeared in front of him. (1,800 ATK)

"Next, Call of the Haunted!" he exclaimed, as one of his facedown cards lifted up.

Ally of Justice Rudra reappeared. (1,900 ATK)

Then, the Tuner and the Ally flew into the sky. The three burning suns appeared over the carnival...

"_Whispered secrets from a race now extinct, trusted to hold the knowledge accumulated over millennia, given the raw power unleashed in the creation of the cosmos! Sage of the forgotten people… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force… _

"_Synchro Summon, Il Mathman the Artificer!"_

Il Mathman flew down, flying next to Gears's bike. (2,700 ATK)

"So what's he gonna do?" asked Rary, angrily. "Leviathan is stronger..."

"But I can use his effect," said Gears. "By removing Rudra in my Graveyard from play, Il Mathman can assimilate its effect until the End Phase of your next turn."

Rudra fell out of the discard slot.

"And that means that Il Mathman now gains 700 Attack Points while battling a Light Monster.

"Attack! Annihilate Fabled Leviathan with primordial pulse blast!"

Il Mathman fired a beam of pure energy, and the demon king groaned as he was enveloped in light...

Then the fallen angel exploded in a burst of burning, radiant light, and Rary shielded himself.

"Ergh..." he grunted. "Ergh, ergh...

"You may have... destroyed him... But like I said, Leviathan's effect is activated when he dies. I get to recover _three_ Fabled Monsters from my Graveyard."

Three cards slipped out of Rary's discard slot: Topi, Miztoji, and Leviathan himself. He returned the last to the slot that contained his Extra Deck, and stashed the first two on his gauntlet.

"In that case," said Gears, "I end my turn..."

**(G: 2,300, SPC: 8) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 2,800 SPC: 10)**

Rary drew a third card. He looked at it briefly, and put it with the others. Then he took Topi from his gauntlet.

He played the card, and the small, girlish imp with pigtails that he started the duel with appeared next to Beiige. (500 ATK)

"What are you doing?" asked Gears.

"I'm using Miztoji's effect," replied Rary, holding up Miztoji's card. "By sending it from my hand to the Graveyard, I'm allowed to treat any Fabled Monster on the field as a Tuner Monster."

He discarded the card.

"Naturally, that bonus is going to Topi. So, I Tune Topi and Beiige together..."

The two Fiends faded into five glowing stars...

"Uhm... I know you're probably expecting some catchy Synchro Chant here... But the thing is, I so rarely use this guy I'm summoning, I never bothered to make one up!

"He's not very useful compared to the other Fabled Synchros..."

"Watch it..." said Gears. "As Yusei Fudo would say, there's no such thing as a useless card."

"Well, maybe he'll be of use now..." said Rary. "Meet Fabled Ragin."

A new Fabled Monster appeared, this one also dressed completely in plate armor, colored bronze, with electricity coursing over it. His wings appeared metallic, and he had a sword slung to his side. (2,300 ATK)

"Now, let's see if his effect does any good for a change..." said Rary. "When he's summoned, and I have less than two cards in my hand, I get to rectify that situation."

He made one draw.

Then he turned to Gears, and grinned.

His facedown card spun around.

"I activate Fine!" he laughed. "It's a simple Trap that lets me discard two cards from my hand."

He tossed both of his cards into his discard slot.

"One of the cards I just tossed was Gren, Tactician of Dark World, and by doing so, I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card."

An impossibly thin Fiend dressed in a green cape and spectacles, holding a large tome appeared in front of the two bikes. It fired a blast of energy, and Gears's Half or Nothing was blown to pieces.

"The other card I discarded was Kahkki, Guerrilla of Dark World," continued Rary. "By doing so, I can destroy one Monster."

A short, stocky, egg-shaped Fiend appeared next to Il Mathman. It drew a dagger, and stabbed it between the Titan's ribs. Il Mathman groaned.

"Sorry... Gears..." he managed to say, before shattering.

"Seems this guy was more useful than I thought!" laughed Rary.

Gears grit his teeth.

"Nothing to say?" asked Rary, as Fabled Ragin formed a ball of energy in his hands. "Well, I guess there really isn't much to say now!"

Gears screamed in pain as the final bolt of energy hit him...

...and it was more than his D-Wheel could take this time. He crashed.

**(G: 0, SPC: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 2,800 SPC: 11)**

Rary walked up to Gears's bike.

"Like I said..." said the Paragon. "Sooner or later, everyone's luck runs out."

Gears groaned.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Five minutes later, Minerva drove onto the site on her own D-Wheel.

Both Gears and Rary were gone, but Gears's badly battered D-Wheel remained, left by the entrance of what remained of the carousel, steam still pouring from its engine.

Minerva ran up to inspect it. The built in Duel Disk and Gears's deck was missing, clearly taken by Rary when the Paragon had taken Gears. Exactly why, she had no idea.

She turned on her communication device.

"Things have gotten much worse," she said. "Gears has lost as well... It is clear now that this was all a trap... He, Noriko, and Osaka are in grave danger, and Michiko is obviously next."

"Calm down," said the voice. "Do you believe they are in danger of torture or execution?"

"I would say it is a near-certainty," replied Minerva.

"Then I may have found something," said the voice. "Listen:

"Section 8, subsection 12, paragraph 4, subparagraph 3 of the Benediction states, quote: 'If an individual or member of a group who has agreed to the terms of this document is in danger of experiencing a situation that is opposed to by the dogma of another member of the Hebdomad, a member of the Knights of Domiel may offer indirect aid.' Unquote.

"If the Paragons plan to torture or execute prisoners, that is a violation of universally accepted rules of engagement, and thus would be opposed by Raziel. While his followers are under no obligation to help them, as they have no agreement with him, we can thus offer indirect help."

"But..." said Minerva. "What constitutes 'indirect help'?"

"The Benediction does not provide a definition..." replied the voice. "You must interpret it on your own... And you must hurry, as the lives of those four are in danger...

"Good luck, Knight of Domiel..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the underground chamber, loud music played from a CD player, and Soth, Iggwilv, and Menzoberra danced to it.

The four Paragons were on cloud nine as Rary walked in. They barely noticed the aboleth watching them, half submerged, and Trueman standing by the pool in front of it.

"So, did you get it?" asked Menzoberra, as she turned off the music.

"Oh, I sure did!" laughed Rary.

He held up Il Mathman's card.

The aboleth pulled itself more fully out of the water.

"_Excellent work, Rary," _it said._ "But don't get too overconfident yet..._

"_All we need now is Jetta. With all the Titans together, I may be able to undo what made them, and dispose of them for good."_

"Yak, yak, yak..." said Soth.

He took Trymus's card out of his pocket. Then he took a cigarette lighter out of the other pocket.

"Tell you what, boss," he said. "I got a faster way..."

He flicked on the lighter.

"Gonna put Trymus out of his misery right now."

He tried to set fire to the card. There was a long pause.

"Well?" asked Rary.

"Uh... it won't burn..." said Soth.

"Here, _I'll_ burn it!" said Iggwilv, as she formed a ball of flame in her hand.

"Wait..." said Soth.

Iggwilv hurled the ball of flame at the card, and Soth roared in pain.

"MY HAND!" he shouted, holding his hand. "You burned my hand, you stupid..."

Menzoberra picked up Trymus's card, which he had dropped.

"Uh, the card isn't even singed, people..." she said.

Then she started trying to rip it. It wouldn't rip. She struggled with it, but no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn't tear.

After about three minutes of trying, she was out of breath, and the card wasn't damaged in the least.

Meanwhile, the aboleth was watching, and looked rather annoyed.

"This could theoretically go on for hours..." said Trueman.

"_Are you idiots done making fools of yourselves?" _asked the aboleth._ "That card wouldn't burn if you threw it into a star. No matter what vessels the Titans inhabit, they are still infused with the Power Primordial. They are immortal and indestructible. Only by taking that power from them in some way can they be truly destroyed._

"_And to do that, we need all four of them._

"_Iggwilv, go wait for Ember, and remember the rules. _

"_And use your true deck this time... We are too close to victory to risk any screw-ups..."_

Then it sank back under the water. Trueman turned, and vanished into the shadows.

Iggwilv turned to Rary.

"Rary, gimme Il Mathman's card," she said. "I want to try something."

"Uh..." said Rary, looking at Il Mathman's card.

"I dunno... The boss told us not to..."

"Are we going to keep listening to that tentacled frog?" asked Iggwilv.

"You have a problem with frogs?" asked Menzoberra. "But you have a point... I don't like working for that slimy bottom-feeder. All it does is boss us around. And it seems to not think very highly of anything with a complete skeletal system."

"Before I give this to you, I want collateral," said Rary.

Iggwilv smiled.

She wrapped her arms around Rary, and kissed him deeply. Sweat formed on his brow.

After a one-minute kiss, she let him go. He gasped for breath.

"That enough collateral?" she said, sweetly.

Rary handed over the card.

He looked at her butt as she walked out...

"Heh..." he said. "Let's see the Psurlon Trade Consortium offer a better one of _those_ for sale."

"Watch it..." said Menzoberra.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At this moment, Ember was driving her D-Wheel down a forest path.

Then, she had to slam on the breaks to avoid running into a D-Wheel that was blocking her way.

At first she thought it was Iggwilv, but as the rider – who was Minerva – took off her helmet, she knew that this was different.

"You're in trouble, Shadowchaser..." said Minerva. "This road leads to a dead end."

"What do you mean?" asked Ember. "Do you want trouble?"

"I'm trying to spare you trouble," said Minerva. "The invitations you all got were traps. It was too late to warn your friends... They lost to the other Paragons, and they're prisoners now."

Ember gave a look of shock.

"How... Beaten..." she said.

Jetta appeared next to her.

"Don't panic, Ember..." said the Titan. "They aren't dead. I share a bond with the other Titans, and through them, I feel their bond to your friends. I can tell that they're alive..."

"But for how long?" said Ember softly.

"Go back," said Minerva. "Don't meet with Iggwilv. If you are captured as well, the fate of all four of you is sealed. But so long as you are safe, your friends might be spared."

"Might!" said Ember, getting angry. "The key word is 'might'! I can't be certain!

"And I can't abandon them!

"I owe them..."

She sighed.

"When Draco beat me, I was locked up in a genie's lamp... It was cursed so I couldn't disobey him... It was humiliating...

"But they rushed to my rescue, risked everything to get me out of there...

"It's part of being on a team. You'd know that if you were part of a team. Who are you anyway?"

Minerva looked at her.

"I am part of a team..." she said. "It's just that my team isn't as close as yours...

"Catch."

She threw something, and Ember caught it.

It was a card.

"A Trap Card?" asked Ember.

"If you insist on facing Iggwilv, I cannot stop you," said Minerva. "But put that card in your deck. It may mean the difference between victory and defeat."

She started up her D-Wheel.

"It's all the help I can give you right now, except to say good luck..."

"Wait!" said Ember, as she started off. "You didn't answer me! Who are you?"

"A friend," replied Minerva, before she vanished down the path.

Ember sighed.

She looked at the card again. She read the description. It seemed very situational to say the least...

She looked at Jetta again.

"I... guess it couldn't hurt..." she said.

She took the card, and shuffled it into her deck.

Then she got on her D-Wheel, and drove back in the direction she had been going.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – COSMIC CRUSHER (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **Worm Prince staggering under an assault from Ally of Justice Cosmic Closer.

**Card Description:** Activate when you have 4 or more Speed Counters. Select 1 "Ally of Justice" Monster you control. If the selected Monster attacks a LIGHT Monster with equal or less ATK than the selected Monster, destroy the Monster without applying Damage Calculation and inflict damage to the Monster's controller equal to the destroyed Monster's ATK.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – CHAOS DAMPER (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **D.D. Warrior Lady holding a high-tech, science-fiction style blaster that's half as big as herself, aiming it at an unseen target.

**Card Description:** Activate when you have 4 or more Speed Counters and have at least 2 LIGHT and 2 DARK Monsters in your Graveyard. All LIGHT and DARK Monsters on the field have their effects negated until the End Phase of the turn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – POWER FAILURE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **Ancient Gear Golem ripping up a power line as a D-Wheeler speeds towards it.

**Card Description:** Activate when you have 6 or more Speed Counters. During the turn you activate this card, neither player can activate Spell or Trap Cards during the Battle Phase.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Ember: I'm the only one left... The Paragons are clearly stronger than they first appeared. I don't even know if I stand a chance against Iggwilv this time, as she uses her true deck with a deadly strategy that portrays Fire as a force of pure destruction. **

**But if I'm going to go down, I want answers first. Maybe I can find out just what makes these four beings tick. Some think they're just sociopaths, but I think the motive runs deeper than simple insanity. There's a deeper meaning to the Paragons madness, and I want to find it out.**

"**Tremendous Fire" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**The Gotthammers, Shadowchasers Special Forces**

Say two of the Yokai Clans have joined forces, and are planning to invade Beijing. Or a pit fiend has taken over Fort Dix and is daring anyone to make it leave. Perhaps a verdant lord has turned a hundred acres of trees in Great Smoky Mountains National Park into dark briars and has claimed the state-owned land as his own property. What do the Shadowchasers do when faced with powerful Shadowkind who think that they can spit on the Great Treaty and all it stands for?

In times like this, Jalal sends the Gotthammers to solve the problem. If the Shadowkind in question survives, he'll respect the Treaty a great deal more afterwards.

The Gotthammers (the name is taken from that of a mythical group of angels who combated demonic hordes when fighting between such groups was common in the mortal world) is a special team of five Shadowchasers put together by Jalal himself. Little is known about the origins of this team, but it is widely believed that they were all once Aware members of military special forces units from around the world. After they were discharged, Jalal recruited them, and formed them into his own special forces unit, one that would work for the Shadowchasers. Trained in modern warfare and tougher than most Shadowchasers, these five individuals are sent to deal with Shadowkind who think they are above the law, and who are too powerful to be dealt with by normal Shadowchasers.

The Gotthammers work globally, rejecting the idea of a central location. They are answerable to Jalal alone, and also have the power of authority over any local group of Shadowchasers. (They rarely use this authority, however.) Although Duel Disks and decks are still part of their equipment, most of the rest of their gear is typically what you'd find on a group of marines – heavy duty weaponry like assault rifles and grenades, and high-tech gear like surveillance drones and flack jackets. Because the Gotthammers are usually called in to handle Shadows who have already rejected the Treaty, they are under no obligation to follow it, which often comes as a surprise to those on the receiving end of their attacks.

The true names and backgrounds of the five members of the Gotthammers are heavily guarded secrets. All of them are multi-lingual, so only educated guesses can be made at their countries of origin from their slight accents. They have been seen dueling, and they use some very lethal strategies. In fact, it seems that since the team's founding five years ago, the Gotthammers have not had a single casualty among their members. Indeed, the roster of the team has not yet needed a replacement. Perhaps this is because they know how to watch each others' backs as any well-formed team does. Some say it's just due to a combination of skill, planning, and anticipation.

The five members of the Gotthammers are as follows:

**The Colonel:** The tactician and planner of the group, and the unofficial leader (unless Jalal is leading the group personally), the Colonel is a man who seems to be in his fifties who appears to be American. Most believe that, as his _nom de guerre _implies, he was a high-ranking member of the U.S. military before joining the Shadowchasers. His attitude is certainly that of a veteran soldier – a tough as nails fighter who speaks in an intimidating tone that makes most people uneasy. Still, the Colonel has a powerful sense of responsibility for his new unit (the Gotthammers) and a great deal of respect for his new CO (Jalal) and when all if said and done, he is the best man to lead the team.

When he duels, the Colonel uses a deck full of very powerful two-Tribute Monsters, such as Ancient Gear Golem, Tyrant Dragon, and Archlord Kristya. He uses Monsters like Dandylion, Giant Germ, and Nimble Momonga to get the required Tributes fast, or Mausoleum of the Emperor to forgo them entirely.

**Matt Black:** The espionage and infiltration expert among the Gotthammers, Matt Black, as he's called, is a man in his thirties who's accent seems to suggest Great Britain. Its his job to make sure that the Gotthammers never go into enemy territory blind, and he is very good at making sure that they don't. He has several ways of getting the information he needs; he knows who to talk to, what palms to grease, and who to make deals with. He's also one of the best Shadowjacks in the world, and is able to hack into almost any system using the magical ability used by such hackers. Worse case scenario, he excels at slipping into places unnoticed and getting what he needs.

Subtle as he is, the deck he uses when he duels is not very subtle. He uses an Armed Dragon Deck. Eschewing the infamous Dark Armed Dragon, he uses the old fashioned Leveled Armed Dragons, along with a great deal of support. He even has a copy of the incredibly rare Armed Dragon LV10.

**Savage Snow:** The only female member of the group, Savage Snow is a woman in her thirties with long, raven-black hair and haunting beauty. Her accent suggests France more than anything else. She is the demolitions and explosives expert of the Gotthammers – a common joke among the Shadowchasers is, "they haven't built anything yet that Savage Snow can't tear down". This may well be the truth, in fact. A common safety tip when she's at work is to listen to what she says, and be prepared to run when she sets the timer – fast.

Many believe that she got her nickname from the deck she uses: It focuses almost entirely on Elemental Hero Absolute Zero. With three copies of this Fusion Monster, she has many creative ways to use its powerful effect, like summoning Catapult Turtle (easily done with A Legendry Ocean, which also benefits Absolute Zero) and launching Absolute Zero with it.

**Eagle Eye:** "If it's got wings, I can fly it." So says Eagle Eye, the vehicle expert of the team, the youngest member (he appears to be in his mid-twenties) who seems to be American. Not all places that the Gotthammers go to can be reached with a D-Wheel, so Eagle Eye is in charge of getting them there using aircraft or boat. In rare occasions, such as when an angry dragon threatens a city, Eagle Eye can even fly vehicles designed for combat. Exactly where Jalal procures such equipment as Apache helicopters and the like is not known, but most assume he makes deals with certain military officials that are too tempting for them to turn down. Rumor has it that some Incantifers are trying to build a fighter jet plane with magical engines and supernatural capabilities. If they ever succeed, Eagle Eye would likely be the first one to fly it.

When dueling, Eagle Eye uses Scrap Monsters, the powerful archetype of creatures that destroy themselves in order to activate powerful effects.

**Dark Crystal:** A man in his forties who is more than likely from Germany, Dark Crystal's specialty is one that is not found in any Mundane special forces unit: magic and supernatural powers. He is himself a wizard, and a powerful one; though not on the same scale as the typical Incantifer, he can produce some very powerful incantations when ordinary firearms fail. As a member of the Gotthammers, he identifies enemy wizards and magical threats early, which are the greatest dangers in any battle, and then takes the forefront in confronting them. (It takes one to defeat one, in his opinion.)

Most expect Dark Crystal to use Spellcasters when he duels. He does... But with a twist. His Spellcaster Lock Deck uses Secret Village of the Spellcasters to prevent his opponent from using Spell Cards, and he combines it with Royal Decree if he is able to. (Needless to say, he does not Turbo Duel often.)

**Story Ideas:** Use of the Gotthammers is limited only by how far an author is willing to take a fic. They only show up to handle the most dire threats to the separation between humans and Shadows, and only to deal with powerful Shadows who follow no laws but their own (or none but Chaos). The appearance of these soldiers means that dire times are ahead, and Shadowchasers who know that they're in town know to start preparing for war.

It may even be possible to write an entire fic centered on the Gotthammers. It could take work, but it certainly is doable.


	53. Tremendous Fire

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL FIFTY-THREE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Tremendous Fire**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

As Ember rode down the forest path, storm clouds started to rumble overhead. Fear started to creep into her bones.

The path terminated at a large, wooden building that seemed to be some type of shrine. The kanji symbol for Fire was on the door.

"This must be the place..." she muttered.

Her Duel Disk detached from her D-Wheel, and clamped to her gauntlet. She gave her deck a good shuffle, and walked up to the door, which opened on its own accord.

The door closed behind her, as she expected it to do. The shrine was dark inside.

_Didn't exactly expect a warm welcome... _she thought._ But still..._

"No games, Iggwilv!" she shouted. "Come and get me!"

Torches on the walls lit with violet flames. She was in a stone-walled room, and Iggwilv was sitting on an ornate chair at the opposite end, drinking from a decorated goblet.

"Well..." said the Paragon. "And then there was one..."

"Where are Shichiro, Jinx, and Gears?" demanded Ember.

"Oh, don't worry about them..." said Iggwilv, as she stood up. "They don't have the best accommodations right now, but they're perfectly safe... For the time being..."

Her infernal Duel Disk appeared in her arm.

"So... Time to complete the cycle... Time to finish this..."

"I want one thing from you first," said Ember.

"Eh?" said Iggwilv.

"I want answers about something," continued Ember.

"Now why should I tell you anything?" asked Iggwilv, rather annoyed.

"Answer this for me," replied Ember, "and you can count it as my last request."

Iggwilv looked at her with a frown.

"O-kay..." she said. "Sure... I guess that's... fair... What do you want to know?"

"How?" asked Ember. "What happened to you… your people… your culture… What happened to you to make you so... _evil_?"

Iggwilv suddenly looked more serious gave her a long look. Then she sat back on her chair.

"Interesting question, Michiko..." she replied. "Very few have found out the secret of my people's motivations... Even fewer have been allowed to live with that knowledge once they had it...

"Tell you what... I'll answer that question with a question of my own... Have you ever read _The Book of Vile Darkness_?"

Ember gasped.

"That book is forbidden!" she exclaimed. "Anyone who reads its cursed pages without powerful protective magic risks losing his mind or being attacked by demons!"

"I see…" said Iggwilv. "Well, I've read it many times… So have Rary, Menzoberra, and Soth. It's kind of required reading for my species.

"After all, a member of my species wrote it.

"You may know of a story written in those 'cursed pages' of a man who was created by the gods before all other mortals… Then rejected as a mistake… Then given his life back by a demon, who persuaded him to procreate…"

"The legend of the vashar…" whispered Ember. "The shame of the gods..."

She looked at Iggwilv, and Iggwilv smiled at her.

"Soth, Rary, Menzoberra, and myself are the sole survivors of that ancient race, Ember…" she said.

"We lived for millennia in that mountain where our race was born, on the homeworld of Shadow… We hated the gods who rejected us, dreaming of a day when we would make the streets of Heaven collapse under their feet. The vashar had ur-priests long before the Light of Ruin taught the art to Sezzik Tam, and they and other heretical sorcerers were our rulers.

"Then, one day, we discovered a way to truly gain our revenge. That mountain wasn't just any mountain… It was a volcano. And deep under the magma lay a sleeping abomination, a beast that even the gods feared. It was imprisoned there when the abominations were defeated after their struggle with the first gods. They named it Ma Yuan, the Godslayer, for it was a being so powerful, it could truly kill divine beings with its deadly claws.

"Possibly, the demon that had brought our ancestor there had it in mind the whole time... He pointed us in the right direction of a weapon, and we simply had to find it.

"But it was trapped in eternal slumber, most of its power drained from the battle where it had been imprisoned.

"For years, we searched for a means to restore Ma Yuan to its full power and awaken it. Then four ur-priests, each one representing one of the four elements, found a way. They started construction of a device called an Infernal Wheel. Once the Infernal Wheel was complete, a ritual would start it turning. Its turning would feed Ma Yuan stolen divine power over three decades, increasing in speed and power as the years passed. After thirty years, the process would be complete, the volcano would erupt, and Ma Yuan would burst forth, its power fully restored, prepared to murder every divine being in existence."

"Thirty years?" asked Ember.

"Things like this take time," replied Iggwilv. "When you plan revenge against the gods themselves, it's gonna be a long-term plan. We always knew it was never going to be easy."

"I assume something went wrong with your plan," said Ember.

Iggwilv sighed.

"Such a plan does not go unheard, Ember," she replied, with a tone of bitterness in her voice. "And it seemed we were not as forgotten as we had thought. As soon as it was conceived, celestial alarms went off. The most powerful deities appointed four of their strongest champions, meddlers not unlike you Shadowchasers, who stormed our home to halt the ritual.

"A fight broke out, and the ur-priests managed to complete the ritual just before the four champions subdued them, and the Infernal Wheel began to turn. The ur-priests thought they had won. They gloated, telling the champions it could not be stopped, and even if they killed every vashar in existence, the Wheel would free Ma Yuan in thirty years, and the vashar's revenge would be complete.

"The champions tried to stop the Wheel… They found that they truly couldn't…

"But then one of those four meddlers got a good idea. They couldn't stop it… But they could sure speed it up a little.

"All four of them channeled all the divine energy they had into the Infernal Wheel, giving it twice as much power as it would ever need in under a minute. Power flowed into the heart of the volcano way too fast. The surviving vashar had no choice but to flee, and watch as the volcano erupted, and their master plan was unleashed thirty years premature! Ma Yuan was killed as a result, not able to survive getting suddenly what it was supposed to get slowly.

"Our plan was ruined, and our home was destroyed. We were a ruined people. Our most powerful wizards opened portals, and we fled to the Astral Plane. From there, we eventually settled on a world in a new reality, where the four ur-priests, who had miraculously survived, formed four factions of vashar."

"I suppose the four of you are each descended from one of the factions?" asked Ember.

"Yes…" replied Iggwilv. "The thing was, although we grew numerous again, each faction blamed the other three for the plan going sour. We no longer cooperated, and we fought often."

"So when the four of you tried to duplicate what the Titans accomplished," added Ember, "it went bad. And you solved the problem by putting the rest of your race out of its misery.

"I suppose that's why the four of you seem to get along… You've finally found common ground!"

Iggwilv chuckled.

"Not really…" she replied. "None of us have any powers that can do lasting harm to the other three, so we cooperate for now… But as soon as one of us becomes more powerful than the other three, he or she is going to consume them. All four of us know it, and we've agreed not to dwell on it until it happens."

"Of course," said Ember. "The old 'there can only be one' scenario, huh?"

"More or less…" said Iggwilv. "But for now…"

She stood up and lifted her left arm, and her Duel Disk activated.

"...we'll concentrate on more immediate enemies. You're the last one left from your team… Time to duel…"

Ember activated her Disk.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - (Iggwilv: 8,000)**

_This is it... _thought Ember._ It all comes down to me... Oh, I wish I could stop shaking!_

"Well, what are you waiting for, Michiko?" asked Iggwilv, angrily. "An engraved invitation?"

Ember quickly made her first draw.

She set a Monster on her Disk, and a defensive Monster appeared in an aura of light.

"I'll end with that," she said.

"Running scared already?" asked Iggwilv, as she made a draw.

"I summon UFO Turtle."

With an eerie hum, the turtle/flying saucer combination appeared, hovering over the field. (1,400 ATK)

"Since I know your Monsters tend to have low Defense Scores..."

UFO Turtle shot two missiles from under its shell. Flamvell Paun appeared on the card, and shattered.

A card slipped out of Ember's deck, and she took it.

_Okay... _she thought._ I've got Flamvell Firedog..._

Iggwilv took a card from her hand, and set it on her Disk. A facedown card appeared.

"Take turn," she demanded.

"Boy, you're impatient," said Ember, as she made a draw.

"I summon Flamvell Firedog!" she shouted.

With a howl, Firedog bounded onto the field. (1,900 ATK)

_Okay, I've got this planned, _she thought._ When I attack UFO Turtle, she'll summon a second one, thinking I'll Special Summon another Monster and attack the second one, allowing her to summon something important._

_But I _won't_ attack the second one. I'll just end my turn, and attack next turn, when I'm sure I have enough Monsters to destroy the second and third UFO Turtle and whatever she summons with the third._

"I'm tossing Flamvell Baby," she said, as she discarded a card, "to boost Firedog's burner!"

(2,300 ATK)

"Firedog, attack!"

Flamvell Firedog breathed flames, and Iggwilv braced herself as UFO Turtle exploded.

**(E: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - (I: 7,100)**

"I use UFO Turtle's effect," said Iggwilv, "to summon Solar Flare Dragon!"

A waft of intense heat covered the room, and a large, fiery serpent with a dragon's head rose where UFO Turtle had been. (1,500 ATK)

"HUH?" said Ember.

"Uh..." she said. "I use Firedog's effect to summon Flamvell Gurnika!"

In another aura of flames, Gurnika appeared, hovering in midair. (1,700 ATK)

"Gurnika, destroy Solar Flare Dragon!"

"Hold it right there, little girl," said Iggwilv.

Her facedown card flipped up.

"Gravity Bind?" gasped Ember.

Gurnika was stopped dead in his tracks.

"Uh..." said Ember.

Sweat started to pour down her brow. Her hand shook harder as she took another card from her hand.

She slowly set it in her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"I end my turn..."

"Feeling the heat yet, Michiko?" asked Iggwilv, as she made a draw. "Solar Flare Dragon is such a great card... Why stop at one..."

She played a card, and a second Solar Flare Dragon appeared. (1,500 ATK)

"...when two is much more fun?"

"A Solar Flare Lock!" exclaimed Ember.

"That's right!" laughed Iggwilv. "I now have not one, but two layers of protection – Gravity Bind, and my two Solar Flare Dragons.

"And now... A coup de grace..."

Flamvell Firedog and Flamvell Gurnika screamed, as flames erupted around them.

"What are you doing?" screamed Ember.

The two Monsters vanished. Then an iron cage, studded with spikes formed around her...

"No..." she said.

The heat became unbearable, as a twenty-foot-tall humanoid formed completely out of boiling magma, the dreaded Lava Golem, rose behind her, the cage attached to a chain around its neck. (3,000 ATK)

Ember's heart was beating hard. She was almost hyperventilating.

"I set two cards facedown, and end my turn," said Iggwilv, as two reversed cards appeared. "And that means that my Solar Flare Dragons' effect kicks in."

The two Pyros breathed scorching hot fire, striking Ember. She screamed, and fell to her knees.

**(E: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - (I: 7,100)**

"Akira..." she moaned, with tears in her eyes. "Akira, where are you?"

"Akira?" asked Iggwilv. "Who's that? Boyfriend? Well, sorry, he can't help you now. In fact, I doubt you're ever going to see him again."

Iggwilv's taunting was cruel, but it made Ember snap back to her senses.

Then she had a thought. Maybe Akira _could_ help her in this situation... Or maybe he already had...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was a week after Ember's twelfth birthday, a week after Akira had given her the Flamvell Urquizas card. He walked into her house, as she was going over some cards she had just gotten.

"Working on the deck, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah," said Ember. "Old Man McCreedy gave me a discount on some of these old cards.

"I got a lot of Fire Monsters here... Most of them aren't too good... But you told me yourself that you never know when you'll find a Secret Rare in a box of Commons."

"Ain't it the truth..." said Akira, sitting down beside her.

His brow furrowed as he picked up a card.

"Uh... Were you gonna use this one?"

She looked at it. It was Lava Golem.

"Well, I hadn't planned on it yet," said Ember.

"Take it from someone who's seen this used several times," said Akira. "It might seem harmless when dueling on a coffee table... But when you use a Disk, this thing is _brutal._

"I don't know what Pegasus was on when he greenlighted it. I can only hope that you never have to face it."

Suddenly, Ember got scared.

"Well, what if I do?" she asked.

Akira sighed.

"Well, the only real way to prevent it from being summoned is Mask of Restrict," he said. "Once it's on the field, sacrificing it can get rid of it, but many folks who use it also use that Trap Card. Compulsory Evacuation Device is one way, but it might give your opponent a chance to use it again.

"And, needless to say, if you can tear down whatever wall your opponent uses to prevent you from attacking with it, he's in trouble, because it has 3,000 Attack Points.

"But remember this among all else, Ember – if faced with a Lava Golem, _do not panic._ Most duelists who lost because of this card lost because they panicked, which isn't good in _any_ situation.

"That's probably the best advice I can give you."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Don't panic... _thought Ember._ Good advice, coz..._

She stood up, and drew a card.

"Lava Golem's effect activates," said Iggwilv, "costing you 1,000 Life Points."

Burning lava dripped into the cage, and Ember tried her hardest to keep from screaming.

**(E: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - (I: 7,100)**

She looked at her hand of five cards.

_I think I might actually be able to do this..._ she thought.

She looked at Iggwilv's two facedown cards.

_That is, if those two cards aren't Counter Traps to stop me from doing it..._

She set two cards, and a reversed card, and a reversed Monster appeared in front of her.

"I'm done," she said. "Make your move..."

Iggwilv made a draw.

It was Pot of Avarice.

_Hmm,_ she thought.

"I think I'll boost my defenses even further," she said.

She played a card, and Flame Ruler appeared next to the two Solar Flare Dragons. (1,500 ATK)

"Now, even if you destroy one of my Dragons," she continued, "the other one is protected from attacks, unless you get rid of Flame Ruler first.

"I end my turn, and you know what that means..."

Ember struggled to keep from screaming as the Solar Flare Dragons roasted her again.

**(E: 5,000) - - - - - - - - - (I: 7,100)**

Ember held her chest, and took some deep breaths.

She made a draw.

She gave a look of surprise.

"I can tell from the look on your face that you drew a good card, Ember," said Iggwilv.

_It's the card that strange woman gave me... _thought Ember._ How the heck is it supposed to help?_

"Well, whatever it is, you'll never get to use it unless you break my lock," said Iggwilv. "Speaking of which, Lava Golem now burns 1,000 of your Life Points away."

Ember wiggled and squirmed to avoid the dripping lava.

Sweat poured down her brow. She looked at her cards on the field.

_It's now or never,_ she thought.

One of her facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Trap Stun!" she shouted.

"Huh?" said Iggwilv.

"This Trap Card puts all other Traps out of commission this round," said Ember. "Including THAT one!"

Gravity Bind froze over.

_She didn't counter it... _thought Ember._ I can do it!_

"Big deal!" said Iggwilv. "You still can't attack my Solar Flare Dragons due to their effects."

Ember's reversed Monster flipped face-up, and Hiita the Fire Charmer appeared. (500 ATK) She chanted a spell and her scepter glowed, and one of the two Solar Flare Dragons was pulled over to Ember's side of the field.

"Ho boy..." said Iggwilv.

"Lava Golem," ordered Ember, "destroy Flame Ruler!"

The whole room turned a hellish red, and the giant Fiend formed a ball of molten fire in its jowls. Iggwilv braced herself as it struck Flame Ruler, turning him to hot ash.

"Now, my Solar Flare Dragon attacks your Solar Flare Dragon!" shouted Ember.

The Pyro shot a stream of flames from its jaws, which was met by a stream from the opposing Pyro. Both Pyros exploded into plumes of fire and smoke.

"Hiita, your turn!"

Hiita aimed her staff at Iggwilv, and shot a small fireball at the Paragon. She winced a little.

**(E: 4,000) - - - - - - - - - (I: 5,100)**

"Now to get rid of this ugly thing..." said Ember, as she took a card from her hand. "I sacrifice Hiita and Lava Golem..."

The huge Fiend and the small Spellcaster vanished into grains of light...

With a loud screech, Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys appeared in the room. She spread her golden wings, and glared at Iggwilv with a look of anger. (2,400 ATK)

Ember looked at Iggwilv, and nodded.

"Seems you still have some fight left in you..." said Iggwilv.

She made a draw.

"Good... You may have beaten plan-A... But this deck has another strategy that's almost as deadly..."

She played a Spell Card.

"I play Magic Planter. I'll send Gravity Bind to the Graveyard to draw two cards."

The Trap Card vanished, and she made two draws.

Then one of her facedown cards lifted up. It was Call of the Haunted.

_Don't tell me she's setting up the lock again!_ thought Ember.

However, the Monster that appeared was actually Flame Ruler. (1,500 ATK)

"I don't think I need to tell you about Flame Ruler's effect," said Iggwilv.

"When it's sacrificed to summon a Fire Monster," said Ember, "it can count as two sacrifices"

"Exactly," said Iggwilv. "So, I sacrifice Flame Ruler..."

The Pyro turned into a glowing orb of fire.

"...for Flame Ogre!"

In an aura of flames, a ten-foot-tall, muscular giant with orange skin, dressed only in a pair of trousers, appeared in front of Iggwilv. (2,400 ATK)

"By summoning him, I get to draw one card," she continued.

She made a draw.

"Well... What do you know... Seems I get to start plan-B now..."

Her other facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Necro Alchemy! By playing this Trap Card, I can turn all the Monsters in both Graveyards into any Attribute I choose, and I choose Dark."

The two Solar Flare Dragons fell out of her discard slot.

"That means I can remove two of my Monsters from play, in order to discard this other one."

She discarded one of her cards.

"We'll get to that later. Now for your Phoenix..."

She played another Spell Card.

"I Equip Flame Ogre with Pyre Amulet!"

An amulet set with a fire opal carved in the shape of a flame appeared around Flame Ogre's neck. It roared in rage. (2,700 ATK)

"Attack!" shouted the Paragon. "Eviscerate that bird!"

Flame Ogre grunted and lunged at Sacred Phoenix...

Ember's other facedown card shot up, revealing Enemy Controller. Flame Ogre fell backwards, knelt, and crossed its arms over its chest. (1,700 DEF)

"Damn you," said Iggwilv. "I end my turn!"

Ember drew a card.

She looked at the four cards in her hand: Double Spell, DNA Transplant, Fire Back... and the odd Trap that Minerva had given her.

_Darn, _she thought._ I was hoping for a Monster..._

She looked at the odd Trap.

_Wish I knew how this was supposed to help me..._

She almost considered setting it, but she had a pretty good idea what Iggwilv was going to do next turn. She had turned all the Monsters in the Graveyards Dark, and then removed two Monsters from play to send one there.

This was supposedly the first step in the summoning of something she had only heard rumors of, but if the rumors were true, setting Trap Cards right now wasn't a good idea.

"Sacred Phoenix, attack Flame Ogre!" she shouted. "Sacred fire!"

Sacred Phoenix breathed a blast of violet flame at the crouching ogre. The Fiend groaned and shattered.

"Thank you," said Iggwilv. "I activate another effect of Pyre Amulet. I can now remove both it and Flame Ogre from play to draw two cards."

She pocketed the Monster and the Equip Spell, and made two draws.

"It's your move..." said Ember, with a sigh.

Iggwilv made a draw.

"Then it's time for my star to make her appearance!" exclaimed Iggwilv, as a dark, shadowy form started to rise behind her. "Behold the grim majesty of... Dark Nephthys!"

With a loud screech, a huge bird that was just as big as Sacred Phoenix loomed over Iggwilv's side of the field. It looked like Sacred Phoenix, but it was black as midnight, and its eyes burned with an evil aura.

Sacred Phoenix glared at her Dark counterpart with a look of hate. Dark Nephthys glared back – the feeling was clearly mutual. (2,400 ATK)

"Now, I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card," said Iggwilv. "You don't have any, so I'll get rid of Necro Alchemy."

The Trap Card shattered.

"Our Monsters have equal Attack Points," said Ember. "Seems we have a standoff..."

"True..." said Iggwilv.

She fit two cards into her Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

"...but you don't know what _these _are, so I'd be careful if I were you. I'll end my turn with that."

"All right... draw..." said Ember.

She made a draw.

_Hmm..._ she thought, looking at it.

She threw three cards on her Disk, and three set cards, one in her Monster Zone and two in her Spell Zone, appeared.

"That'll do it," she said.

"Then it's my move..." said Iggwilv.

She made a draw.

"Yes..." she said. "This will do..."

One of her two facedown cards lifted up.

"Cursed Prison?" asked Ember. "What does that do?"

"It lets me Special Summon a Monster from my Extra Deck," replied Iggwilv, "and disregard its summoning conditions..."

A large, golden cage shaped like a lamp appeared next to Dark Nephthys.

"Of course, it has to stay in Defense Mode, and its effect is negated...

"I think this particular Monster will look familiar to you..."

Ember stepped back in shock as a figure appeared inside the cage...

It was Il Mathman. As if the cage wasn't bad enough, his wrists were chained by thick shackles. (2,000 DEF)

"You dirty, low-down, sadistic..." started Ember.

"Hold that thought," said Iggwilv, as she played a Spell Card. "I play Portmanteau.

"In case you don't know what a portmanteau is, it's a word that is formed out of two words, just as this Spell Card has two effects in one."

I knew what it meant... thought Ember, who was still very upset.

"I can use this card when I have one Monster in Attack Mode, and another in Defense Mode. I pay 1,000 Life Points, and then I can either increase the offensive Monster's Attack Score by the defensive one's Defense Score, or vice-versa.

"I think I'll do the first effect."

Il Mathman groaned, and Dark Nephthys glowed with a dark aura. (4,400 ATK)

"Dark Nephthys, attack your better half!" shouted Iggwilv. "Infernal darkfire!"

Dark Nephthys blasted a bolt of dark flames. Ember cringed as Sacred Phoenix was blown to shards.

**(E: 2,000) - - - - - - - - - (I: 4,100)**

"Now..." said Iggwilv. "Here's a quick preview of what's coming next..."

She flipped a card in her hand around.

"Linear Accelerator Cannon!" gasped Ember.

"Oh, you've heard of it?" asked Iggwilv. "Then you probably know that it lets me sacrifice a Monster, and deal damage equal to that Monster's Attack Points.

"Doesn't really matter whether I sacrifice Il Mathman or Dark Nephthys... Both have high enough Attack Scores to finish this duel...

"Sadly, on the round I use this Spell Card, it must be the _only_ Spell Card I use, so since I just used Portmanteau, I'll have to wait until next turn.

"It's your move... And it will be the last."

_She's right... _thought Ember_. One way or another... This is gonna be my last move..._

She made a draw.

She looked at it hard.

One of her two facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate DNA Transplant," she said. "I change all Monsters on the field to Fire.

"Then, I Flip-Summon Neo Flamvell Shaman."

Her facedown Monster flipped up, and the fiery witch doctor appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"Then... I play Rekindling!"

In four blasts of fire, Flamvell Paun (200 ATK), Flamvell Firedog (1,900 ATK), Flamvell Gurnika (1,700 ATK) and Flamvell Baby (800 ATK) appeared in front of her.

Then the room darkened. Baby, Paun, Firedog, and Gurnika flew towards the ceiling, and the three burning suns appeared.

"_Power of a supernova, energy of a solar wind, the souls of billions supporting her majestic flight! The raw power unleashed at the moment of Creation flowing through her veins… Heroine of a lost race… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force… _

"_Synchro Summon, Jetta the Bronze-Hearted!"_

Jetta landed on the field. Flames shot from her hand, and they formed into her burning sword. (2,800 ATK)

"Let's count 'em up!" exclaimed Ember. "With DNA Transplant, there are twenty-one Levels worth of Fire Monsters on the field! That gives Jetta a bonus of 4,200 points!"

(7,000 ATK)

"That's enough to win this duel with one mighty swipe of her sword!"

"I still have one trick left!" cursed Iggwilv.

Her final facedown card lifted up.

"Five Alarm!" she shouted. "Since you haven't entered your Battle Phase yet, I can sacrifice a Fire Monster and increase the Attack Score of another one by its Attack Score."

Il Mathman vanished into an orb of energy. Dark Nephthys glowed with a dark aura again. (5,100 ATK)

"Heh..." laughed Iggwilv. "Look at that! Without him on the field, Jetta's Attack Score just went down!"

(5,000 ATK)

"Face it, little girl... You lose!"

Ember bowed her head.

Then she grinned.

"No I don't..." she said softly. "That was just what I wanted you to do... The hour of retribution has come, Iggwilv..."

Her last facedown card flipped up.

"Respect Synchron?" gasped Iggwilv.

"That's right!" exclaimed Ember. "You sent Il Mathman to the Graveyard... But he's not staying there! He's coming over to my side of the field!"

In a burst of light, Il Mathman materialized next to Jetta. (2,700 ATK)

Jetta swung her sword, and the chains restraining his arms fell to the ground with a clatter.

"Thank you..." he said.

"Don't forget," said Ember, "with him back on the field, Jetta's Attack Score is back to what it was before..."

(7,000 ATK)

"It's not possible!" shouted Iggwilv.

Ember looked at her hard. She almost laughed.

"What do you mean it's not possible?" she asked. "Of course it is. You made one of the classic Dumb Mistakes Villains Make. The biggest is probably the one where the villain tells a captured hero all of his plans when there's still a chance that the hero will escape. But another big one is the one where the villain uses one of the hero's most important weapons against her. I guarantee, if a villain does that, the hero is going to take it back.

"Jetta... Slay that imposter, will you? Nova blade!"

Jetta leapt at the Dark thing with Sacred Phoenix's face, and made a deep cut with her sword. Dark Nephthys let out an unholy scream, and shattered into black shards.

"Time to finish this..." she said. "Il Mathman... Attack Iggwilv directly! Primordial pulse blast!"

Incredible fear appeared in Iggwilv's eyes as Il Mathman loomed over her and prepared to fire...

Not just because the horrible mistake had cost her the duel...

But because the mistake had been exactly what the boss had told her not to do.

Before she could comprehend the repercussions of losing the duel, losing Ember, losing Jetta, and on top of it, losing Il Mathman in the process, the blast struck her. She screamed.

**(E: 2,000) - - - - - - - - - (I: 0)**

Ember took some deep breaths.

Iggwilv was gone. Only her Duel Disk remained where she had been.

She took Respect Synchron out of her discard slot.

_I may never know who you are, _she thought,_ but thank you..._

She opened the pouch on her belt that held her side deck, and put it there, along with Il Mathman's card. She had no Machines in her deck, so she had no way of summoning him the normal way; she could only keep his card safe until she found Gears.

Then Il Mathman and Jetta appeared in front of her.

"Thanks again," said Il Mathman. "But while you saved me, we have to go after your friends...

"Starting with Noriko... She's in the most danger. Menzoberra has her, and Menzoberra's victims who are taken alive soon wish they were dead.

"What?" shouted Ember. "What does she do to victims that she takes alive?"

"You know how when a grain of sand gets caught inside an oyster, it can turn into a pearl?" asked Il Mathman. "Well, Menzoberra has several mollusks called giant Carcerian oysters, that can turn _anything_ that gets trapped inside them into very large gems called dark pearls. Even living beings.

"Of course, these oysters can't move and chase anyone, so a living being would have to pretty dumb to get trapped inside one… But some creatures who have no regard for sentient life purposely feed victims to them. She does so, and uses them to make bargains with demons and other evil creatures that collect such things."

Ember didn't need any more persuasion. Three minutes later she was on her D-Wheel, and headed in the direction that Il Mathman had pointed.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the dark underground chamber, Trueman was standing next to the large pool.

Rary, Soth, and Menzoberra stormed in.

"You three were told not to come in here," said Trueman.

"Who's going to stop us?" asked Soth, who was very upset. "You?"

"Where's the boss?" demanded Rary.

Then a wave of water cascaded out of the pool, soaking the three Paragons as the aboleth surfaced.

"Where's Iggwilv?" demanded Menzoberra, who was the first to get up.

"_She is being disciplined," _said the creature's voice._ "I specifically told Iggwilv and you three buffoons NOT to use the Titans in your decks. I did so because, like Ember said, I knew that doing that would have been pretty dumb. But Iggwilv was clearly _incredibly_ dumb, because she disobeyed and did so anyway, and like any duelist who does something dumb, she lost. She is paying the price for her complete disregard for my orders. _

"_And for being dumb. Like the rest of you."_

"You can't talk about us like that!" shouted Rary. "Let her go!"

The three of them rushed at the creature...

And then they were thrown backwards, propelled against the wall. They didn't fall, but rather, were held against it.

"_You will not make demands of me, Rary!"_ roared the aboleth, who was now clearly _very _angry.

"Hey, that hurt!" said Menzoberra.

"_Yes, I pack quite a punch for a 'slimy bottom-feeder' don't I?"_ it replied.

"We didn't know you were listening…" muttered Soth.

"_I'm telepathic…" _said the aboleth_. "Very little that is said escapes my notice. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't dispose of you three right now."_

"We'll give you three good reasons," said Rary. "Shichiro, Gears, and Jinx."

"_What about them?"_ asked the aboleth.

"Our magic is what's keeping them locked up!" added Menzoberra. "You get rid of us, they'll break free, and you'll have to deal with them again!"

The aboleth stared at them.

"Well?" said Menzoberra.

"_I'm thinking about it…" _replied the aboleth._ "So I either have to put up with your three's rudeness, or I have to deal with those three Shadowchasers. That is indeed a tough choice…_

"_Very well… I'll give you three a second chance for now."_

Then the three Paragons were unceremoniously dumped on the floor.

"_But don't you three forget..." _it continued._ "Your slipshod attempt to duplicate the Titans' experiment may not have worked as you planned it, but without the intervention from my forces, it would have failed utterly and reduced you to cosmic sludge. _

"_You owe me. And until I decide you owe me no longer, you will do as I say._

"_I won't tolerate any more insults. Now go back and wait for Ember. She's sure to try to rescue Jinx. No Mokey Mokeys this time, use your true deck._

"_And keep Shannalla out of it!"_

"I wouldn't think of it!" gasped Menzoberra.

"_Here…" _said the aboleth._ "I have something that may be just as good… Trueman, if you would..."_

Trueman threw Menzoberra a card, and she caught it. She looked at it, and raised an eyebrow.

"So why are you being so nice all of a sudden?" she asked.

"_Don't misunderstand," _it replied. _"I'm _lending_ you this powerful card. You can pay me back by capturing Ember._

"_Follow the rules this time, or you will find out firsthand what became of Iggwilv."_

Then it sank back under the surface of the pool.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**RESPECT SYNCHRON (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image: **Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier, crossing a boundary from a dark background to a light one.

**Card Description:** When a Synchro Monster your opponent controls is sent to the Graveyard by an opponent's card effect, Special Summon that Synchro Monster to your side of the field, disregarding its Summoning conditions. When the Synchro Monster is removed from the field, destroy this card. When this card is removed from the field, destroy the Synchro Monster.

_Note: "Respect Synchron" was first used by Ruka (using Rua's deck) in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Mark of the Monkey (Part 4)". __Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CURSED PRISON (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image: **A sinister-looking glass lamp with Souls of the Forgotten trapped inside.

**Card Description:** Special Summon 1 Monster from your Extra Deck in face-up Defense Position, disregarding its summoning conditions. The Special Summoned Monster's battle position cannot change, and its effect is negated. If this card leaves the field, destroy the Special Summoned Monster. If the Special Summoned Monster leaves the field, destroy this card.

_Note: "Cursed Prison" was first used by Demak in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Mark of the Monkey (Part 4)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**NECRO ALCHEMY (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image: **Elemental Mistress Doriado in a zombie-infested graveyard, striking down the zombies with bolts of burning lightning.

**Card Description:** Declare 1 Attribute when this card is activated. For as long as this card remains face-up on the field, all Monsters in both Graveyards are considered the declared Attribute.

_Note: "Necro Alchemy" first appeared in the original "Shadowchasers"._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**PYRE AMULET (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image: **Darkfire Soldier #1 wearing a golden amulet and screaming in pain as flames engulf his body.

**Card Description:** Equip only to a FIRE Monster that you control. Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 300. If the Equipped Monster is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, you may remove this card and the Monster it was Equipped to from play to draw two cards.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**PORTMANTEAU**** (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image: **Blade Skater and Etoile Cyber in the foreground as the shadowy form of Blue-Eyes White Dragon lurks behind.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when you control 1 Monster in Attack Position and 1 Monster in face-up Defense Position. Pay 1,000 Life Points. Choose 1 of the following 2 effects:

* Increase the ATK of the Attack Position Monster by the DEF of the Defense Position Monster and reduce the ATK of the Defense Position Monster to zero until the End Phase of the turn.

* Increase the DEF of the Defense Position Monster by the ATK of the Attack Position Monster and reduce the ATK of the Attack Position Monster to zero until the End Phase of the turn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FIVE ALARM (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A house being consumed by a raging fire as two fire trucks attempt to put it out.

**Card Description:** Activate only during your opponent's Main Phase 1. Tribute 1 face-up FIRE Monster you control. Increase the ATK of 1 other FIRE Monster you control by an amount equal to the base ATK of the Tributed Monster until the End Phase of the turn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next: **

**Ember: I come face-to-face with Menzoberra, but it seems that even if I'm victorious in this second duel, Jinx's release is not guaranteed. To save Jinx, I have to agree to Menzoberra's terms, and duel with one small condition. **

**I don't expect this duel to be easy... But then, no-one ever said it would be.**

"**Water Hazard" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**The Herald of Kyuss**

Most who know of the Sons of Kyuss think that they are too embroiled in rivalries to unite under one leader. That is true for the most part. But the organization does have very powerful members whom other members respect and grudgingly follow. The Shadow that calls itself the Herald of Kyuss (because its species does not use names) is one such member.

The Herald of Kyuss is an avolakia, a nonhumanoid Shadowkind that is supposedly rare even on the homeworld of Shadow. In its true form, an avolakia is a hideous thing, a six-foot-tall, multi-tentacled cross between a lamprey, insect, and octopus. This form is rarely seen, even by Awares, because avolakia can use illusion (often several layers of it) to disguise themselves.

The most curious thing about an avolakia is its diet. It can eat the flesh of dead or living creatures, but finds doing both disgusting. It much prefers the flesh of undead creatures, and uses its necromantic skills to raise zombie hordes both for use as soldiers and as food. No intelligent undead will willingly ally itself with an avolakia, but it surrounds itself with mindless legions of the walking dead.

As a race, avolakia worship Kyuss as if he were a god (although none have yet been able to gain any benefit from doing so), as they claim he had a hand in creating their species. The Herald has a very grandiose goal – believing that Kyuss is bound to some prison by other gods, it seeks to free him, so that he can bring about th mythical Age of Worms.

The Herald is older than one might think, and has been on Earth for a long time. It invested its resources wisely a long time ago, and has put together a rather large fortune. Its current identity is that of Maxwell Tolstoff, a wealthy Wall Street broker who conducts his business from Manhattan. His disguise isn't perfect; when he has visitors in his penthouse apartment, they often claim later that his maid and butler (who were actually zombies disguised by illusion) made their skin crawl.

The Herald knows that its plans are long term at least. It has entertained the possibility that Kyuss's prison might be on the homeworld of Shadow, which might make it much harder. Still, it works hard to spread its lords influence as much as it can, creating the spawn of Kyuss and attempting the experiments detailed in the Tome of Kyuss, of which it has an original copy. It has alliances with at least two worms that walk, and many other powerful members of the Sons. All this goes towards trying to make its dream a reality.

**Story Ideas:** The Herald of Kyuss makes the perfect archvillain for a fic that centers on the Sons of Kyuss. Necromancers are bad enough, but one that is an inhuman abomination that might rip the arm off of one of its undead soldiers to snack on might give even the most dedicated hero pause.

In a fic that is so devoted to the Sons of Kyuss, there is no reason why Kyuss himself might not eventually show up at the grand finale. If this option is taken, a suitable foe should be prepared, certainly of no less power than an arch-lich. Note that there's no guarantee he'd be the least bit grateful to the Herald of Kyuss, or anyone else who had a hand in freeing him.

**Deck Suggestions:** The Herald's current deck is Zombie Synchro, a deck that uses Plaguespreader Zombie and Special Summoned Zombies to quickly summon the three Synchro Monsters it is needed for.

This may change in the near-future. It has recently learned that Edmund Mason's Worm Deck has resurfaced, used by an ophidia noble who was defeated by the Shadowchasers. It has become determined to own this deck, and has offered a rich reward to whoever can deliver it. Of course, seeing as the deck is now in a Shadowchasers evidence locker, that's _much_ easier said than done...


	54. Water Hazard

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL FIFTY-FOUR**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Water Hazard**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed in the dark sky over Neo Domino.

_Hang on Jinx,_ thought Ember, as she sped down the road.

Half an hour after her duel with Iggwilv, she arrived at the reservoir, at the site where Jinx had dueled Menzoberra. Amazingly, Jinx's D-Wheel was still parked there.

"Be careful, Eiko," said Jetta's voice.

Ember slowly walked up to it...

Then, an aura of water surrounded it, and the next instant, Menzoberra was sitting sidesaddle on it.

The Paragon of Water said nothing. She just glared at Ember, looking angry and maybe a little pissed.

Ember took a deep breath.

"Where's Jinx?" she demanded.

"Submerged," replied Menzoberra. "Submerged five miles off the coast of Neo Domino, ten fathoms underwater.

"In case you don't know, a fathom equals six feet. And when I say five miles, I mean nautical miles, which is more than regular miles."

As Ember took this in, Menzoberra hopped off the bike.

"And you Shadowchasers will need a ship with sonar capabilities and a unit of frogmen to find her," she continued, "because even if you defeat me here, I won't release her.

"After all, this is a great opportunity. I've _never_ had a chance to make dark pearls out of human base. Orcus himself might be interested this time..."

"Okay, Menzoberra," said Ember. "What do you want?"

"Pardon?" asked Menzoberra.

"You want to make some sort of deal, right?" asked Ember.

Menzoberra gave a sly look.

"Well..." she said. "I might release her...

"IF you agree to duel me without Jetta.

"Leave Jetta out of your deck, and you can win your friend's release.

"Provided you win the duel, of course. Should I win, you'll be in the same situation she is."

Ember gave her a look.

"Question..." she said.

"Shoot," replied Menzoberra.

"Don't tempt me..." muttered Ember. "Iggwilv told me of your ancestors' plan… About Ma Yuan…"

"What about it?" asked Menzoberra.

"It seemed pretty dumb…" replied Ember. "Trying to resurrect an enemy of the gods. What would Zeus have done to a group of cultists who tried to free Typhoeus?"

"Likely condemn them to eternal torment in Carceri," replied Menzoberra.

"And your ancestors weren't afraid of that happening to them?" asked Ember.

"No!" exclaimed Menzoberra. "They expected it!

"You don't understand the mind of an ur-priest, Ember… To an ur-priest, getting away with what you're doing is never an option. To become one, you have accept damnation and like it.

"To understand the mind of an ur-priest, you have to hate the gods as much as they do… As much as my people did for being thrown away like common garbage.

"Now, are you going to agree to my terms or not?"

Ember paused.

She opened the chamber on her Disk that contained the Extra Deck, and took Jetta from it. She sighed, and put the card in the pouch that contained her Side Deck.

"I see you are..." said Menzoberra.

Her infernal Duel Disk appeared on her left arm.

"Good luck," she said. "You're gonna need it."

Both Disks activated.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Menzoberra: 8,000)**

"Go on," said Menzoberra. "Make the first move if you're not a coward."

Ember drew a card. Then she set two cards on her Disk, and a facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.

"What's that?" asked Menzoberra. "Flamvell Paun?"

She made a draw.

"Well, I'm not afraid of your searcher. I summon Mother Grizzly."

With a low growl, the large, female grizzly bear appeared before Ember. (1,400 ATK)

"Maul her Monster!" shouted the Paragon.

The bear roared, and lunged at the hidden Monster...

...but it wasn't Flamvell Paun. Rather, it was Flamvell Dragnov. Mother Grizzly made a slash of its claw, and the small Dragon shattered.

"You're gonna get it now!" exclaimed Ember. "When Dragnov is destroyed, you take 500 points of damage!"

"Huh?" said Iggwilv.

Then she grunted as an explosion of flames ripped through her.

**(E: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,500)**

"Ah-hem..." she said. "Very nice. I end my turn by playing the Field Spell, A Legendary Ocean."

The Field slot on her Disk opened, and she fit a card into it. The whole field became flooded in knee-deep salt water, and the palace of Atlantis rose behind Menzoberra.

"As you know," she continued, "in this terrain, all Water Monsters gain a small boost for both attacking and defending."

Mother Grizzly's Attack Score rose to 1,600.

Menzoberra looked at one of the cards in her hand.

_She may have drawn first blood, _she thought,_ but I'll have a big surprise for her next round... Emphasis on "big"._

Ember made a draw.

"I summon Flamvell Firedog!" she shouted.

She played the card, and Firedog leapt onto the field. It looked a little nervous about being in the watery terrain. (1,900 ATK)

"Time to make some steam," said Ember. "Attack Mother Grizzly!"

Firedog breathed flames at the watery Beast-Warrior. Mother Grizzly groaned, and shattered.

"I use Mother Grizzly's effect," said Menzoberra, "to summon a second one."

A second of the Water-Attribute searchers appeared. (1,400 ATK) –) (1,600 ATK)

"And I use Firedog's effect to search for Flamvell Gurnika," said Ember.

Gurnika appeared, hovering over the water. (1,700 ATK)

"But... I'm not going to attack with him."

She took a new card from her hand.

"I'll set a new card facedown, and end my turn."

A second reversed card appeared next to the first.

**(E: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,200)**

Menzoberra made a draw.

"All right, Eiko..." she said. "Time to be buried at sea...

"As you no doubt know, this Field Spell also downgrades the Levels of all Water Monsters by one.

"Therefore, a Monster that is normally Level 7 can be summoned with one sacrifice."

A look of fear appeared on Ember's face.

"You're summoning Daedalus!" she shouted.

"Daedalus?" said Menzoberra, almost laughing. "Why would I want to summon that upstart?

"He calls himself the King of the Sea, but he's an usurper... The true king still lives, and he doesn't have to wreck the whole Ocean to show his power..."

Mother Grizzly vanished, and a large shadow loomed over A Legendary Ocean. Ember stepped back in fright.

"I summon..." exclaimed Menzoberra, _"Superancient __Deepsea King Coelacanth!"_

Looming over Ember and looking like it was ready to swallow her whole was the biggest Duel Monster she had _ever_ seen. Not even Sonja's Sphinxes had been quite this big. It looked like a huge fish that was bigger than a whale, with skin the texture and consistency of unhewn rock. Its head had a huge mouth full of shark-like teeth, and its fins looked partially like claws. (2,800 ATK) –) (3,000 ATK)

Ember tried to say something, but she couldn't.

"Speechless, huh?" said Menzoberra. "Well, let me explain this big fellah's effect... As the king of all fish, once per turn I can discard one card, and Special Summon as many low-Level Fish-Type Monsters as I can from my deck."

She discarded a copy of Salvage, and four Monsters appeared: Golden Flying Fish (1,700 ATK), Unshaven Angler (1,500 ATK) –) (1,700 ATK), Abyssal Kingshark (1,700/600) –) (1,900/600), and 7 Colored Fish (1,800/800) –) (2,000/1,000).

"Don't panic yet..." continued Menzoberra. "There is a catch, of course... They can't attack or use their effects.

"But the big guy can still attack!"

The Coelacanth set its eyes on Flamvell Firedog. It slowly started to move towards Ember and her two Monsters...

"GO!" shouted Ember, as one of her facedown cards flipped up. "Draining Shield!"

"That won't work!" laughed Ember. "His majesty can negate any Spell, Trap, or Monster effect that targets him!

"All that must be done, is a sacrifice of one of his loyal subjects..."

Golden Flying Fish vanished, and the Draining Shield Trap shattered. Coelacanth swallowed Firedog in one gulp.

**(E: 6,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,200)**

_Man, I'm starting to see why she thinks this guy is better than Daedalus, _thought Ember._ It's full of surprises..._

_And I know why she didn't want Jetta in this duel... With a powerhouse like this, taking it down without a mega-strong Monster of my own is gonna be very hard..._

She made a draw.

She looked at the four cards in her hand: Flamvell Paun, Flamvell Archer, Hiita the Fire Charmer, and Evocator Chevalier.

Then she looked at her facedown card.

She held up her hand, and it lifted up.

"Okay, Menzoberra," she said. "I play Card of Sacrifice.

"I can only use this when the combined Attack Points of the Monsters I control are less than the combined Attack Points of yours. I don't have a calculator handy, but I'm pretty sure that's the case right now.

"Since it is, I get to draw two cards.

"The catch is, I'm not allowed to summon any Monsters this turn, or change the battle positions of the ones I have."

"Seems like a pretty big risk," said Menzoberra.

"Well, we'll see if it pays off," replied Ember.

She made two draws. She looked at them.

She fit both into her Disk, and both appeared facedown.

"I'm finished..." she said.

Menzoberra looked at her strangely. She made a draw.

_Got to be careful here… _she thought._ Underestimating her is what made Iggwilv lose. She knows that she can't target Coelacanth with card effects so long as I have three other Fish… But not all card effects target…_

_If one of those facedown cards is Mirror Force, and I attacked, I'd be in big trouble…_

She took a card from her hand.

_Fortunately, I don't have to attack to finish her off…_

"I summon Catapult Turtle!" she exclaimed.

In a flash of light, the infamous reptilian rocket launcher appeared in front of her. (1,000 ATK) –) (1,200 ATK)

"Catapult Turtles have been depressed since Magical Scientist, their best friend, was outlawed," said Menzoberra, "but they eventually made new friends with Coelacanth.

"I'll show you why..."

Unshaven Angler was loaded onto the Turtle's launcher. With a loud explosion, it fired, striking Ember. She grunted, and took a step backwards.

Then Menzoberra repeated the trick with Abyssal Kingshark. Ember screamed and was knocked over.

Menzoberra waited for Ember to get up. Then she launched 7 Colored Fish, knocking Ember down again.

**(E: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,200)**

Menzoberra lowered her veil, and smiled evilly at Ember.

"Feeling all black and blue?" she asked. "Good..."

She discarded a card.

"I'm activating the big guy's effect, to summon three more Fish to use as ammunition!"

"And that's just what I was waiting for!" shouted Ember.

One of her facedown cards shot up.

"I activate Divine Wrath!"

She stood up, and discarded Flamvell Paun.

"Since you sacrificed all your other Fish," she said, "good luck negating _this_ Trap!"

Lightning flashed, and the colossal Fish let out a agonizing moan...

Then Superancient Deepsea King Coelacanth shattered into pixels.

"What have you done?" screamed Menzoberra.

She took a card from her hand.

"On second thought, don't answer that."

She played the card, and a Quickplay Spell appeared.

"I play Prize Catch. Since my Monster was originally Level 7, and it was destroyed by a card effect, I can pay 800 Life Points to draw two cards..."

She made two draws.

"...but I can't use them this turn. So it's your move..."

Menzoberra went to replace her veil...

Then she reconsidered. Ember deserved to face her without it. Not that she would show any mercy once she crushed her.

**(E: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,400)**

"Draw..." said Ember, drawing a card.

"Gurnika, turn that Turtle to soup!"

Flamvell Gurnika blasted a stream of flames, and Menzoberra shielded herself as Catapult Turtle exploded.

"And because Catapult Turtle is Level 5 in the Graveyard," continued Ember, "you lose 1,000 additional Life Points."

Menzoberra scowled, as a red aura surrounded her.

Ember set a card on her Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

_Hang on, Jinx, _she thought_. It won't be long now..._

"End!" she shouted.

**(E: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,900)**

Menzoberra made a draw.

"All right, Eiko," she said, as she played it. "I'm playing Pot of Avarice."

She took Mother Grizzly, Abyssal Kingshark, 7 Colored Fish, Unshaven Angler, and Golden Flying Fish from her discard slot. She added them to her deck, and the Disk reshuffled it.

"In a deck like this, it's sort of a necessity."

She made two draws.

"Then I'll set this..."

A reversed Monster appeared.

"...and I'll end my turn..."

Ember made a draw.

"I flip Flamvell Archer into Attack Mode," she said.

Her reversed Monster flipped up, and the fiery bowman appeared, pointing his weapon. (1,000 ATK)

"Then, I summon Neo Flamvell Origin."

The cute-looking campfire with a face appeared next to the other two Monsters. (500 ATK)

Then, Origin and Gurnika flew into the sky above A Legendary Ocean, and faded into six glowing stars.

"_Born in the fiery core, rage empowered by white hot flames, strength of an erupting volcano! Clustering stars form a spark to light a roaring fire! _

"_Ignite… Flamvell Urquizas!"_

Urquizas landed with a roar, his fists burning with flame. (2,100 ATK)

"Now, I'll sacrifice Flamvell Archer to give Urquizas a little boost..." continued Ember.

Archer vanished, and Urquizas burned with fury. (2,900 ATK)

"Go! Crush her Monster! Fist of flame!"

Urquizas flew at the Monster fist-first. Aqua Madoor appeared on the card, and with one sock, it shattered. Menzoberra groaned again.

**(E: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,200)**

"It's your move..." said Ember.

Urquizas fell to a score of 2,400.

Menzoberra made a draw.

"Perfect," she said.

"First, I set two cards..."

Two facedown cards appeared.

"Then, I summon Ocean's Keeper."

The sea bubbled, and a small, somewhat humanoid Fish holding a trident in its fins appeared on the field. (1,500 ATK) –) (1,700 ATK)

"Then, I sacrifice it..."

Ocean's Keeper vanished into a watery, green orb.

"...to Special Summon Thousand-Eyes Jellyfish in Defense Mode."

The Monster that appeared could be described in one word: ugly. It looked like a sphere that was made of several pale, white eyeballs stuck together. Here and there a few fish-like fins stuck out of the sphere, but mostly, it was just a mass of eyes. (2,100 DEF) –) (2,300 DEF)

"Ugh!" said Ember.

"It may not be pretty," said Menzoberra, "but its powerful effect lets me see all the cards in your hand."

Ember gasped as the images of three cards appeared over her head: Magna Drago, Hiita the Fire Charmer, and Evocator Chevalier.

"Nice cards..." said Menzoberra. "I'll end my turn there."

Ember made a draw.

"Molten Zombie?" asked Menzoberra. "Not the luckiest draw..."

"You can't do math very well..." said Ember. "Urquizas can smash your Jellyfish.

"Urquizas... Attack!"

Urquizas raised his fist.

"I activate a Trap!" shouted Menzoberra, as one of her facedown cards lifted up. "Tornado Wall! Now, so long as my Field Spell is in place, battle damage to me is reduced to zero."

"You may be safe," said Ember, "but your Monster isn't..."

Urquizas flew towards the Jellyfish.

"Surprise," said Menzoberra, as her other facedown card lifted up. "I also have... Astral Barrier! Now I can turn all your attacks into direct attacks."

Urquizas turned away from the Jellyfish and tried to punch Menzoberra, but she caught his fist in mid-swing. She gave a shove, and he fell over.

"With Astral Barrier, my Monsters are untouchable... And with Tornado Wall, I'm untouchable!

"So what are you going to do now?"

"Uh..." said Ember. "I... I end my turn..."

Menzoberra made a draw.

She set a card on her Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

She nodded.

Ember drew the top card from her deck.

"I see you've drawn your Phoenix," said Menzoberra. "Too bad she can't help you..."

Ember ignored her. Her facedown card lifted up, revealing Call of the Haunted. Flamvell Gurnika appeared again. (1,700 ATK)

"I sacrifice Urquizas and Gurnika..." exclaimed Ember.

Both Monsters turned into balls of fire.

With a loud screech, Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys appeared over A Legendary Ocean. (2,400 ATK)

"Impressive..." said Menzoberra.

"I end my turn..." said Ember.

Menzoberra drew a card.

"I flip Dark Mimic LV1 into Attack Mode," she said, as her facedown Monster flipped forward.

A fiendish treasure chest appeared where the concealed card had been. (100 ATK)

Menzoberra drew another card.

_Say... _she thought._ It's the new card that the boss gave me... With a little preparation, I can summon something even more powerful than Coelacanth..._

She took another of her cards, and fit it into her Disk. A new reversed card appeared.

"It's your move..." she said. "Better hurry... Jinx is probably getting awfully lonely down there..."

Ember growled, and made a draw.

_Neo Flamvell Garuda? _she thought._ Of all the guys I didn't need..._

She played a card, and Evocator Chevalier appeared. (1,900 ATK)

"That's all I can do," she said.

Menzoberra smiled, and made a draw.

"For my move this turn..." she said. "I think I will simply send Dark Mimic to the Graveyard..."

Dark Mimic LV1 vanished.

"...to Special Summon Dark Mimic LV3."

A larger, even more fiendish-looking treasure chest appeared where the first one had been. (1,000 DEF)

"And it's your move..."

Ember drew a card. Menzoberra turned pale.

"You notice I drew the solution to the problem, didn't you?" said Ember, with a grin. "Go, Mystical Space Typhoon!"

She threw the card into her Disk, and the palace behind Menzoberra was reduced to a pile of rubble, the sea water quickly receding. Tornado Wall went with it, shattering into pieces.

"Feel free to use Astral Barrier if you like," said Ember. "Chevalier, destroy her Dark Mimic!"

Evocator Chevalier made a slash with his sword, cutting the evil chest in half.

"Fortunately, it was in Defense Mode," said Menzoberra, "and I get to draw two cards."

She made two draws.

"And now for your Jellyfish," said Ember. "Phoenix... Attack with Sacred Fire!"

The Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys launched its scorching, violet flame, and Menzoberra covered herself with her arms as her Monster exploded.

"Thank you!" she said with a laugh. "Now, I get to activate THIS!"

Her facedown card lifted up.

"The Grave of Enkindling. It lets both players Special Summon a Monster from their Graveyards in Defense Mode.

"However, those Monsters must remain in Defense Mode.

"Guess which one I'm bringing back..."

With a roar, Superancient Deepsea King Coelacanth appeared once again. (2,200 DEF)

Flamvell Urquizas appeared on Ember's side of the field, kneeling and crossing his arms. (400 DEF)

_Okay... _thought Ember._ What is she up to?_

"I end my turn..." she said.

Menzoberra made a draw.

"Okay, Ember..." she said. "The first thing I'm going to do, is play Tribute to the Doomed.

"Oh, don't get excited... I know that if I use it on your Phoenix, she'll be back next round. So I'm going to use it on your Chevalier."

She played the card, and discarded a copy of Terraforming. Evocator Chevalier groaned, and then shattered into pixels.

"Next," she continued, "I'm removing Ocean's Keeper from play..."

The card slipped out of her discard slot, and she placed it in a pouch on her belt.

"...to Special Summon Aqua Spirit."

In a vortex of water, a young, sylph-like girl in a blue dress, with fish-like fins on her neck, appeared next to the giant Fish. (1,600 ATK)

"Then, I play a second Legendary Ocean..."

She played the card, and the undersea palace rose again. Once again, the seawater flooded the field.

"Too bad Tornado Wall was destroyed," said Ember.

"I don't need it any more," laughed Menzoberra. "Time to summon my best Monster!"

_Coelacanth isn't her best Monster?_ thought Ember.

"I sacrifice Coelacanth and Aqua Spirit..." said Menzoberra.

The two Water Monsters vanished into grains of light.

The sea darkened. Two glowing eyes appeared below the surface in the darkness...

A sinister-looking, reptilian creature breeched the surface in front of Menzoberra. It looked like a humanoid lizard man wearing plate armor from the waist up, but from the waist down, it had the body of a large crocodile with four legs, which was also covered with armor. It held a huge scythe. (0 ATK)

"Meet The Tyrant Neptune," said Menzoberra.

"That's one of the Legendary Planets!" exclaimed Ember.

"It sure is!" replied Menzoberra. "Now, I know what you're thinking… Has she gone insane? Sacrificing a Monster with 3,000 Attack Points along with another one for a Monster with zero Attack Points?"

"I'm certain that your Tyrant isn't nearly as harmless as its Attack Score would suggest, Menzoberra," said Ember.

"I can't fool you..." chuckled Menzoberra. "First of all, as far as points go, Neptune gains the scores of the Monsters sacrificed to summon it – _combined_."

(4,400 ATK) –) (4,600 ATK)

"Second, it gains the effects of one of those Monsters..."

"But that means..." said Ember.

"That's right!" laughed Menzoberra. "This guy now has all the effects of Superancient Deepsea King Coelacanth.

"After all... Coelacanth may have been powerful, but it was still a mortal king of the sea... Neptune is the god of the sea!"

"I thought you folks didn't like gods," replied Ember.

"We don't," said Menzoberra. "But Neptune is one that we can at least relate to. He's like the sea itself... Unpredictable... chaotic...

"...destructive...

"So now, I can ditch one card..."

She discarded the last card in her hand, Terrorking Salmon.

"...to call forth my school of Fish again!"

A Legendary Ocean boiled, and four Monsters appeared: Oyster Meister (1,600 ATK) –) (1,800 ATK), Golden Flying Fish (1,700 ATK), 7 Colored Fish (1,800 ATK) –) (2,000 ATK), and Abyssal Kingshark (1,700 ATK) –) (1,900 ATK).

"The time for stalling is over!" shouted the Paragon of Water. "Tyrant Neptune, destroy Sacred Phoenix with sword of the storm!"

The Tyrant Neptune lifted its scythe, and lightning flashed...

It leapt at the larger Monster, and Sacred Phoenix roared in pain as it made a savage cut with the weapon. Ember felt the strike too, a deep stab across her chest. She clutched herself in pain as Sacred Phoenix shattered.

**(E: 1,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,200)**

Menzoberra crossed her arms.

"It's your move," she said.

Ember checked herself to make sure she wasn't bleeding. Then she paused to look at the four cards in her hand.

Magna Drago, Hiita the Fire Charmer, Molten Zombie, and Neo Flamvell Garuda.

_What do I do? _she thought._ Without Jetta, I don't have much that can stand up to that thing..._

Sweat started to pour down her face.

_Even if I summoned Jalal, he'd be no help... If that thing has all of Coelacanth's effects, Menzoberra can sacrifice one of those small Fish to protect it from a card effect..._

Her hand shook as she drew a card.

She set it on her Disk, and a set Monster appeared.

_Sorry, Urquizas, old pal, but I need to use you as a shield._

"Go ahead," she said.

"I draw..." said Menzoberra.

She drew a card.

"Perfect," she said. "I play the Equip Spell, Ring of Magnetism!

"Neptune may have to give up a few points..."

(4,100 ATK)

"...but he becomes the only target you're able to attack.

"Now... Destroy Flamvell Urquizas!"

The Tyrant Neptune swung his scythe, cutting the Pyro Synchro in two.

"You're lucky he was in Defense Mode," chuckled Menzoberra. "I end my turn."

Ember drew a card.

It was Neo Flamvell Saber.

"Time to go for broke," she muttered.

Her facedown Monster flipped forward.

"I flip Morphing Jar into Attack Mode!" she shouted.

The one-eyed thing in the jar appeared. (700 ATK)

Ember discarded the five cards in her hand, and made another five.

"Why, thank you!" laughed Menzoberra, making five draws.

"Save it," said Ember, looking at the five cards. "I doubt you'll ever be able to use those five cards..."

"Huh?" said Menzoberra.

"I sacrifice Morphing Jar," continued Ember.

The Rock turned into an orb of light.

"...for Flamvell Devil!"

In a burst of fire, the flaming Fiend appeared in front of her. (2,100 ATK)

"Next, I play... Rekindling!

"I'll summon an army of Fire Monsters to match your army of Fish."

She played the card, and Flamvell Archer appeared (1,000 ATK) followed by Neo Flamvell Saber (1,500 ATK), Flamvell Firedog (1,900 ATK), and Flamvell Gurnika. (1,700 ATK)

"Hey!" snapped Menzoberra. "Remember the rules? No Jetta, or there'll be no Jinx!"

"I'm not summoning Jetta," said Ember. "I have someone who can do the job just as well...

"Saber... Archer... Why don't you show her..."

The two Pyros nodded to each other. Then they flew into the sky, and turned into seven glowing stars. Ember chanted again...

"_Steel taken from the oldest mountain, pounded into shape by the god of the forge. Mighty creature of fire given life by divine spark! Clustering stars lead the path to the mortal world..._

"_Descend... Ancient God Flamvell!"_

Lava erupted out of the sea, and the huge, faceless giant made of metal, with flames for joints and a flaming mane, loomed over the other Flamvells. (2,500 ATK)

Menzoberra's eyes narrowed.

"So you managed to summon a divine being of your own," she said. "Well, big deal. Your god of fire doesn't even come close to being able to beat my god of the sea."

"We'll see about that," said Ember. "Because now, for every card in your hand, I get to remove one from play from your Graveyard."

Five cards, Superancient Deepsea King Coelacanth, Catapult Turtle, Aqua Spirit, Thousand-Eyes Jellyfish, and Terrorking Salmon appeared above Menzoberra, and vanished into grains of light.

"And for each card I just banished, Ancient God Flamvell gains 200 Attack Points."

(3,500 ATK)

"Still not strong enough!" laughed Menzoberra.

Ember played another Spell Card.

"I play Fire Back!" she shouted. "I'll toss Neo Flamvell Shaman..."

She discarded the card.

"...and bring Flamvell Archer back to the field."

Flamvell Archer appeared again. (1,000 ATK)

"You remember Archer's effect right? I can sacrifice a Pyro-Type Monster, and all Flamvells gain 800 Attack Points for the round.

"So, since Archer itself is a Pyro-Type..."

Archer vanished, and the other four Flamvells glowed with hellish energy. Ancient God Flamvell rose to an Attack Score of 4,300; Firedog to 2,700; Gurnika to 2,500; and Devil to 2,900.

Menzoberra looked at the four angry Fire Monsters facing her.

She lifted her veil back over her face.

"Time for a fish-fry!" shouted Ember. "Ancient God Flamvell... Crush The Tyrant Neptune with molten fist of might!"

The giant lunged at the evil Reptile and socked it with a burning molten fist. It was propelled backwards, and shattered into green shards.

Then Firedog let out its blast of flame, incinerating Oyster Meister.

"Now I can use Firedog's effect to Special Summon Blazing Inpachi!" exclaimed Ember.

The burning wicker man appeared on the last space in Ember's Monster Zone. (1,850 ATK) It lunged at Golden Flying Fish, and socked it hard.

Then Flamvell Gurnika spouted flames, reducing 7 Colored Fish to ash.

"And because that was a Level 4 Monster," said Ember, "you lose 800 more Life Points."

Menzoberra groaned as a red aura surrounded her again.

**(E: 1,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 1,650)**

"Once more with feeling!" shouted Ember. "Flamvell Devil, destroy the last one with blazing hellfire!"

Flamvell Devil breathed a gout of white-hot fire at Abyssal Kingshark, reducing it to a cloud of smoke.

"And due to Devil's effect," said Ember, "you now lose 200 Life Points for each Pyro-Type Monster in my Graveyard. I have seven there, which is more than enough."

Menzoberra fell to her knees...

**(E: 1,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 0)**

The Paragon of Water said nothing. Before Ember could do anything, she just melted away, like mist in the morning sun. Only her Duel Disk remained.

Then, to Ember's surprise, a huge oyster appeared where she had been.

"Jinx..." she said.

She ran up to it. Jetta and Il Mathman appeared next to her.

The three of them tried to pry the shell of the huge mollusk open, but it seemed to be stuck tight.

"Ugh..." said Ember. "This clam has clammed up..."

Then Menzoberra's Disk glowed, and the Extra Deck chamber opened. A card fell out...

Shannalla appeared next to them.

She quickly joined them in trying to pry the huge oyster open, and slowly but surely, open it did.

Jinx was inside all right. She was wet and covered with slime, but she started to breathe heavily as soon as the oyster was open. Ember grabbed hold of her and pulled her out.

"Jinx!" she said, shaking her. "Say something!"

Jinx slowly opened her eyes.

"Ember..." she moaned. "Is that you, or am I hallucinating?"

"Don't worry, Jinx, I'm here," said Ember, as she hugged her. "The worst part is over..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fifteen minutes later, Jinx was drinking from a bottle of water, while Ember was explaining what happened.

Jinx threw the empty bottle away, and Ember gave her another one.

"What a nightmare..." muttered Jinx. "I'll never eat chowder again...

"Menzoberra spoke to me a few times... Once she told me that Soth and Rary had beaten Shichiro and Gears... And another time she told me that Iggwilv had beaten you. I wanted so much to believe she was lying, and that you guys were coming, but I was starting to have my doubts..."

"Well, she was lying about me," replied Ember, "but I'm afraid that Shichiro and Gears really are in trouble."

"Then let's get going," said Jinx.

She stood up.

"There's no time to waste."

'You sure you don't want to see a doctor?" asked Ember. "Or at least take a shower? No offense, Jinx, but you kinda smell like rotten fish right now..."

"Ember..." said Jinx. "You ever been stuffed into something the size of a coffin, where you couldn't move, couldn't see, and couldn't hear anything but the sadistic gloating of the one who put you there, telling you how you were going to be made into jewelry and given to some demon lord?"

"Uh... no?" replied Ember.

"Well, I just was, and it wasn't pleasant," said Jinx. "If Rary and Soth are treating Gears and Shichiro like the way I was treated, they need to be rescued – quickly. We can't let them suffer."

The two of them ran to their D-Wheels.

"So how are we gonna find them?" asked Ember.

"Finding Gears should be easy if he's anywhere near his D-Wheel," replied Jinx, as she turned on her console. "He put enough anti-theft failsafe devices on that thing when he built it, we could find its remains if it were crushed in a compactor.

"Here we are... The old amusement park in Satellite...

"And Ember... You're sitting this one out... You've done enough for one day..."

"But..." said Ember.

"No buts!" replied Jinx. "I have seniority, remember?"

The two Shadowchasers sped down the road. After about two hundred feet, the portal to Satellite opened, and they drove through.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CARD OF SACRIFICE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A Turbo Duelist driving out of an upper floor of a flaming building on his D-Wheel, carrying an unconscious person with him.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when the combined total ATK of all face-up Monsters controlled by your opponent is greater than the combined total ATK of all face-up Monsters you control. Draw 2 cards from your deck. You cannot Summon or set a Monster or change a Monster's battle position on the turn this card is activated.

_Note: "Card of Sacrifice" was first used by Yusei in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "A Score to Settle (Part 1)". __Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**PRIZE CATCH (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image: **The Legendary Fisherman about to hurl his harpoon at Levia-Dragon – Daedalus.

**Card Description:** Activate when you control a face-up "Umi" and a Fish or Sea Serpent-Type Monster whose original (printed) Level is 7 or more that you control is destroyed by your opponent's card effect. Draw two cards from your deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Jinx: I've escaped from Menzoberra with Ember's help, and now I must save Gears. But to do it, I must face Rary on a racetrack miles above the ground, facing a strategy that even professional duelists fear. Can my landbound X-Sabers survive this perilous Turbo Duel in the sky?**

"**Icarus Attack" is coming soon. X-Sabers! To arms!**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Steelheart, Heir to a Legacy**

Jalal has never married, as strange as it seems. He rarely even dates. He is sometimes seen escorting a young woman at some gala event held by the upper class of London, but usually this is only because he owes a favor to the girl's parents. Jalal has known for years that he can't risk falling in love, because he would outlive his wife, along with any children and grandchildren that resulted from the union.

How then, does one explain the fourteen-year-old girl that he is often seen with when the local boarding schools go on holidays? It seems that he does have an heir of some sort after all. The girl's name is Judy LaBaron, whom Jalal affectionately calls Steelheart. Quite possibly, she will be the one who will lead the Shadowchasers someday if Jalal ever steps down.

The story behind Steelheart started only five years ago, when Jalal learned that two dragons, a green one and a steel one, had settled in Northumberland. Steel dragons are perhaps the most approachable of dragons, often willing to form alliances, and even friendships, with humans. Green dragons are another story. They can be just as cruel as red dragons, but rather than being greedy, they are known for being incredibly vain.

Regardless, Jalal knew from experience that two difference species of dragons within a hundred miles of each other was a war waiting to happen, so he went personally to Northumberland in hopes of acting as a mediator between the two.

Unfortunately, he came just as a fight had broken out between the two wyrms. To this day, he has no idea what the fight was about or who started it. Before he could do anything, the green dragon delivered a savage bite to the steel one's neck, and the steel dragon plummeted to the ground.

Jalal leapt at the evil dragon with his sword drawn. He made short work of the green dragon... But sadly, it was too late for the steel one. As he caught his breath, he heard sobbing, and saw a nine-year-old girl kneeling over the steel dragon's body, crying her eyes out.

Being a half-dragon himself, it wasn't hard for Jalal to recognize another one, and the parallel between this tragedy and his own father's death struck a cord with him. He took the poor girl in his arms, and offered to let her come with him. She said yes.

He first tried to find Judy's mother, but she told him that she had never known her, and that her father had raised her alone. Digging deeper turned up more bad news: Judy's mother had died due to complications giving birth to her. It seemed Judy was truly alone.

Since then, after becoming her legal guardian due to some quick deals with the British Department of Child Services, Jalal has been discreetly training Judy in just about anything she's willing to learn: fencing, martial arts, history of Shadowkind, politics and business; she seems eager to learn everything. She's eager to join the Shadowchasers, and Jalal has promised to let her once she graduates from secondary school. Jalal has become more than a little emotionally attached to Judy, but he has drawn the line at trying to formally adopt her (at least for now).

Secretly, Jalal hopes that Judy (whom has earned the nickname "Steelheart" somewhere in the past five years) can someday take over for him. He knows that he cannot hold off immortality insanity forever. Several years from now, if Judy will accept it, Jalal will pass the gift of immortality to her, just as his father did to him, and a new era of Shadowchasers will begin.

**Story Ideas:** Steelheart is an enigma among the Shadowchasers. Jalal tries hard to keep her a secret as much as possible. After all, she is his biggest weakness; he may be untouchable, but an enemy could try to get to him through her.

That doesn't mean that Steelheart might not take initiative on her own. Boarding school can be boring, and she may not want to wait until she's formally inducted into the Shadowchasers to go on a case. She is quite capable of going toe-to-toe with anyone who challenges her, both with a sword or with a Duel Disk, but she is still not as powerful as she perceives herself as being.

One thing Steelheart is trying hard to decide on is the right deck. She has about four different ones right now, and has yet to find the one that fits her the best. Finding the right cards could be the biggest part of her journey.

**Deck Suggestions:** As stated, Steelheart has four different decks at present, and all of them are unusual. One of them is an Exodia Deck, while another uses Karakuri Monsters. Her favorite deck, however, uses Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen to Special Summon powerful Fairies like Athena, Guardian Angel Joan, and Tethys, Goddess of Light. She even has a copy of Splendid Venus, which is a gift from Jalal.

Although too young to get her license yet, Lisa is skilled with a Duel Board, the skateboard-like device designed for younger duelists, and can Turbo Duel anyone who can also use one. That group tends to be limited, however.


	55. Icarus Attack

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**DUEL FIFTY-FIVE**

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**Icarus Attack**

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Despite the fact that two of the Paragons had been defeated, the storm overhead with the flashing lightning and rumbling thunder was not easing up. If anything, it seemed to be intensifying.

As Jinx and Ember drove down the streets of Satellite towards the amusement park, Jetta, Shannalla, and Il Mathman appeared, flying over their bikes.

"What's up guys?" asked Jinx.

"I think I should let you know that Menzoberra had no intention of keeping her word," said Shannalla. "Someone else freed you after Ember won the duel."

"Who?" said Ember. "The aboleth?"

"Possibly," replied Il Mathman. "We're starting to believe that we, you Shadowchasers, and the Paragons are all being played like chess pieces, and that thing is the only one who knows what is going on in this whole deal.

"I'm beginning to think that its true plan depends on making this conflict last as long as it can. Somehow, these battles are benefiting it."

"Well, we can't stop," said Ember. "Not until Gears and Shichiro are safe."

"We aren't suggesting you do," replied Jetta. "But at any rate, if Rary tries to force you to make a similar deal, refuse. The three of us can find Gears now that we have most of our power... All you have to do is defeat Rary."

They vanished as the two Shadowchasers drove into the amusement park. As Jinx expected, Gears's broken and battered D-Wheel was still there.

They pulled to a stop.

"Man, Gears is probably feeling even worse than I was," said Jinx. "He worked on this ride for over a year..."

"Really?" said Rary's voice. "If I'd known it would upset him that much, I would have set fire to it!"

There was a roar of a noisy engine, and Rary drove in front of them on his demonic D-Wheel.

"Come to challenge me, Jinx?" he asked.

He took a deck out of his belt, and inserted it into the deck holder on his console, where it latched into place.

"I should warn you... Among elements, Wind has dominance over Earth in the same way Water has dominance over Fire."

"I'll take you on," said Jinx, as she narrowed her eyes. "The two of us aren't leaving without Gears."

"I'm afraid that the two of you aren't leaving... period," said Rary, with a scowl.

"And if you insist on Turbo Dueling..."

A cold mist started to rise.

"...we're doing it in my domain..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The next thing Jinx felt was a cold rush of air... Thunder rolled.

She was surrounded by grey clouds... Then she looked down, and screamed.

She wasn't surrounded by clouds... She was _inside_ one. She was on a racetrack, shaped like a clover leaf road, made of pure energy, which was apparently situated miles above the ground, in the center of a storm cloud above Neo Domino. Here and there were a few floating stone islands in the center, and Ember was stranded on one of them.

In the exact center of the racetrack was the biggest stone island. It held what looked like a small altar holding a cube made of concrete brick, five feet by five feet by five feet.

Rary drove up next to Jinx and pointed to the cube.

"Gears is in there," he said. "But unless you can fly, neither of you are even going to be able to reach him. We're going to duel..."

Jinx looked around. She wasn't all too sure about this...

"You'd best make up your mind," said Rary. "All it would take is a single word, and I could send one or both of you falling to your deaths."

Shannalla appeared behind Jinx and put her hand on Jinx's shoulder.

"Okay, okay..." said Jinx. "I'm willing to try anything once..."

Rary donned his helmet, and both engines started.

"Now then..." he said. "Prepare to enter a new world of hurt..."

"_Duel Mode engaged,"_ said Jinx's computer.

"...as we duel in the skies of Speed World!" laughed the Paragon of Wind.

The silvery void of the Field Spell covered the strange racetrack, and the two D-Wheels took off from their starting point. A loud clap of thunder echoed through the cloud.

**(Jinx: 8,000 SPC: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (Rary: 8,000 SPC: 0)**

"I'll go first, if you don't mind," said Rary, making his first draw.

"I'll throw out Tornado Bird."

He played the card, and a large, crimson eagle exited the glowing portal, flying over his bike. (1,100 ATK)

_Tornado Bird? _thought Ember._ Why would he summon that in Attack Mode? Doesn't he know that it's a Flip-Effect Monster?_

Rary threw a card on his console, and a reversed card appeared in front of him before fading from view.

"And I'll turn it over to you."

Jinx made a draw.

She shivered for a minute as the speed of their D-Wheels began to increase.

_Just don't look down..._ she thought.

"I summon XX-Saber Fulhelmknight!" she exclaimed.

The portal behind her opened, and the teenage Warrior in the scarlet cape emerged, flashing her daggers. (1,300 ATK)

"Attack!" she shouted. "Destroy Tornado Bird!"

Fulhelmknight flew in front of the large bird of prey, and made double slashes with her daggers. The Winged Beast burst into an explosion of red feathers.

Jinx threw a card down, and a reversed card appeared in front of her.

"It's your move..." she said.

**(J: 8,000 SPC: 1) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 7,800 SPC: 1)**

Rary drew a card, and both Speed Counters rose to 2.

His facedown card spun around, revealing Call of the Haunted. Tornado Bird appeared again. (1,100 ATK)

"I summon Battlestorm!" he shouted.

The portal opened again, and a new Winged Beast appeared. At first glance, he looked like a Blackwing; a humanoid Winged Beast with black plumage. But he seemed much more human-like than that group, having an odd costume consisting of a helmet, breastplate, boots, and gloves, in grey, red, and gold colors. (1,700 ATK)

"And Battlestorm gains 100 Attack Points for each Winged Beast on the field," continued Rary.

(1,900 ATK)

"Attack her X-Saber! Night talon!"

Battlestorm swooped at Fulhelmknight...

"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Jinx, as her facedown card spun around. "Zero Gravity! Now, all Monsters on the field switch Modes."

Battlestorm backed off, and shielded himself with his arms. (1,000 DEF) Tornado Bird covered itself with its wings. (1,000 DEF) Fulhelmknight sheathed her daggers, and also defended. (1,000 ATK)

Rary smiled, slightly. He took a card from his hand, and set it on his console, and it appeared facedown. Then he waved his hand to signal the end of his turn.

Jinx quickly made a draw.

"I play Speed Spell – Angel Baton!" she exclaimed, as a Spell Card appeared.

"So I draw two cards..."

She made two draws.

"...and discard one."

She threw one card into her discard slot.

Fulhelmknight took a fighting stance again. (1,300 ATK)

"I summon X-Saber Anabelera!" shouted Jinx.

The portal opened, and the armored female X-Saber emerged, lashing her whip. (1,800 ATK)

"Go ahead," said Rary. "You have two attackers, I have two defenders."

"Oh?" asked Jinx.

"Anabelera, destroy Battlestorm!"

Anabelera lashed her whip, and the Dark Winged Beast shattered into pieces.

"Now, Fulhelmknight will destroy Tornado Bird again..."

Fulhelmknight stabbed her daggers into the large hawk, and it burst into pixels.

"And because Fulhelmknight destroyed a Monster that was in Defense Mode," continued Jinx, "I get to Special Summon another X-Saber from my Graveyard."

"You don't have any..." started Rary.

Then he stopped short.

"You put one there with Angel Baton, right?"

"Exactly!" said Jinx. "So come on out, X-Saber Galahad!"

The portal opened, and the toad-like Warrior in plate armor appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"Attack directly!" she shouted. "Chivalrous blade!"

Running on mid-air, Galahad became a blur. Rary barely saw what hit him, and his D-Wheel shook when it did.

**(J: 8,000 SPC: 3) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 6,000 SPC: 1)**

"That hurt..." he muttered.

"It's your move, Rary," said Jinx. "Unless you want to free Gears and return us to terra firma now."

"Never..." said Rary.

He drew a card.

It was Nightmare Wheel.

_Not bad..._ he thought.

"You did just what I wanted you to do, Noriko," he replied. "It may have cost me, but now I have what I need to take you down once and for all...

"I remove one Wind Monster and one Dark Monster in my Graveyard from play..."

Tornado Bird and Battlestorm appeared behind him, and faded into nothing. A dark shape appeared behind him.

_It couldn't be..._ thought Ember.

"Arise..." said Rary. _"Dark Simorgh!"_

Lightning flashed. Ember and Jinx watched with a look of fear as a huge bird with a forty foot wingspan flew over Rary's bike. It had the general shape of the regular Simorgh, Bird of Divinity, but it was pitch-black, and its eyes glowed with an evil light. (2,700 ATK)

"Let me explain how this charming creature works," said Rary. "While it's on the field, you aren't allowed to set any cards... Spells, Traps, OR Monsters."

_Then his facedown card..._ thought Ember.

Rary's facedown card spun around.

"And I also have this..." he said. "Anti-Spell Fragrance! This Continuous Trap prohibits the use of Spells unless they're set on the field one round in advance!

"Long story short, that means you can't use them at all."

_I know this strategy... _thought Ember, nervously._ Akira described it to me... The Dark Simorgh lock..._

_It cuts off an opponent's defenses and prevents the use of Spells AND Traps... And in a Turbo Duel, where Traps are essential, it's especially deadly._

"Now, the first thing I'm gonna do is get rid of your Tuner," said Rary. "Dark Simorgh... Destroy Fulhelmknight! Dark hurricane!"

Dark Simorgh screeched, and a fierce hurricane started over the field.

"She still has one trick!" shouted Jinx. "Once, just once when she's on the field, she can negate one attack against an X-Saber!"

The fierce winds died down.

"Then I set one card, and end my turn," said Rary, as a facedown card appeared.

_Nightmare Wheel will be useful if she does manage to Synchro Summon,_ he thought.

Jinx drew a card.

It was Speed Spell – Shift Down.

_Just what I didn't need..._ she thought.

She looked at the other four cards in her hand, which consisted of another Speed Spell, a Trap Card, and two Monsters that were of no use in this situation.

_I could Synchro Summon Urbellum... _she thought._ But what good would he do me?_

Fulhelmknight shielded herself in Defense Mode. (1,000 DEF) Anabelera did the same. (1,100 DEF) and Galahad followed suit. (800 DEF)

"Just move..." she said.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh," chuckled Rary, as he made a draw.

He played the card, and Cyber Harpie Lady appeared. (1,800 ATK)

She lashed her whip, and Fulhelmknight was ripped in half. Then Dark Simorgh's hurricane started again, and Anabelera shattered.

"It's your move..." he said.

"Come on, Jinx, do something!" shouted Ember.

Jinx drew.

"I summon Bronze Warrior!" she shouted.

The tribal shaman flew out of the portal, holding his daggers. (500 ATK)

"I think your little friend meant something better than _that_," laughed Rary.

"You laugh," said Jinx. "He may not be very strong, but once per turn, his effect lets me take one Beast-Warrior from my deck."

She took a card from her deck, and stashed it on her gauntlet.

"And I end my turn..."

"Then it's my move!" laughed Rary.

He made a draw. It was Sangan.

**(J: 8,000 SPC: 8) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 6,000 SPC: 6)**

_I'll save this critter for later..._ he thought.

"Dark Simorgh..." he commanded. "Crush Bronze Warrior!"

The dark hurricane started again, and Bronze Warrior exploded into shards.

"ERGH!" groaned Jinx, as the heavy blow hit her.

Then Cyber Harpie Lady dove at Galahad, and with one slash of her whip, he was gone.

"I think that's enough for one turn..." said Rary.

Jinx caught her breath.

"Then watch out!" she said angrily, as she made her draw.

**(J: 5,800 SPC: 7) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 6,000 SPC: 7)**

"Since I now have at least two X-Sabers in my Graveyard and no Monsters on the field," she continued, "I can Special Summon XX-Saber Gardestrike."

The portal opened, and the caped, panther-headed Beast-Warrior holding a scimitar appeared. (2,100 ATK)

Rary went to activate Nightmare Wheel...

_Hold it... _he thought._ She's likely going to use that guy to make a Synchro Summon... Better wait..._

"Next, I summon X-Saber Palomlo!" shouted Jinx.

She played the card, and the small lizard man holding a spear flew out of the portal. (200 ATK)

"Now, I Tune them together..."

Palomlo and Gardestrike flew into the sky above the racetrack, and faded into six glowing stars...

Then XX-Saber Hyunlei landed in front of Jinx, with an angry look on her face. (2,300 ATK)

"AAH!" screamed Rary. "Not her!"

He watched in horror as Anti-Spell Fragrance and Nightmare Wheel were blown to pieces.

"Now that I've gotten rid of your Traps," said Jinx, as she threw a Spell Card on her console, "go, Speed Spell – Half Size!"

Dark Simorgh screamed, and shrank to half its size. (1,350 ATK)

"What have you done?" screamed Rary.

"Cut your big crow down to a manageable size," said Jinx. "And not only did it lose 1,350 Attack Points, the points it lost are added to my Life Points!

"So now all that's left to do is for Hyunlei to finish the job..."

Hyunlei leapt at the weakened Dark Simorgh with her katana drawn, and with one swipe, cut the evil imposter in half, lengthwise. Rary groaned.

"I'll set this card facedown," said Jinx, as a reversed card appeared in front of her, "and end my turn..."

Rary made a foul-looking face as he drew a card.

**(J: 7,150 SPC: 8) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 5,050 SPC: 7)**

"I may not be able to stop you from playing Spell Cards any more," said Rary, "but in a Turbo Duel, Spells are of limited use, and I doubt you have two copies of Half Size."

"What do you mean?" said Jinx. "I destroyed your Dark Simorgh..."

"It may be in my Graveyard," said Rary, "but it's not staying there."

"You're lying!" shouted Ember. "Dark Simorgh is a NOMI!"

"Says who?" replied Rary. "Read the card text... It can be summoned from the Graveyard any way that an ordinary Monster can...

"As a matter a fact, it even has its own way of doing so! You see, just as I can remove a Dark and Wind Monster from play in the Graveyard to Special Summon it from my hand, I can remove them from my hand to Special Summon it from the Graveyard!"

He held up two cards in his hand. Then Dark Mimic LV1 and Harpie Girl appeared behind him, and vanished along with the two cards.

Then, with a screech, Dark Simorgh appeared again. (2,700 ATK)

"So you see..." said Rary, as the dark hurricane started again, "you're back where you started..."

Hyunlei groaned, and then shattered into pixels.

Then Cyber Harpie Lady, whom Jinx had almost forgotten about, flew skyward and vanished.

Where'd she go? thought Jinx, looking from side to side.

Then Jinx saw her in her rearview mirror, with an evil smile on her face.

Jinx screamed as she felt the Harpie's whip across her back.

"I'm not done with you," said Rary, as a Speed Spell appeared in front of him. "I play Sonic Buster!

"This fires a ray of ear-splitting sound that does damage equal to half the Attack Points of my Monster."

A beam of energy shot from Dark Simorgh, and Jinx let out another scream.

**(J: 3,600 SPC: 8) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 5,050 SPC: 7)**

"It's your move, Noriko," he said. "Let's see if you can take down Dark Simorgh a second time."

"I can sure try..." said Jinx, as she made a draw.

Her facedown card spun around.

"I activate Limit Reverse! I'll bring back my pal Bronze Warrior."

Bronze Warrior appeared in front of her again. (500 ATK)

"Next, I'll use Bronze Warrior's effect to take Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei from my deck.

"Then I'll summon him..."

The portal opened, and the pug-faced Beast-Warrior with helmet and breastplate with the hindquarters of a horse emerged in front of her. (2,300 ATK)

"With Bronze Warrior on the field, all Beast-Warriors gain 400 Attack Points!"

(2,700 ATK)

"Our Monsters have equal scores," said Rary. "You attack Simorgh with that guy, they'll both be destroyed."

"I know," said Jinx. "But... To make a good omelet, you have to break a few eggs.

"Take it away, Lei Lei!"

Lei Lei leapt at Dark Simorgh with a savage roar. He tackled the huge bird, and both duelists shielded themselves as an explosion blew both Monsters to pieces.

"Curse you, Shadowchaser!" screamed Rary.

"Yeah, yeah," said Jinx, as she fit two cards onto her console.

Two facedown cards appeared in front of her.

"I've heard it all before."

Rary angrily drew a card.

It was his second Battlestorm. The other card in his hand was Sangan.

_Curses, _he thought._ Both these Monsters are Dark... I can't bring back Simorgh this round..._

_But... Sangan can help me get a Wind Monster... And I have to get rid of Bronze Warrior before she uses its effect to search for something else..._

"I summon Sangan!" he exclaimed.

The portal opened behind him, and the three-eyed, spherical Fiend hopped out, chittering excitedly. (1,000 ATK)

"Sangan, attack..." he started.

Then he stopped short.

"Weird..." he said. "I don't think I've ever attacked with Sangan... I have no idea what its attack name is supposed to be...

"Aw, hell, attack Bronze Warrior!"

Sangan flew at the shaman, still chittering.

"I'm gonna regret this..." muttered Jinx.

One of her facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Rising Energy. So, I toss one card..."

She discarded X-Saber Urz.

"And Bronze Warrior gains 1,500 Attack Points for this round."

Bronze Warrior flexed his muscled, and his biceps bulged. (2,000 ATK) As Sangan leapt at him, he gave it a solid punch in the teeth. The small Fiend flew backwards, and dissolved into glowing dust.

"Ah, well..." said Rary. "Not the result I wanted... But I still get to use Sangan's effect..."

He took a card from his deck, and looked at it.

"Now, I'll remove these two Monsters from play..."

He held up the two cards in his hand, and Battlestorm and Lady Ninja Yae appeared behind him. Then they and the two cards vanished.

Dark Simorgh appeared over his bike once again. (2,700 ATK)

"And with that, Shadowchaser," said Rary, "I end my turn..."

**(J: 3,600 SPC: 10) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 4,050 SPC: 7)**

Jinx sighed. She had one card left in her hand, Speed Spell – Shift Down. Bronze Warrior's effect could search for a Beast-Warrior, like Reijigra or Boggart Knight, but if the Beast-Warrior she searched for couldn't help her this turn, she'd be facing an onslaught on Rary's turn.

"Don't give up, Jinx!" shouted Ember. "You destroyed Dark Simorgh twice already!

"A drowning man surfaces twice before dying... You beat Dark Simorgh again, it will go down for the third time!

"And I think it knows that."

Jinx raised an eyebrow. She hadn't thought of that.

She looked at Dark Simorgh.

To her utter disbelief, it seemed to be true. There was a look of fear in the huge Winged Beast's eyes that hadn't been there before...

She grinned. She made a draw.

_That will do..._ she thought.

"I'm using Bronze Warrior's effect," she said. "This time, I'm taking Allsword Commander Gatmuz from my deck."

A card slipped out of her deck, and she took it.

"And just how will you summon him?" asked Rary. "You need a sacrifice to summon that guy."

"Are you saying I don't have one?" asked Jinx.

Then, to Rary's unbelieving eyes, Bronze Warrior vanished into an orb of light. The orb burst, and the hulking Commander clad in plate armor appeared, holding his mighty greatsword. (2,100 ATK)

"You sacrificed your searcher-slash-booster to summon that guy?" shouted Rary.

"But I'm not done," said Jinx, as her facedown card spun around. "With Call of the Haunted, I can bring back Galahad."

In an aura of light, Galahad flew back onto the field. (1,800 ATK)

"And with Gatmuz on the field, all X-Sabers gain 400 Attack Points."

(2,200 ATK)

"Big deal!" said Rary.

"It will be a big deal once Shannalla shows up," replied Jinx.

"Shannalla?" gasped Rary.

"Then he calmed down.

"Right..." he said. "I don't see any Tuner... Besides, the Levels of those two Monsters add up to ten. You summon a Tuner somehow, you'll have too many Levels."

"Whoever said that I was Tuning Gatmuz and Galahad together?" said Jinx.

She played a Speed Spell.

"The powerful Speed Spell – Dead Synchron!"

The phantoms of Palomlo, Gardestrike, and Urz appeared behind Jinx. Then, they flew to the top of the cloud, where the cloud parted, and the three blazing suns appeared.

"This Speed Spell lets me Tune together Monsters in my Graveyard by removing them from play," continued Jinx.

There was a flash of light, and Shannalla landed beside Jinx's two other Monsters, holding her scimitar up high. (2,400 ATK)

"Of course... She'll have to leave at the end of the turn... But that's longer than you have..."

Hyunlei's card slipped out of her discard slot, and Shannalla glowed with energy. (4,700 ATK)

"Galahad, take out the smaller one first."

Galahad leapt at Cyber Harpie Lady, his Attack Score rising to 2,600. He stabbed her in the belly with his lance, and she spun backwards, out of control, and then shattered into a million pieces. Rary snarled.

"Shannalla, ground that big bird!" shouted Jinx.

Shannalla leapt at Dark Simorgh, and with one slash of her mighty sword, it exploded into black feathers. A violent bolt of lightning crashed through the arena.

"Trying to scare me, Rary?" asked Jinx. "Well sorry..."

Gatmuz leapt at the Paragon of Wind.

"...cause this time, you're going down in flames. Gatmuz, attack him directly!"

Gatmuz stuck Rary's D-Wheel so hard, the front tire blew out and the headlight shattered. Rary half stopped – half crashed in the middle of the clover leaf. Smoke – not steam – poured from his engine.

**(J: 3,600 SPC: 11) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 0 SPC: 0)**

"It's all over, Rary," said Jinx, pulling to a stop.

"Only for you two and Gears, Shadowchaser..." said Rary, as he started to be consumed by a shadow.

He punched his dashboard.

"**Auto-destruct sequence engaged,"** said an evil-sounding computer voice.

"Unless you can grow wings in about a minute... That's when this D-Wheel is going to explode, and take this whole racetrack down with it..."

He laughed wickedly as the shadow consumed him entirely.

The three Titans appeared, Shannalla rushing for where Gears was being held, and Jetta flying towards Ember. Il Mathman hovered over Jinx's bike.

"He's deadly serious!" said Shannalla. "We have to work quickly..."

She stuck the stone cell with her sword, and it shattered into pieces of rock. Gears lay in the middle of them, holding his head.

"Gears!" said Ember, as Jetta lifted her off the platform.

"I'm fine..." moaned Gears. "Aside from a bit of a headache... A leg cramp..."

Il Mathman touched Jinx's dashboard, and the pan-dimensional system came on.

"If I combine your technology with my magic," he said, "I should be able to open a portal back to where we started in time..."

Shannalla and Jetta flew to the spot, carrying Gears and Ember.

"But then what?" asked Jinx. "The three of us can't fit on one D-Wheel!"

"Well, that's where it gets tricky," said Il Mathman.

A shimmering light appeared in the air. He looked at Rary's D-Wheel.

"You see, this cloud we're in is actually an airtight construct created by magic. Rary's 'bomb' will punch some holes in it, of course, and at this altitude, that would cause it to depressurize..."

"Huh?" said Ember.

"Ever see an old movie called _Goldfinger_?" asked Gears.

"I just have to open the portal at exactly the right instant, right when his D-Wheel goes off..." said Rary. "With the portal opening, and us guiding you, the three of you will be blown out the portal an instant before decompression occurs. We kind of use the explosion as a push, for lack of a better term."

"Gears, hold onto me..." said Ember.

Il Mathman's hand hovered over the controls.

"It won't be a soft landing, I'll admit..." he said, "but it will be better than a crash..."

Jinx, Ember and Gears looked at Rary's bike, which was down to fifteen second.

Then ten...

Then five...

They stopped looking. They closed their eyes tight.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The three Shadowchasers mentally checked every part of their bodies for broken bones. Not finding any, they slowly stood up.

They were back in the amusement park, and the sky was still angry. Their clothes were torn, and covered with soot.

"Anyone see where my D-Wheel went?" asked Jinx.

"Uh, Jinx..." said Ember, pointing up.

Jinx's D-Wheel was on the roof of the fun house, about twenty feet up.

"At least it's in better shape than mine..." sighed Gears, looking at his wrecked ride. "I might have to get a whole new frame to fix it..."

He looked closer.

"Probably a new engine too... And a new CPU..."

He kicked it.

"Aw, heck, it'll be easier to just build a new one..."

Then Ember handed him a card.

Gears looked at it. It was Il Mathman.

"Uh... Thanks..." he said. "Guys, I guess we have to find Soth first. We find him, we find Shichiro..."

"_So, you want to find Soth, do you?" _said the aboleth's voice._ "Well, as a member of your species once said, be careful what you wish for..."_

Then the three of them were startled as a puddle of silvery liquid formed under their feet.

They were even _more_ startled as it started to pull them under.

"Hey, wait a minute..." said Jinx.

"_If you want to deal with Soth so much, I'll take you to him," _said the aboleth._ "But there'll be a double-edged sword in the matter..._

"_If he should fail too, I might decide to deal with you vermin myself... _

"_I'm well aware of the mark that some curse put on my face the first time I personally killed a member of your organization... Seeing as I can't get rid of it, no matter how hard I try, maybe I should try to get a matching one on the other side._

"_Deep breaths now..."_

The three of them barely had time to actually do that before they were completely drawn under. Then the pool of silvery liquid shank, and vanished.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – SONIC BUSTER**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A figure bursting with energy in the background, blasting the energy towards a figure in the foreground.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have 4 or more Speed Counters. Select one face-up Monster on your side of the field. Inflict direct damage to your opponent equal to half that Monster's ATK. You cannot activate this card if your opponent's Life Points would be reduced to zero by this effect.

_Note: "Speed Spell – Sonic Buster" was first used by Ushio in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D" episode "Pipe Dreams". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – HALF SIZE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A glowing, pulsating orb of energy.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have 3 or more Speed Counters. Select one face-up opposing Monster. Halve the selected Monster's ATK, and increase your Life Points by an amount equal to the amount of Attack Points reduced by this effect.

_Note: "Speed Spell – Half Size" was first used by Jack in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Shadows of Doubt (Part 2)". __Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – DEAD SYNCHRON (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **Fabled Valkyrus rising out of the ground with eight gold stars flying in a circular pattern above.

**Card Description:** Activate when you have 5 or more Speed Counters. Select one Synchro Monster in your Extra Deck. Remove from play from your Graveyard the Monsters necessary to Synchro Summon the selected Monster, and Special Summon the selected Monster (this summoning is considered a Synchro Summon). At the End Phase of the turn, remove the selected Monster from play.

_Note: "Speed Spell – Dead Synchron" was first used by Yusei in "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" Episode 90. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next: **

**Gears: My head hurts, my joints ache, and I could probably use a sport's drink about now. Still, Ember and Jinx are more tired than I am, and we aren't about to stop until this nightmare is over. Soth is the only Paragon left, and if I have to crash through him to get Shichiro out of here, then that's what I'm gonna do. **

"**Call of the Earthbound" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Grigwartha, Predator of the Clans**

As previously stated, the Four Yokai Clans have recently had trouble dealing with the fifth, the House of the Creeping Night. And as if that weren't enough, another threat may well bring the Lords back to the negotiating tables. Recently, an infestation of boneclaws has been encountered roaming Yokai territory, and this has the Lords and the Brides alarmed.

Boneclaws are horrid necromantic constructs, zombie-like creatures the size of ogres. (In fact, they are made from pieces of the bodies of common ogres.) They are muscular with long arms, but their most distinguishing feature is their claws, which are each the size of swords. This gives a boneclaw excellent reach in a fight, added to the fact that they are incredibly strong and cunning.

Of course, necromancy can produce worse creatures than boneclaws, and some Yokai are much stronger than they are. But here's why the Yokai are concerned about them: To create a boneclaw, the body is made from pieces of dead ogres, and then the captured soul of a Yokai, the stronger the better, is bound to the body.

The most mysterious part is, only one necromancer ever knew how to make boneclaws. She was a night hag named Grigwartha who perfected the ritual two-hundred years ago. She would sell the completed creations to anyone willing to pay, but never the means to create them. Ironically, it was the Shadowchasers who defeated her back then, banishing her to a prison dimension.

So why have boneclaws reappeared? Has Grigwartha escaped? Did some apprentice finally manage to interpret her spellbooks and figure out the formula? The boneclaws don't speak, and they give no answers.

Each Yokai clan has offered a rich reward for the one who brings them Grigwartha's corpse. The Shadowchasers are investigating too, but having little luck, as the Yokai clans still will not cooperate. This is a problem, because as the situation continues, boneclaws start to appear that are even stronger, and attacks start to begin on groups of Yokai. If Grigwartha is indeed behind this, her plans this time may be more far-reaching than they were before...

**Story Ideas:** There may be many reasons for the return of these undead horrors. Grigwartha may owe her escape to Orcus, Vecna, or even Tharizdun. If she now works for the cult of a god, her motivations may be more than money. She could easily be inserted into any story where the cults of those entities play a major role. Just remember, the Yokai clans are going to be involved; they make unlikely allies, but better to have them as friends than enemies.

Boneclaws are too dumb to duel (the imprisoned Yokai soul is driven mad when bonded to the thing), so Shadowchasers can expect a fight of a different type when encountering them. Boneclaws are born in a rite of blood, so they are evil by nature. They grow stronger in places where evil energy is stronger. Thus, as a story progresses, stronger and stronger ones may be encountered.

**Deck Suggestions:** Grigwartha was banished long before Duel Monsters was created, so she's likely just learning the game. She'd likely use whatever deck is the norm for whatever group she is associated with. Thus, if working with the Deathpriests of Orcus, she'd use a deck that focused on Zombie World, and if working with the Doomdreamers, she'd use their usual deck that is designed to inflict as much pain as possible. It might be a while before she decides on a deck of her own.


	56. Call of the Earthbound

_Before I go any further, I have a message for all Shadowchaser authors. An addendum to my Writer's Guidelines detailing anime-only cards that should be added to the Forbidden/Limited List has been made. Please e-mail me to obtain it._

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL FIFTY-SIX**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Call of the Earthbound**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

The three Shadowchasers were in total darkness.

"Where are we?" said Ember's voice.

"Nobody panic!" replied Gears. "I always keep a flashlight on my belt..."

After a few tense seconds, the flashlight came on, dimly illuminating the large cavern they were in.

"Whoa..." said Jinx.

"Okay..." said Ember. "Can we panic now?"

"I've heard old stories about the cave systems under Neo Domino..." said Gears. "Some Shadowkind clans like dwarves and svirfneblin used to make their homes down here, but they stopped for some reason...

"Exactly what that reason was, only they knew..."

Then there was a sound of a match striking, and a torch on the wall lit.

A torch next to that one lit, followed by another, then another. After a minute, they could see that they were in a large grotto, with a still pool taking up much of the far end.

"Can you hear it," said Soth, who had, naturally, been the one who had lit the torches.

He was sitting on a bench-like rock formation by the side of the pool.

"Can you hear the sounds of the tectonic plates slowly moving as they shape the very landscape? Down here, you can almost hear the subtle rumblings of the landmasses moving..."

The three Shadowchasers glared at him.

"We're in no mood for games, Soth!" shouted Gears. "Where's Shichiro?"

"He's a little buried in his work right now," mumbled Soth, as he stood up.

"You fiend..." said Ember.

"You don't know the half of it, Eiko," replied Soth. "This whole thing was fun for a while, but now..."

"Give us back Shichiro," demanded Gears. "You'll never beat the three of us."

Soth clenched his fist, and the whole cavern started to shake and rumble.

Then he unclenched it, and it stopped.

"Want to test that theory?" he asked.

He got up, and slipped a Duel Disk on his arm.

"As you can see, the way out is hidden," he said. "The boss made me an offer before you three got here... All I have to do is defeat one of you... Then it'll forgive Iggwilv, Rary, and Menzoberra and release them..."

"And we'd be back where we started..." moaned Ember.

"Soth, don't you realize that it's playing us like game pieces for some greater purpose?" asked Jinx. "It wants this fighting to continue... It's benefiting it for some big plan of some sort.

"I know you have free will... You aren't some puppet... Why don't you simply say NO to that jerk and help us?"

"Because I'll spend the rest of my existence in prison if I do!" replied Soth.

"And spending it as some creature's slave is better?" asked Ember.

"You have no idea what it can do to folks who turn against it," replied Soth. "The Bells of Baphomet are only one punishment it can inflict on a betrayer.

"I trust I need go no further than that...

"Besides, who said I don't like working for it? Like I said, this was all fun until we had this bad luck streak. And once this duel is over, it's gonna be fun again!"

Gears stepped forward.

"Since trying to talk sense into you is definitely not gonna work," he said, "fine, I'll duel you.

"I might even enjoy this..."

He activated his Disk.

"DUEL!" they both shouted.

**(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Soth: 8,000)**

"Let's see what we have here..." said Soth, making a draw.

"I summon Mine Golem to the field."

As he played the card, the ground rumbled, and an eight-foot-tall statue emerged from it. It was carved in the shape of a soldier, with flack jacket, field pack, and gas mask. (1,000 ATK)

"I'll end it there," he said.

Gears looked hard at Mine Golem.

_If I attack it, I'll take 500 points of damage... _he thought._ But... Letting him sacrifice it for something stronger might be worse..._

He made his first draw.

_Hey... This should be useful..._

He quickly played it.

"I play the Continuous Spell Card, Machine Assembly Line."

With a rumble, a large apparatus rose up behind him. It had a crane, next to a hopper, connected to a conveyor belt, connected to a large metal chamber.

"With this on the field, all Machines gain 200 Attack Points.

"Next, I set a card, and summon Robotic Knight."

A reversed card appeared, and then the Machine sergeant materialized. (1,600 ATK) –) (1,800 ATK)

"Tear down his Mine Golem!" he commanded. "Gatling shot!"

Robotic Knight aimed its weapon, and machine gun shells peppered Mine Golem's chest. Then it exploded in a fiery blast, and Gears braced himself.

**(G: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,200)**

"Not bad..." said Rary.

He drew a card.

"But I've got much harder stones in my deck..."

He set a card, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"That ought to do it..."

Gears made a draw.

"I summon Ally of Justice Garadholg!" he exclaimed.

He played the card, and the Ally soldier appeared, brandishing its energy swords. (1,600 ATK) –) (1,800 ATK)

He pointed.

"Get it..."

Garadholg flew at the Monster...

Then, Stone Statue of the Aztecs appeared on the card. Garadholg was thrown backwards. (2,000 DEF)

"Lovely..." said Ember. "Now the damage Gears takes is doubled..."

**(G: 7,100) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,200)**

"I end my turn!" shouted Gears.

Soth made a draw.

He set two cards in his Spell Zone, and they appeared facedown.

"Mmm!" he said.

_No Monsters? _thought Gears._ Well... This should be easy..._

He drew a card.

"Time to introduce you to my secret weapon..." he said, as his facedown card lifted up. "It's both a Trap AND a Monster... Machine King – 3,000 BC!"

A tall robot stepped out of the Trap Card. It was covered with wires, lenses, and strange devices, far more bells and whistles than the streamlined robots Gears usually summoned. Most remarkably, it wore a metal crown that somewhat resembled a Mayan headdress. (1,000 ATK) –) (1,200 ATK)

"You're telling me that rusty old robot is over five-thousand years old?" asked Soth.

"That's right," said Gears. "But the guy who built this Machine built it to last! It has a powerful effect…"

Robotic Knight vanished into grains of light.

"By sacrificing one other Machine, it gains Attack Points equal to that Machine's Attack Score for the round."

(2,800 ATK)

"Next, I'll give it the Equip Spell, Break! Draw!"

He played a card, and Machine King – 3,000 BC glowed with golden energy.

"For the next three turns, I get to draw one card whenever this guy destroys a Monster.

"So... Smash that Stone Statue! Ancient Machinations!"

Machine King – 3,000 B.C. formed two golden energy disks in its hands. It threw them, and they turned into spinning gears. They cut right through Stone Statue of the Aztecs, slicing it into three pieces.

Gears drew a card.

"Don't forget Garadholg..." he said.

Soth grunted as the Ally took a swipe with him with its blades.

"My turn is over," said Gears, as Machine King's Attack Score returned to 1,200.

**(G: 7,100) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,600)**

Soth growled a little.

"Okay, Gears..." he said, rather annoyed. "You burned me..."

He drew a card.

"Prepare to be burned back..."

One of his facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Limit Reverse! I'll bring back my Mine Golem!"

Mine Golem reappeared. (1,000 ATK)

"Then," he said, as he played a card from his hand, "I'll play Inferno Reckless Summon!"

Two more Mine Golems appeared.

"Three Mine Golems?" said Ember.

"Oh no... No! Don't tell me his other facedown card is..."

"But it is!" laughed Soth, as his other facedown card lifted up. "Minefield Eruption! It deals out 1,000 points of damage per Mine Golem!"

Gears tried to brace himself as a series of large explosions erupted around him. He didn't succeed, and was thrown off his feet.

"Of course..." continued Soth, "after that, I lose my Mine Golems..."

The three Mine Golems shattered into pixels.

"...but I'm far from done... Next, I play... Symbol of Heritage. Since I have three of the same Monster in my Graveyard, this lets me Special Summon one of them, so long as I Equip it with the card."

A Mine Golem appeared again, kneeling and crossing its arms. (1,900 DEF)

"And then, I'll sacrifice it..."

The Mine Golem vanished.

"...for Granmarg the Rock Monarch!"

The ground rumbled and spilt, and the huge, fifteen-foot-tall infamous Monarch of the Earth Attribute towered over the field. (2,400 ATK)

"Terrific..." said Ember.

"Well, at least there are no cards for it to use its effect on..." said Jinx.

"Granmarg, destroy Ally Garadholg!" shouted Soth. "Imperial pound!"

The Rock Monarch lunged forward, and socked Garadholg in the snout, crumpling it like tinfoil.

This seemed to get the Machine Assembly Line started. The crane picked up a load of scrap metal, and deposited it into the hopper. The conveyor belt started to move.

_Odd... _thought Gears._ Why didn't he attack Machine King?_

"I think that's enough for one turn..." said Soth.

**(G: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,600)**

Gears drew a card.

"I play Silent Doom!" he exclaimed.

He played the card, and Robotic Knight appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (1,800 DEF)

"Now, I sacrifice it..."

Robotic Knight turned into an orb of energy.

"For Ally of Justice Clausolas!"

The large, robotic condor appeared, hovering over the field. (2,300 ATK) –) (2,500 ATK)

"Now, I sacrifice it to boost my Machine King again!"

Clausolas vanished, and Machine King – 3,000 B.C. glowed with energy again. (3,500 ATK)

"Attack! Show Granmarg who the better Monarch is!"

This time, Machine King only threw one spinning gear, but it was bigger than before, and cut the Rock Monarch cleanly in half.

"I draw one card due to Break! Draw!" said Gears, making a draw.

He looked at it. It was Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator.

He put that one aside, and took another card from his hand. He set it in his Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

"Your move," he said.

**(G: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,500)**

Soth frowned as he drew.

He didn't saw a word. He simply set a card on his Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"Uh, Jinx..." said Ember. "Are there a lot of Flip-Effect Rock Monsters? Other than Morphing Jar, I mean."

"Not many..." said Jinx. "But I think I might see Soth's strategy here... He's trying to use as many Rock Monsters as possible to power up..."

"Megarock Dragon?" asked Soth, almost laughing. "That's what everyone thinks.

"No... I have something far more unique... You'll see it soon..."

Gears looked at him with a puzzled look. He drew a card.

"I, uh..." he said. "I summon Nanobreaker..."

Jake appeared, holding the Nano-blade. (1,600 ATK) –) (1,800 ATK)

_If I used Machine King's effect this turn, _he thought,_ it wouldn't do any damage to Soth, and I'd be short a Monster... Think I'll take a risk..._

"Attack!" he shouted.

Nanobreaker charged at the facedown card...

Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo appeared on the card, and was blasted into shards of rock.

"You activated its effect!" laughed Soth. "When flipped face-up, it destroys all Special Summoned Monsters!"

Machine King – 3,000 B.C. shattered into pixels.

Machine Assembly Line started to work harder. More scrap metal was loaded into the hopper. The metal chamber started to hum.

"It's your move, Soth..." said Gears.

Soth made a draw.

He smirked slightly.

"I remove Stone Statue of the Aztecs from play to summon The Rock Spirit," he said.

Another creature emerged from the ground. It was a man with earthen grey skin, dressed in Spartan-style armor and a helmet, holding a ruby-tipped scepter. (1,700 ATK)

"And in case you aren't familiar with its effect, it gains 300 Attack Points during your Battle Phase.

"Next, I set a Monster, and end my turn."

A hidden Monster appeared next to The Rock Spirit.

Gears snapped the top card off his deck.

"Come on out, Flamvell Magical!" he shouted.

The fiery Spellcaster Tuner appeared next to Nanobreaker. (1,400 ATK)

Then, his eyes burned with flames, and he and Nanobreaker flew to the top of the cavern. They turned into eight glowing stars.

With beeps and clicks, Ally of Justice Light Gazer landed in front of Gears. (2,400 ATK) –) (2,600 ATK)

"You just don't get it, do you?" said Gears, as Light Gazer aimed its cannon. "Stone may be hard, but steel is harder still.

"Attack! Cosmic cannons!"

Light Gazer fired a mighty blast, and in an explosion that lit up the dim cavern, The Rock Spirit was obliterated.

"Ergh..." said Soth.

**(G: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 3,800)**

Gears set a card on his Disk, and a new facedown card appeared.

"Make your move..." he said.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh..." chuckled Soth.

"What's so funny?" asked Gears.

Soth made a draw.

"I'll tell you in a minute," he replied. "First, I'll play Miracle Rupture..."

He played a Spell Card.

"I take one Rock-Type Monster from my deck, and send it to my Graveyard..."

He discarded a second Stone Statue of the Aztecs.

"Then, I reshuffle my deck..."

His Disk gave the deck a shuffle.

"...and make one draw..."

He drew a card. He grinned slightly when he saw what it was.

"As for what was so funny... You took the bait! The Rock Spirit was a decoy to draw your attention away from THIS little guy!"

His reversed Monster flipped face up. It was a small stone golem that was short and squat. (800 ATK)

"NO!" shouted Ember. "That's Dummy Golem!"

"Which forces Gears to trade me his Monster for it!" laughed Soth.

Dummy Golem and Light Gazer vanished, and then reappeared on the opposite sides of the field.

"You crummy..." said Gears.

"What are you complaining about?" asked Soth. "It's an even trade. In fact, I'd say you got the better Monster. This piece of junk is barely worth the amount I'd make selling it for scrap.

"But I'll still attack with it… Light Gazer, destroy Dummy Golem!"

Light Gazer aimed its cannon...

"Go, Spell Card!" shouted Gears, as one of his two facedown card lifted up. "Enemy Controller!"

Light Gazer backed up, and shielded itself in Defense Mode. (1,600 ATK)

Soth growled a little.

"You escaped that one by the seat of your pants..." he said. "I end my turn..."

"I have to thank you, Soth," said Gears, as he made a draw, "you actually helped me a great deal..."

His other facedown card lifted up, revealing Call of the Haunted. Nanobreaker appeared back on the field. (1,600 ATK) –) (1,800 ATK)

Then he played another card, and Cyclone Creator appeared. (1,400 ATK) –) (1,600 ATK)

"Now I get to summon someone even better..."

Cyclone Creator, Nanobreaker, and Dummy Golem all flew to the top of the cavern, and faded into nine glowing stars...

"_An imposing form leads the Ally army on the battlefield. Rally your troops to victory against the cruel hordes of the Light of Ruin!_

"_Onward to glory... Ally of Justice Field Marshal!"_

In a flash of light, the towering form of Field Marshal loomed over Gears's side. (2,900 ATK) –) (3,100 ATK)

"Okay!" ordered Gears. "Full assault mode!"

"**Roger, roger,"** said the Machine.

Field Marshal lifted its arms, and guns, lasers, and cannons sprouted from them, its chest, its shoulders, and other parts of its body.

"Attack! Ballistic barrage!"

All of Field Marshal's weapons fired, and Light Gazer was atomized.

"Ergh..." said Soth. "Good thing it was in Defense Mode..."

The Machine Assembly Line started to work even harder. Steam started to come from the metal chamber.

"That thing is going ka-ka-kooky," said Ember, looking at it. "Does it have some sort of secondary effect?"

"I dunno," said Jinx. "I've never seen Gears use it before..."

Soth let out a loud sigh.

He drew a card.

It was Pot of Avarice.

"Well, Gears..." he said. "It's all a matter of luck now... If mine's better than yours, there's no telling what may happen..."

He played the card, and took all three Mine Golems, The Rock Spirit, and Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo from his Graveyard. His Disk shuffled them into his deck, and he made two draws.

He grinned an evil grin.

"Okay, Gears..." he said. "I'm sending my Medusa Worm to the Graveyard..."

He discarded the card.

"...in order to Special Summon my Power Giant!"

Another Monster of stone loomed over the field. "Giant" was a good name for it, and it seemed to be made entirely out of blocky gemstones. (2,200 ATK)

"Now, since I Special Summoned it that way, its Level is reduced by Medusa Worm's Level. Thus, Power Giant is now Level 4.

"Next, I summon Grandfather Plaque."

The Monster that appeared was more accurately described as a sculpture than a statue. It looked like a stone plaque of a bearded, old man's face. (1,000 ATK)

"Before you ask, yes, it's a Level 4 Tuner, and yes, it does have a condition. I can only use it to Synchro Summon a Rock-Type Monster."

"Rock-Type Synchro Monsters?" said Ember. "Other than Naturia Landoise... What others are there?"

"Hank has one called Talos the Iron Titan..." replied Jinx. "But other than that... None."

"You'll soon learn differently," laughed Soth.

Power Giant and Grandfather Plaque turned into eight glowing stars.

"This Monster isn't exactly common... But it will do the job...

"I Synchro Summon... Stone Giant Skoraeus!"

The cave floor shook, as the huge Monster stepped forward. The three Shadowchasers had never actually seen a stone giant – dealing with giants was too dangerous for typical Shadowchasers to attempt – but they had seen pictures of ones like this... A fifteen-foot-tall humanoid, completely hairless, with skin the texture and consistency of granite, dressed in furs. (2,500 ATK)

"And due to Grandfather Plaque's effect," continued Soth, "I gain 1,000 Life Points."

"Okay..." said Gears. "He may be big... But he can't beat Field Marshal..."

"Maybe not yet..." said Soth. "But he's gonna attack anyway!"

Before Gears's unbelieving eyes, the huge giant lunged at Field Marshal.

"Fight it off!" shouted Gears.

Field Marshal fired its weapons, and Stone Giant Skoraeus staggered backwards.

He held his chest, where smoke was coming from where several missiles had hit him...

"Uh, Jinx?" said Ember. "Why is Soth's Monster still there?"

"Because," said Soth, "he has the ability to survive one battle per round. You have to defeat him twice in one round to kill him.

"Plus, you ever hear the expression, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger? It couldn't be truer for Skoraeus. Whenever he loses a battle and survives, he gains 400 Attack Points."

(2,900 ATK)

"Before I end my turn, I'd like to do one more thing...

"I remove Dummy Golem from play to Special Summon Gigantes in Attack Mode."

The Monster that appeared looked more like a Fiend than a Rock. It had red skin, fangs, pointed ears, a horn on its head, and wore armor of demonic design. It held a large tree trunk. (1,900 ATK)

**(G: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,200)**

"Damn..." said Jinx. "Talk about the rock and the hard place..."

Ember looked at the field and saw what Jinx meant. Gears was in a tough situation.

If he left Field Marshal in Attack Mode, Soth would attack it with Skoraeus again, causing Skoraeus to become even stronger.

But if he moved it to Defense Mode, Soth would destroy Field Marshal with Gigantes, and Gears would be open for a direct attack from Skoraeus.

And if Gears attacked Gigantes, its effect would destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field, including Machine Assembly Line.

Gears drew a card, and looked at it.

He shook his head.

"I pass this turn..." he said.

"All right... Draw!" said Soth.

He drew a card.

_Hmm..._ he thought.

"Stone Giant Skoraeus," he ordered, "attack his Field Marshal again!"

The giant rushed at the Ally general a second time. Once again, it fired a barrage of artillery, pushing the brute backwards...

But once again, the giant withstood it, and his muscles grew bigger... (3,300 ATK)

"Now what?" shouted Ember. "Field Marshal isn't going to last another round against that thing!"

"That's right!" laughed Soth.

He set the card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared behind Skoraeus.

"Just try to take him down!"

**(G: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,000)**

"Well..." said Gears. "I can try..."

He drew a card.

He lifted an eyebrow. He had only recently added this Spell Card to his deck, and he had never used it before.

He looked at the field. He could try to use it now... But if Soth's reversed card countered it or stopped an attack, he didn't know what he would do.

He took another card from his hand.

_If Soth uses it to counter this, _he thought,_ I'll be in the clear. If he _doesn't_ use it to counter this, I'll know that it isn't a Counter._

He set the card, and it appeared facedown.

He nodded.

Soth laughed as he drew a card.

"You think one little Trap can stop my Stone Giant?" he asked.

The Trap Card flipped up.

"I activate Trap Stun! Guess again!

"Ready or not, here comes Skoraeus!"

Stone Giant Skoraeus made his third rush at Field Marshal.

"Sorry, Soth," said Gears, as his card flipped up, "but I was ready."

"Limiter Removal?" gasped Soth.

He screamed as Field Marshal's Attack Score shot up to 6,200, and a doubly-intense blast from the Machine's guns sent Skoraeus propelled across the room.

Both Soth and his Monster had fallen over, and both were clutching their heads.

"Get up, stupid!" yelled Soth.

Skoraeus stood up. (3,700 ATK)

"Fine, fine..." he said, as he got up. "Maybe that wasn't the smartest move... But now Skoraeus is even stronger...

"And your Monster still won't last past the end of this turn, due to Limiter Removal's side effect.

"I move Gigantes to Defense Mode, just in case..."

Gigantes knelt, and held its log in its lap. (1,300 DEF)

"And I end my turn..."

**(G: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 1,100)**

Field Marshal shattered into metal shards. The Machine Assembly Line started to shake and work faster than ever.

"My draw!" said Gears, drawing a card.

"Well, it's about that time... Here goes...

"I'm sending Machine Assembly Line to the Graveyard."

"Huh?" said Jinx.

"Huh?" said Soth.

To everyone's surprise, the Spell Card vanished, followed, by the crane, hopper, and conveyor belt. Only the chamber remained.

"You didn't really think that the 200-point boost was the only thing that card did?" asked Gears. "Every time a Machine was destroyed, it gained two Junk Counters. Four Machines were destroyed since I played it.

"And by sending it to the Graveyard, I can summon a Machine _from_ my Graveyard, so long as its Level is equal to or less than the number of Counters."

The chamber opened.

"Level 8?" said Soth. "But that means..."

A large robot slowly moved out of the chamber.

"Your Light Gazer!" exclaimed Soth.

(2,400 ATK)

"Yeah," said Gears, with a hint of annoyance, "and it's not very happy with you for comparing its worth to that stupid Dummy Golem."

"Oh, did I hurt its feelings?" asked Soth, sarcastically. "In case you couldn't do math, my Monster is much stronger than it is."

"Maybe by itself," said Gears.

He played the special Spell Card.

"But I have _this_!"

"Battle Waltz?" asked Soth. "What does that do?"

"This," said Gears.

Light Gazer turned into a static-like blur, and then seemingly pulled itself apart. Before Soth's eyes, it turned into two identical Monsters. (2,400 ATK x2)

"You made a duplicate of Light Gazer?" exclaimed Soth.

"No," said Gears. "I created a Waltz Token.

"And now it's gonna waltz over and attack your Stone Giant."

The Waltz Token flew at Stone Giant Skoraeus, aiming its cannon arm.

"Fine by me, fool!" laughed Soth. "Your dumb token isn't even one point stronger than the real Light Gazer!"

Skoraeus punched the Waltz Token, and it exploded into a flaming blast. Debris rained all over the cave.

"Heh, heh..." said Soth. "Well, that was pointless... Huh?"

**(G: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 1,100)**

"As you can see, I took no damage," said Gears. "But your Stone Giant..."

Soth looked at Skoraeus, and this time, the giant seemed to _really_ be in pain. It was groaning, and clutching its chest like it was holding a horrible wound. (1,300 ATK)

"HOW?" shouted Soth.

"When a Waltz Token is destroyed in battle," said Gears, "the Monster that destroyed it loses Attack Points equal to the Token's Attack Points.

"And that makes your Stone Giant an easy target for the real Light Gazer..."

Light Gazer aimed its cannon.

"His effect will let him survive this blast... But you sure won't..."

"Wait..." said Soth, with a terrified expression.

"Light Gazer..." ordered Gears, "attack with cosmic cannon!"

In the next instant there were two screams... One coming from Soth, and the other coming from his Monster. Both collapsed, and as Stone Giant Skoraeus vanished, Soth seemingly eroded, like sand blowing away in the wind.

**(G: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 0)**

Like the other Paragons, only his Duel Disk remained.

"Come on," said Gears. "Let's find Shichiro and get out of here ASA-_now_!"

Ember ran up to Soth's Disk, while Gears and Jinx surveyed the chamber.

"Soth said that Shichiro was buried..." said Jinx.

She looked around.

"How could you bury someone in a place where the surface is solid stone?"

"Jinx!" said Gears.

They looked over to the bench-like formation that Soth had been sitting on when he first appeared. Something they would have had to get past him to even look at.

They ran up to it, and sure enough, it was actually a stone casket.

Gears and Jinx each grabbed hold of one end of it.

"On three," said Gears. "One, two...

"Three..."

They lifted, and after about a minute of strain, shoved the heavy lid off.

Shichiro was inside all right, tied up, gagged, and blindfolded.

"Hold on, Shichiro!" said Gears, reaching for his belt. "I never go anywhere without my Swiss army knife..."

Shichiro seemed to object to this, but after about two minutes of cutting Gears cut through the bonds restraining his hands.

He removed the gag, and stuck out his tongue in disgust.

"Are you hurt?" asked Jinx.

"Only my pride," sighed Shichiro, as he sat up. "Man, I can deal with being tied up, but the worst part was having to listen to those four egomaniacs!

"Where are they, anyway?"

"Gone, for now," said Gears.

"Shichiro!" said Ember. "Look who I found!"

She ran up, holding Trymus the Conqueror.

"Thanks," said Shichiro, stepping out of the coffin.

"So you were listening to them?" asked Gears.

"Yeah, and I heard a few things about these caves," replied Shichiro. "The aboleth makes it lair in some deep cavern that's completely flooded with seawater. These large grottos with pools connect to its main lair via flooded tunnels. It uses them as audience chambers when it wants to speak to other races.

"See, it has trouble moving about on dry land, so most of its minions have to come to it."

"Great," said Ember. "We just have to find an exit before it shows up. It won't be able to chase us!"

"_Don't be so sure," _said the aboleth's voice._ "If you want to flee, you'd best find the exit and start running now..._

"_But as you'll see in a minute... I do indeed have a way to chase you..."_

Shichiro grabbed his sword, which was under the coffin. The other three Shadowchasers grabbed theirs.

The pool started to bubble and churn.

"Be brave people..." said Shichiro. "We may be making our last stand here... But no matter how powerful this thing is, it's not going to make us run like a bunch of cowards..."

They all knew that the odds were against them as they waited for the ancient being to surface, the being whose memory stretched back to the very dawn of time. It was unlikely that they could outfight it... It was even less likely that they could outsmart it... Did they stand a chance at all?

In the next minute or so, they would find out...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GRANDFATHER PLAQUE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Rock/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** This card cannot be used for a Synchro Summon except for the summoning of a Rock-Type Synchro Monster. When this card is used for a Synchro Summon and sent to the Graveyard, increase your Life Points by 1,000.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**STONE GIANT SKORAEUS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Rock/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF:** 2,100

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Special Summoned except via Synchro Summon. Once per turn, this card is not destroyed by battle. If this card battles a Monster with higher ATK, increase this card's ATK by 400 after damage calculation.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MIRACLE RUPTURE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **Giant Soldier of Stone facing a shining, glowing light.

**Card Description:** Select one Rock-Type Monster from your deck and send it to the Graveyard. Reshuffle your deck, and draw one card.

_Note: "Miracle Rupture" was first used by Jim in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "A Sight Unseen (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BATTLE WALTZ (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **The Hindu god of war Chi You in a typical pose.

**Card Description:** Select one Synchro Monster you control. Special Summon one "Waltz Token" (A "Waltz Token" has the same Type, Attribute, Level, ATK, and DEF as the selected Monster.) A "Waltz Token" cannot be Tributed and cannot be used for a Synchro Summon. Any Battle Damage taken as a result of a "Waltz Token" battling is reduced to zero. If a "Waltz Token" is destroyed by battle, the Monster that destroyed it loses Attack Points equal to the "Waltz Token's" Attack Points until the End Phase. At the End Phase of the turn, destroy the "Waltz Token".

_Note: "Battle Waltz" was first used by Yusei in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Destiny's Will (Part 2)". It's been changed slightly from the official text to make it more balanced. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Shichiro: We finally get some answers from this dark being who has pulled all the strings up to now. But it doesn't intend to let us freely use that knowledge. We have only one thing that is keeping it from crushing us like the bugs it perceives us as, and in order to preserve that protection, I have to duel it. **

**I've never had to duel a creature that was more horrible than its Monsters! Can I possibly win? What will be the outcome?**

"**Dweller in the Depths" is coming soon. May the powers of Good walk with me in this duel!**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Cattivo Fanciullo, Criminal Mastermind of Shadow**

Italy is known for a lot of things. For its history, for its cuisine, and for its culture...

Few bring up the negative things that originated in Italy, such as its fascist government during World War II. Or the fact that the Mafia was founded there, the biggest organization in organized crime, which is still in "business" today. But don't overuse the term... Not every criminal group is part of _Cosa Nostra._ Cattivo Fanciullo's organization certainly isn't, even though he seems to have adapted their values.

No-one knows just how long Fanciullo has been on Earth, or even exactly what kind of Shadowkind he is. He has some sort of shapeshifting ability, and always appears as a young child with pure white hair and purple eyes. He wears an enchanted white tuxedo in this form; the tuxedo's enchantments include keeping a constant 70 degree temperature around the wearer no matter what the weather conditions, and remaining spotlessly clean no matter how dirty his activities.

And Fanciullo is clearly not to afraid to get dirty, or even get blood on his hands. He is a major player in the underworld of Italy, with incredible influence in the rest of Europe. He typically restricts his activities to dealing with Shadowkind, and most members of his organization are such; most of them are outcasts who have been expelled from their clans for one reason or another. Only a few Aware humans make up the ranks.

Cattivo himself is a person who will do almost anything to succeed at his goal. What exactly his goal is however, is a mystery. Some think he doesn't even have a goal, and that the only thing that motivates him is greed, but whether this is true is unknown.

Fanciullo has one vital rule for anyone who would join his group – children are never to be harmed. He goes so far as to put strict limits on how his organization handles dealing controlled substances to make sure children never get involved with it. He claims that he admires their innocence, and that may very well be true, but even those who've known him for years are unsure if that is his true reason.

It seems that Fanciullo is at least serious about this rule, as he seems to regard anyone who would hurt children as an enemy. He has offered an incredibly rich bounty for anyone who brings him the Stork's head on a platter. The Stork likely knows about this – whether he cares is not known.

A lot of bounties have been offered for Fanciullo's head as well, mostly by other crime bosses who have lost business because of him. Still, it's hard to find a Mundane assassin who will try to collect that bounty. Even if they find Fanciullo, they can see nothing more than a child, and they simply cannot accept that this child is the ruthless crime boss that their employer wants dead. The world of Shadow hides many strange secrets, and that works to Shadowkind's advantage sometimes.

**Story Ideas:** Fanciullo could easily be inserted into any fic set in Italy, or in a neighboring country. The most likely role would be as an enemy in a plotline where the mob plays a role, but that is not the only possibility. Fanciullo might use intermediaries to cut a deal with the Shadowchasers if they are looking for the Stork or the Dread Emperor, or anyone else heartless enough to hurt children.

He might appear anywhere if he caught wind of a plot to harm them on a large scale. Organizations like the Doomdreamers (described later) might suddenly decide they have reason to set a horde of demons on Kaibaland for some insane goal, and if some crime boss is your only source of warning, it's much better than nothing.

**Deck Suggestion:** Unlike many powerful Shadows, Fanciullo does not mind in the least that a "children's card game" has become the accepted form of resolving disputes among Shadowkind, and takes to the game with relish. The peons in his gang tend to use decks that focus on swarming, while higher-ups use unique decks.

As for Fanciullo himself, his deck is odd and symbolic. He uses a lot of Monsters that resemble toys, like Toy Soldier and Blockman. Others include Silent Swordsman and two copies of Gilford the Lightning, which supposedly represent the heroes of children's bedtime stories. Even stranger, his deck includes three copies of Bolt Escargot (which he summons with Ancient Rules, followed by Inferno Reckless Summon) which are supposed to represent the childhood of Duel Monsters itself.

Fanciullo has long pined for a deck that represents childhood even more: the one which once belonged to Leon von Schroeder. However, this deck is not only in the hands Schroeder's heir, that heir is now a Shadowchaser. He has tried to contact Rebecca Schafer to request a fair challenge with a fair ante, but his letters have since met with no reply. He doubts that she will ever accept such a challenge, and the fact that such cards remain out of reach gnaw at him constantly.

_Note: Fanciullo is a creation of fanfic author jcogginsa._

jcogginsa


	57. Dweller in the Depths

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL FIFTY-SEVEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Dweller in the Depths**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Half an hour earlier, Minerva and two other Knights of Domiel walked into the deserted amusement park, where the three D-Wheels had been haphazardly tossed. One of them, who was wearing a tool belt, looked at the remains of Gears's bike.

"Can you fix it, Milt?" asked Minerva.

"Please," said Milt. "You're talking to someone who was allowed to use the Celestial Forge."

"I'll take that as a yes," said Minerva. "But hurry... They're going to need their bikes to get out of there...

"I just hope the big guy isn't mad at us after this whole mess is over... We may be pushing the limits of what constitutes 'indirect help'..."

Milt bent over the D-Wheel.

"If it makes him feel better..." he said, "I'll send them a bill later and 'forget' to include a SASE... Now let's see..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The four Shadowchasers watched as the aboleth broke surface. The four Titans appeared behind them.

It was mounted on a large mechanical device, best described as a floating platform with a control panel on the front. A hovercraft of sorts. They quickly guessed that this was some convenience that it used to move on land easier. Its lower tentacles were wrapped around two glowing, blue bars, which they guessed were how it controlled the thing.

"_Welcome to my abode, Shadowchasers," _it said, as it piloted the hovercraft out of the water._ "Sorry I'm not the best host..."_

With a whir, the device came to a rest on the cavern floor.

The four Shadowchasers tensed, but the thing didn't attack right away. Eventually, Shichiro spoke up.

"Look, Mr. Unpronounceable," he said, "we want answers. What is the point of this whole little game of yours?"

The aboleth let out a brief chuckle.

"_You expect me to tell you all my plans?" _it said._ "Oh, that would be something... The old 'trick the villain into telling you all his plans' routine."_

"So do you work for the Psurlons?" asked Jinx.

"_Work for them, Ms. Noriko?" _asked the aboleth._ "You're looking at their company's president, CEO, and major stockholder._

"_Telling you what I intend to do would be folly... But I suppose telling you some history might be okay... After all, you have no way of changing what has already been done..._

"_You see, humans, for thousands of years, I've desired to rule over all of existence, but you vertebrates have forced my kind to live in hiding, unable to take back what was once ours. I long ago decided that I needed the Power Primordial to gain the energy I needed. So I joined forces with the Psurlacs, one of the few races that didn't sicken me._

"_Once the Psurlacs realized that they could use the Power Primordial to craft the Philosopher's Stone, and reap the profits that would come with it, they were more than willing to enter a partnership._

"_Three-thousand years ago, we hired the Primals to create the Elemental Nodes, sources of both elemental energy and negative energy. We hoped to summon __Pandorym__."_

"You've gotta be kidding!" shouted Trymus.

"Pandorym must never be freed!" exclaimed Il Mathman. "Don't you know what he did?"

"_I know he was the only being without divine powers to truly master the Power Primordial and efficiently harness it," _replied the aboleth._ "And if he obtained it once, he could do it again. We sought to find his imprisoned essence, free him, and gain an ally for our own quest to harness it ourselves. But sadly, we failed, and the Primals perished in the attempt. _

"_We couldn't find any others on Earth able to make the attempt, so while I stayed here to maintain the Nodes, in case they ever became useful again, the Psurlacs left to start their intergalactic trade consortium, where they called themselves the Psurlons and started working towards finding other ways to harness the Power Primordial."_

It glared at the Titans.

"_You four wretched mistakes ruined what was to be our greatest plan. Your planet would have given us enough energy to summon Pandorym three times over."_

"Then you did send that plague on purpose!" shouted Jetta.

"_When a planet we want to possess is inhabited by vermin," _said the aboleth,_ "we exterminate the vermin."_

Shannalla and Jetta started to cry. Trymus and Il Mathman tried to comfort them.

"That's it..." growled Gears, lifting his sword.

"Wait..." said Shichiro, holding up his hand, "we may learn more..."

"_When we learned about the plan to give all the energy to you, we tried to stop it," _continued the aboleth._ "We bribed a scientist, and gave him a program with a computer virus, telling him to sabotage the equipment. If it had worked, the experiment would have failed, and you would have perished._

"_But the weakling was struck by self-guilt. He couldn't make himself do it. But he knew that if he simply threw the program away, we would know about it, and send a saboteur with fewer morals._

"_So he deliberately sabotaged the wrong file. The experiment worked, and all the virus did was make the four of you sterile."_

Shannalla and Jetta started to sob harder.

"_Now _can I kill it?" asked Gears.

"And you framed Jetta for murder too, I suppose?" asked Ember.

"_The planet she saved had almost as much energy as her home world,"_ replied the aboleth. _"We knew that if this attempt failed as well, we'd never get away with doing it again. But she stopped the attempt. We couldn't have such meddling any longer. Fortunately, a droid ship that we owned was nearby, so it was easy to falsify documents and claim that what she did had caused several deaths. But we didn't expect public outcry, or threats of investigation, or one of those accursed Divinic being assigned to the case._

"_But while that was happening, I continued to watch over the Nodes. An opportunity came in recent years when I made a deal with the King of the Underworld. All I had to do was grant him access to the Nodes in order for his servants to craft the Dark Synchros."_

"That explains why those cards are turning up now," said Jinx.

"But what would you get out of it?" asked Jinx.

"I think it's already answered that question," replied Shichiro. "It had everything to gain if the Dark Signers' plan had succeeded. Humanity would have been wiped out, and its… kind would have been able to become the dominant species again. Free to do all it wanted with the planets resources, while the King of the Underworld collected the souls of its inhabitants."

"_Of course, I didn't expect much from the Earthbound Gods," _said the aboleth._ "They were a long shot at best. Gods of all sorts are worshipped by the same beings I despise, so I don't trust them. Still, dealing with the King of the Underworld gave me some powerful weapons."_

"Now?" asked Gears.

"Now," replied Shichiro.

Gears leapt at the fiend with his sword held high...

Then he was thrown backwards by a powerful blast of energy, and fell prone.

"Gears!" shouted Jinx.

"Ooh, my head..." groaned Gears.

"That was... That was psionic energy! I haven't taken a blow like that since DaPen zapped me!"

"_I've learned a few things in the eons in which I've lived," _said the aboleth._ I could crush you like insignificant worms if the Titans hadn't been protecting you since they first met you..._

"_But I'll find a way around that protection soon... I've tried to study you and your link to the Titans as much as possible through all these battles... It has already helped immensely. And when you get to be as old as I am, you learn to be very patient..."_

Shichiro stepped forward.

"Want to try to make it faster, pal?" he asked.

He held up his Duel Disk.

"How about a duel with a wager?"

"_I'm listening,"_ said the aboleth.

"I win, you let us out of this place," he said. "You win... I give you my life..."

The aboleth chuckled again.

"_You are either very brave or very foolhardy, Mr. Osaka..." _it said._ "Very well... I accept those terms..."_

The glowing bars it was holding changed color to red, and the whole apparatus glowed. Holographic images of five cards, the backs to Shichiro, appeared in front of it. Shichiro activated his Disk, and drew his own opening hand.

"Duel!" they both said.

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Aboleth: 8,000)**

"I've fought a lot of spineless opponents in my time…" said Shichiro. "I never thought I'd be taking that phrase literally…"

"_Again with the jokes," _said the aboleth, in an annoyed tone._ "I've been studying your species since you learned to make fire, and one thing I've never understood is your idiotic sense of humor. It gets annoying."_

"I just made a pretty heavy wager," replied Shichiro. "Please excuse me if I keep my sanity in my own way."

"_I draw..."_ said the aboleth.

A sixth card appeared next to the other five.

"_And I summon Jade Knight."_

One of its cards vanished, and a large, green-tinted fighter jet appeared inn front of it. (1,000 ATK)

"_I end my turn."_

Shichiro made a draw.

"I play the Continuous Spell, Six Samurai United," he said, as the Spell Card appeared. "Then, I summon Six Samurai – Kamon."

In an aura of flame, the Samurai armed to the teeth with explosives appeared. (1,500 ATK)

"Ground his Jade Knight!" he shouted. "Greek fire grenade!"

Kamon lit the fuse of one of his weapons, and hurled it at Jade Knight. The craft's engine exploded, and then the whole jet shattered into pixels.

"_I activate Jade Knight's effect," _said the aboleth._ When it is destroyed by battle, I get to take a Level 4 Light Machine-Type Monster from my deck._

A new card appeared with its other five.

"Then it's your move..." said Shichiro.

**(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 7,500)**

The aboleth drew a new card.

"_I summon Helping Robo for Combat,"_ it said.

In a burst of light, a new Machine appeared. It was a rickety, semi-humanoid droid with tank treads in place of legs, with a hammer in place of its right hand, and a thing that resembled a frying pan more than anything else in place of its left. (1,600 ATK)

"_Attack,"_ it said.

The Helping Robo rushed up to Kamon, and clobbered him with its hammer, blowing him to shards.

"_Now I activate my Robo's effect," _it continued._ "Because it destroyed a Monster, I draw one card..."_

It made one draw.

"_...and then place one card I don't need at the bottom of my deck."_

One of its cards vanished.

"_I set two cards..."_

Two facedown cards appeared.

"_...and it's your move..."_

**(S: 7,900) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 7,500)**

Shichiro made a draw. He quickly played it.

"I play The Warrior Returning Alive!" he exclaimed, as the Spell Card appeared.

Kamon slipped out of his discard slot. Then he played the card, and Kamon appeared again. (1,500 ATK)

"That means I can send Six Samurai United to the Graveyard to make two draws."

The Spell Card in front of him vanished, and he drew twice.

"I Special Summon Grandmaster of the Six Samurai!"

He played the card, and Grandmaster appeared, holding down his broadsword. (2,100 ATK)

"All right, Grandmaster..." continued Shichiro. "Take apart that Robo!"

Grandmaster leapt at the Helping Robo for Combat, and made a downward slice. The Machine sparked and sputtered, and then exploded.

"Kamon, attack that abomination directly!"

Kamon threw another grenade. The aboleth barely moved as an explosion burst around its craft.

"Your move, pal," said Shichiro.

**(S: 7,900) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,500)**

A new card appeared in front of the aboleth.

"_I call forth Cyber Dragon Zwei,"_ it said.

The Monster that appeared was a Light Machine, like a Cyber Dragon, but this looked more like a robotic snake than any sort of Dragon. If anything, it wasn't as bulky as a true Cyber Dragon. (1,500 ATK)

"_Now my Zwei attacks Kamon again," _said the aboleth._ "And when it attacks a Monster, it gains 300 Attack Points."_

Cyber Dragon Zwei breathed a cone of scorching flame at Kamon, its Attack Score rising to 1,800. Kamon was reduced to ashes.

"_That's all for my turn..."_

**(S: 7,600) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,500)**

Shichiro made a draw.

_So, this guy is using Machines? _he thought, looking at it._ Makes sense... It doesn't seem to have a very high opinion of any living creature that can stand upright..._

He quickly played the card, and Junk Synchron appeared next to Grandmaster. (1,300 ATK) It pulled the ripcord on its waist, and both it and Grandmaster dissolved into eight glowing stars.

"_Flesh and machinery combined, cybernetically enhanced muscles create the ultimate super soldier! Clustering stars, combine to form one who is more than a man… One who can truly be called a giant!_

"_Synchro Summon... Colossal Fighter!"_

His three supporters cheered as the huge Warrior landed with a roar. (2,800 ATK) – (3,000 ATK)

"Attack!" shouted Shichiro. "Crush his fake Cyber Dragon!"

Colossal Fighter threw a punch, hitting the Machine on the nose. It exploded into scrap.

"I'll set two cards facedown," he said, as two reversed cards appeared, "and end my turn."

"_Hmm..."_ said the aboleth.

**(S: 7,600) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 4,000)**

"To think we were afraid of this guy..." said Ember to Jinx. "It's a pushover..."

The aboleth stopped short. It turned slightly.

"_Pushover?"_ it said.

There was a long pause.

"_PUSHOVER?"_ it repeated, now clearly angry.

"Maybe you shouldn't have said that..." said Gears.

"_I'll show you just what a pushover I am..." _it said._ "My draw..."_

It drew a new card.

"_I activate Call of the Haunted to bring back Cyber Dragon Zwei,"_ it said.

One of its facedown cards lifted up, and the small version of the Cyber Dragon returned. (1,500 ATK)

"_Then," _it said, as a Spell Card appeared,_ "I play Inferno Reckless Summon to call out two more..."_

Two more Zwei appeared next to the other one. (1,500 x3)

"_Now I use Cyber Dragon Zwei's effect. By revealing a Spell Card in my hand, I can treat it as a true Cyber Dragon for the remainder of the turn."_

One of the cards in front of it flipped around.

"That's Power Bond!" shouted Shichiro.

"_Indeed it is," _said the aboleth, as the card concealed itself again._ "And I'll reveal it twice more so that I can treat all three of my Zwei as true Cyber Dragons."_

The Spell Card made two full rotations, showing its front twice.

"This isn't good..." said Gears.

"_Now that my Zwei are considered actual Cyber Dragons for all intents and purposes," _said the aboleth,_ "I'll play Power Bond to fuse the three of them together..."_

The Spell Card appeared again, and the three Machines were drawn into a vortex of light...

Shichiro stepped back in fear, as the gargantuan form of Cyber End Dragon loomed over him. (4,000 ATK)

"_And because I used Power Bond," _continued the aboleth,_ "its Attack Score is doubled."_

(8,000 ATK)

"_Attack his Colossal Fighter," _said the aboleth._ "Ultimate evolution burst."_

Shichiro was next to panic as the giant Machine prepared to fire.

_My Trap Card!_ he thought, suddenly remembering.

"I activate Draining Shield!" he screamed, as one of his facedown cards shot up.

"_Sorry," _said the aboleth,_ "Malfunction."_

Its other facedown card lifted up, which was indeed, Malfunction.

"_I pay 500 Life Points to negate your Trap, and set it back on the field."_

Shichiro watched in horror as his Draining Shield slammed back down.

Cyber End Dragon's burst tore through his side of the field, atomizing Colossal Fighter, and throwing Shichiro ten feet backwards.

**(S: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 3,500)**

"_Hmm..." _said the creature._ "You should have lost 5,000 Life Points..."_

Shichiro got up, gasping for breath and holding his chest.

"I did..." he gasped. "But I chained Emergency Provisions at the last second, sending Draining Shield to the Graveyard and gaining 1,000 points.

"I use Colossal Fighter's effect to Special Summon a Warrior from my Graveyard..."

Colossal Fighter appeared again. (3,000 ATK)

"And by the way, you lose. When your turn ends, you'll take 4,000 points of damage from Power Bond's side effect, and that's more than what you have left."

"_No I won't..." _said the aboleth._ "I haven't Normal Summoned yet."_

Another of its cards vanished, and a small, mechanical dog-like creature appeared next to Cyber End Dragon. (300 ATK)

"_By sacrificing Cyber Kirin, the damage to me is reduced to zero."_

The small Machine vanished.

"_I set one card, and end my turn," _it said, as a reversed card appeared behind its Monster._ "Cyber End Dragon will still be here next turn, still with 8,000 Attack Points."_

"Talk about a smart play..." said Gears.

"Huh?" said Jinx. "How so?"

"Well, despite what Kaiser Ryo might have suggested, summoning Cyber Twin Dragon with Power Bond is usually better than summoning Cyber End Dragon.

"I mean, do the math... What does more damage, a Monster with 8,000 Attack Points, or one with 5,600 Attack Points that can attack twice?"

"I see..." said Jinx.

"But that thing was smart enough to know that Cyber End was better in this case," continued Gears, "because if he destroyed Colossal Fighter, Shichiro could Special Summon it back to defend himself."

Shichiro held his ribs.

_Man, this guy doesn't fool around! _he thought._ I'd better get rid of that big thing before it gets off another shot..._

He drew a card.

_Then again..._

"Hey, mucous-brain!" he said, holding the Spell Card in front of him. "Looks like luck turned in my favor!

"First, I summon Six Samurai Nisashi."

In a gust of Wind, the Daisho-wielding Samurai appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"_And just how is he supposed to harm my Monster?"_ asked the aboleth.

"Not gonna harm it," said Shichiro, playing a Spell Card. "Gonna take it. I'll sacrifice Nisashi to use Enemy Controller."

Nisashi vanished, and the large video game control pad appeared.

"_Pathetic..."_ said the aboleth.

Its facedown card lifted up.

"_I activate De-Fusion. Your Spell Card is deprived of its target."_

Cyber End Dragon vanished.

"_Even better, because Cyber Dragon Zwei are considered to be true Cyber Dragons while in the Graveyard, I can now summon all three of them to the field."_

The three Cyber Dragon Zwei appeared, curled up in Defense Mode. (1,000 DEF x3)

"These things make Proto-Cyber Dragons look pathetic," said Jinx.

"Well, in that case," said Shichiro, as he played another card, "I'll match you Spell-for-Spell."

"_De-Synchro?"_ asked the aboleth, as it appeared.

Colossal Fighter turned into a glowing orb of light, and then turned into Junk Synchron (1,300 ATK) and Grandmaster of the Six Samurai. (2,100 ATK)

"But don't get too comfortable," continued Shichiro. "I'm going to Tune them again... To summon a Synchro of a different type..."

Junk Synchron yanked its ripcord again, and once again, its motor hummed. It and Grandmaster turned into eight glowing stars again. Shichiro chanted again.

"_Created from the souls of the broken, an unstoppable juggernaut strides forth from the depths of the scrap yard! Mighty avenger of all that is neglected and lost..._

"_Synchro Summon... Junk Destroyer!"_

With a roar, a Monster that was just as big as Colossal Fighter loomed over the field. Like the other Junk Synchros, it looked more like a robot than a Warrior, this time with four arms, heavy armor, bladed wing-like extensions on its back, spiked knee-guards, and iron gauntlets. (2,600 ATK)

"Now I'll use its effect," said Shichiro. "I can destroy one card for each non-Tuner Monster I used to summon it."

A series of razor-sharp blades flew at one of the Zwei, slicing it into four sections.

"And I still have its main attack! Destroy! Tidal energy!"

A blast of intense blue flame shot from Junk Destroyer, vaporizing the second Cyber Dragon Zwei. The aboleth flinched a little.

"_Very well, Mr. Osaka," _it said, in an annoyed tone._ "Seems I'll have to devote more to this duel than I planned..."_

It drew a card.

"_I summon Cyber Valley."_

A Monster that seemed like an even smaller version of Cyber Dragon appeared. (0 ATK)

Its last card spun around.

"_Then Machine Duplication, to summon two more of them."_

Two more Cyber Valleys appeared.

"_Cyber Valley has three effects," _it continued._ "I'll use the second effect of one of them. By removing it and another Monster from play, I get to draw two cards."_

Two of the Cyber Valleys vanished into nothing, and two more cards appeared in front of the aboleth.

"_With that, my turn is over for now."_

Shichiro drew one card. He looked at the two cards he had.

He set one of them in Spell Zone, and it appeared reversed.

"Junk Destroyer," he ordered, "crush the last Cyber Valley!"

Junk Destroyer blasted its fiery energy at the small robot.

"_I activate Cyber Valley's first effect!" _exclaimed the aboleth._ "Because you attacked it, I can remove it from play to halt your attack and end the Battle Phase._

"_In addition, I draw one more card..."_

It made a draw.

"Then it's your move..." said Shichiro.

The aboleth made a fourth draw. It considered for a minute.

"_I summon Proto-Cyber Dragon,"_ it said.

In another flash of light, a Monster appeared next to Cyber Dragon Zwei that looked similar to it; the older version of the same card, more or less. (1,100 ATK)

"_Now, as you remember, by revealing a Spell Card in my hand, I can treat Cyber Dragon Zwei as a true Cyber Dragon this turn."_

A card in front of it flipped around.

"Oh, this isn't good either..." said Gears, when he saw what it was.

"_Then, I play it," _continued the aboleth, as it appeared in full view._ "Photon Generator Unit._

"_I sacrifice two Cyber Dragons..."_

The two Machines vanished.

"_...to Special Summon Cyber Laser Dragon."_

A new Machine appeared, one that was the size of a real Cyber Dragon. The biggest difference was the nasty-looking laser blaster on its tail. (2,400 ATK)

"_This Monster can do just as much damage as your Destroyer," _it continued._ "Once per round, it can destroy a Monster that has more Attack Points than it has._

"_So... Wipe out Junk Destroyer! Blue lightning lash!"_

Shichiro covered his face with his arm as the Machine shot a blast of burning lightning from its tail, blowing Junk Destroyer to gibbets.

Cyber Laser Dragon looked at Shichiro. Blue flames started to ignite in its jaws. Shichiro looked at his facedown card, then at the last card in his hand.

_All right, decision time... _he thought._ Block this direct attack and go on a slim chance, or save this Trap and go on a better chance?_

He sighed.

_I wish someone could make these decisions for me... Kind like how mom did so long ago..._

The Machine let out its attack, and Shichiro screamed as the burning electric energy struck him.

**(S: 1,200) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 3,500)**

"_If you can get up, it's your move..."_ said the creature.

"Shichiro!" shouted Jinx.

"I'm fine..." said Shichiro, as he slowly got up.

He fumbled a bit as he drew the top card off his deck.

_Tuningware... _he thought. _Might be useful later..._

His facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Call of the Haunted!" he exclaimed. "Return!"

Grandmaster of the Six Samurai reappeared. (2,100 ATK)

"_And you fools think you're the dominant species on this planet?" _said the aboleth in disgust. _"You make such idiotic mistakes, I wonder why you haven't died out by now..."_

"I know," said Shichiro. "I could have sprung this Trap to Special Summon Junk Destroyer right after you used Cyber Laser Dragon's effect on it, avoided a direct attack, and then destroyed your Monster on my turn with it.

"But I thought of a better way. I summon Spirit of the Six Samurai."

He played the card, and the haunted suit of armor appeared next to Grandmaster. (500 ATK)

"Now, let's Equip the Spirit to Grandmaster!"

There was a flash of lightning, and the ghostly armor flew apart. The gauntlets, armbands, leg guards, kilt, breastplate, and finally, the helmet fitted over Grandmaster. Finally, a glowing naginata appeared in his hands. (2,600 ATK)

"With the power of this ancestral armor fueling him, Grandmaster can easily destroy your Machine..."

Grandmaster flew at Cyber Laser Dragon, and with one swipe of his blade, cut it cleanly in half.

"Why is this better than Junk Destroyer, you ask?" continued Shichiro. "Because now, I get to draw one card."

He made a draw.

"And it's your move..."

**(S: 1,200) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 3,300)**

The aboleth said nothing as it made a draw.

It played a card, and a Cyber Dragon – not a Zwei or a Prototype, this time a real Cyber Dragon – appeared in Defense Mode. (1,600 DEF)

"Heh," said Ember. "So it did have a real one..."

"_I'm allowed to have one real one, if you don't mind," replied the creature. "And I'm not done..._

"_I play Different Dimension Capsule."_

It played a Spell Card, and a glowing sarcophagus appeared in front of it.

"_With this card, I can take any card from my deck, and seal it within the capsule..."_

The capsule opened, and a card appeared over it. The card lowered into the capsule, and the capsule shut, and vanished.

"_In two short turns, I'll be able to recover that card. It is your move."_

"Oh, do you think that card is Overload Fusion?" asked Jinx, getting nervous. "How many Machines has it played so far?"

Gears did a quick count.

"Not including the three it already removed from play..." he said. "And Cyber End Dragon, which was returned to its Extra Deck... Nine, I think..."

"So if it summoned Chimeratech, its Attack Score would be..." said Jinx.

"...off the charts..." said Ember.

_So I'd better beat him before he does so,_ thought Shichiro.

He drew a card.

It was Quickdraw Synchron.

_This guy's not gonna do it..._

He put that card aside and chose another one.

"I set a Monster," he said, as a reversed card appeared.

"Then I attack with Grandmaster!"

Grandmaster made a rush at Cyber Dragon, and cut the Machine in two.

"I get to draw once due to Spirit's effect," said Shichiro, making a draw.

He looked at the card.

"...and it's your move."

The aboleth made a draw.

"_I summon Cyber Larva."_ it said.

The Monster that appeared next was one that Shichiro didn't recognize. It looked more or less like a grub or worm made of metal, with a stinger on its end. (400 ATK)

"What is that?" asked Jinx.

"Uh..." said Gears. "I think it's supposed to be an immature Cyber Dragon... But... uh... Cyber Dragons can't have young... Cause they're Machines..."

_I'll figure it out later,_ thought Shichiro, as he made a draw.

He almost fell over from excitement when he saw what it was, but he managed to keep a poker face.

_Dark Bribe! _he thought._ I drew Dark Bribe!_

_All I have to do is set this, and when it tries to play Overload Fusion... It will blow up in its face..._

He threw it in his Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"Grandmaster, destroy Cyber Larva!"

Grandmaster made a slash with his weapon, and the small robot was smashed to bits.

"_Not bad," said the aboleth, "but when Cyber Larva is attacked, all battle damage I take for the turn is reduced to zero._

"_And when it's destroyed by battle, I get a bonus... Another Cyber Larva."_

A second of the robotic grubs appeared. (400 ATK)

"Yeah, well..." said Shichiro. "I still get to draw a card."

He made a draw.

"It's your move..."

"_I'm getting tired of your Grandmaster," _said the aboleth, as it made a draw,_ "and while by nature I have patience, I must admit, it is running very thin at the moment._

"_I recover the card I put in the Different Dimension Capsule."_

The glowing sarcophagus appeared again, and opened. The card flew out, and appeared beside the creature's two others.

"_Then I'll summon another Proto-Cyber Dragon,"_ it said.

A second of the Cyber Dragon prototypes appeared. (1,100 ATK)

"_Judging by the expression on your face when you set that facedown card," _it said,_ "I'm guessing it's a Counter Trap that will negate a Spell Card."_

Shichiro was shocked. He thought he had kept a poker face...

"_Well, it won't work..." _continued the aboleth._ "The card I put in that capsule wasn't a Spell that I intended to use to summon a Monster..._

"_It was the Monster itself. No Spell is needed to summon it. _

"_But what is needed is for me to remove from play every last Light-Attribute Machine-Type Monster on my field and Graveyard..."_

The two Monsters on the field vanished.

"Uh, aren't you going to say this isn't good, Gears?" asked Jinx.

"I dunno..." said Gears. "I have no idea what it's summoning..."

Then a _huge_ Monster appeared on the field. It was just as big as Cyber End Dragon, with eight ferocious-looking Cyber Dragon heads placed around a large, bulky, metal torso. The torso was a ninth head, far bigger than the others, with a demon's face and glowing red eyes.

"Okay, YES this isn't good!" shouted Gears.

"_Behold, Cyber Eltanin..." _said the aboleth._ The epitome of Cyber technology... It has a powerful effect... When summoned, all face-up Monsters except itself are sent to the Graveyard. Your Spirit can't protect your Grandmaster from this, Mr. Osaka!"_

Shichiro gasped, as Grandmaster dissolved into pixels, taking the Spirit with him.

"_And as for its scores... It has 500 points for each Monster I removed from play to summon it."_

(6,000 ATK)

"_Do you see who the superior being is now, humans?"_

"Well, it sure isn't you," said Shichiro.

The aboleth just looked at him.

"I have a reversed Monster, genius," continued Shichiro. "It avoided your Monster's effect because it wasn't face-up, and it's defending me.

"Ironically, if Grandmaster hadn't been sent to the Graveyard just now, you would have won. But I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that Cyber Eltanin's effect isn't optional."

The four Shadowchasers sensed incredible rage building in the room.

"_Cyber Eltanin," _ordered the aboleth,_ "obliterate his Monster! Descent of Draconis!"_

Nine beams of pure energy coalesced into one powerful beam, eradicating Shichiro's facedown Monster. He was knocked off his feet.

"I activate the effect of Shien's Footsoldier!" he shouted. "I get to Special Summon a Six Samurai Monster that's Level 3 or less...

"I summon Hand of the Six Samurai!"

In an aura of flames, the woman dressed in a robe and shawl, holding a dagger, appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Guess what, slime face?" asked Shichiro. "The Hand has the ability to destroy a Monster, if I sacrifice a Samurai."

"_But only if another Samurai is present," _added the creature._ "Do you have one?"_

Shichiro sighed, and looked at his hand, which consisted of Tuningware, Quickdraw Synchron, Double Summon, and Level Eater. Clearly, he didn't.

"_I'll end with this,"_ said the aboleth.

It played its last card, and a reversed card appeared in its Spell Zone.

_Okay... _thought Shichiro._ If I draw a Samurai, I can blow that thing to scrap..._

He drew a card. It was Turbo Synchron.

_Not what I need... _he thought._ I'll have to make due..._

"I discard one card..." he said.

He discarded Level Eater.

"...to Special Summon Quickdraw Synchron."

In a flash of light, the cute robotic cowboy appeared. (700 ATK)

The lights on Quickdraw Synchron's chest flashed, and the shooting gallery appeared. It drew its gun, and fired, putting a bullet through Drill Synchron's card.

"Nice shooting," said Shichiro. "Next, I summon Tuningware."

The small robot with the scarf and frying pan for a hat appeared. (100 ATK)

Then the two Monsters faded into six glowing stars, and they flew upwards. Shichiro chanted again.

"_Searcher of treasures hidden by the Earth, excavator of jewels forgotten in hidden vaults! Rise to the surface and show your power! _

"_Break it apart... Synchro Summon, Drill Warrior!"_

The floor shook, and then literally split open, as a drill bored from below. The creature it was attached to rose upwards – a robotic Warrior in iron armor with the drill serving as its right hand.

It made a stance, and turned to face the aboleth. (2,400 ATK)

"I get to draw a card due to Tuningware..." said Shichiro.

He made a draw.

It was Cunning of the Six Samurai.

_Damn! _he thought.

"_That thing doesn't come close to being able to defeat my Eltanin,"_ said the aboleth.

"It isn't the target," said Shichiro. "By cutting its Attack Score in half, I can use it to attack you directly."

(1,200 ATK)

Drill Warrior flew at the creature, its drill spinning.

"_And you'll pay the price for having such nerve, Mr. Osaka!" _cursed the aboleth, as its facedown card shot up. _"I activate Magic Cylinder!"_

"NO!" screamed Jinx.

"Shichiro!" screamed Ember.

"I'll be fine!" replied Shichiro. "I still have _this_!"

His Dark Bribe card shot up.

"Now you draw a card, but your Magic Cylinder is destroyed!"

The aboleth was truly shocked. A new card appeared in front of it, right before Drill Warrior's weapon rammed into it. For the first time, it made a sound that might have been interpreted as pain.

"I'm far from done," said Shichiro. "First, I reduce Drill Warrior's Level from 6 to 5 to Special Summon Level Eater to defend me."

Level Eater hopped onto the field. (0 DEF)

"Then, I discard one card in my hand to activate another of Drill Warrior's effects, and remove it from play until my next turn."

He discarded Turbo Synchron, and Drill Warrior vanished.

"Then I move The Hand to Defense Mode..."

The Hand knelt, and crossed her arms over her chest. (1,000 DEF)

"...and I end my turn..."

**(S: 1,200) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 2,100)**

The creature drew its next card and looked at it.

"_Bah," _it said.

"_Cyber Eltanin, wipe out Hand of the Six Samurai!"_

Once again, Cyber Eltanin let loose Descent of Draconis, and the Hand was vaporized.

The aboleth set a card on its Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

"_It's your move..."_ it said.

"I draw," said Shichiro, making a draw.

He looked at the card.

"Due to its effect, Drill Warrior returns."

The Warrior Synchro reappeared. (2,400 ATK)

"And due to its final effect, when it does, I get a Monster back from my Graveyard."

Hand of the Six Samurai slipped out of his discard slot, and he took it.

"_But it won't be attacking me directly again,"_ said the aboleth.

Its Trap Card shot up.

"_I use Fiendish Chain!"_

A mass of iron chains shot out of the ground, grabbing hold of Drill Warrior and tying it up.

"_Fiendish Chain prevents your Monster from attacking or using its effect,"_ said the aboleth.

Shichiro looked at the card he had drawn this turn.

_Then it all comes down to this,_ he thought.

"I play..." he started.

Then he was startled by a loud beeping noise.

He looked up, and saw that the aboleth was looking at a flashing light on its hovercraft.

"_What?" _it said, as if in panic._ "Five percent power remaining? But how... It shouldn't have..._

"_The duel! Curses, I didn't allot a separate power source for the duel system! It drained too much power!"_

The rods it was clutching turned blue again, and the holograms vanished.

"_Sorry, Shadowchasers," _it said,_ "we'll have to settle this at another time..."_

"Say what?" said Shichiro in disbelief.

The aboleth turned its craft, and headed towards the pool.

"Come back here!" shouted Shichiro. "If you think you can walk away from this..."

Shichiro leapt at the creature with his sword drawn. However, when he tried to swing at it, he hit part of the hovercraft. The device broke, and half of it fell to the ground with a loud thud.

"_Curse, you, Osaka..."_ it said.

Then it made a swing with its tentacle, hitting Shichiro and knocking him down. Then it decided to abandon the craft, and slithered for the pool.

"I think we'd better let it go..." said Gears. "Something's not right here..."

"_You want a conclusive duel?"_ shouted the aboleth.

It leapt into the pool.

"_Go to where Yusei Fudo defeated Ccapac Apu at midnight tonight!"_

Then it sank under the surface.

"Perfect..." said Shichiro. "We'll never catch it now..."

"What would you have done if you had caught it?" asked Jinx. "We'd better find our way out of this cave... Maybe we'll be able to leave now that it's gone..."

Then they turned around to see a surprise. Their four D-Wheels were parked in front of them. All four had been repaired, even Gears's.

"How..." said Gears, running up to his.

Then he saw that there was a note on his dashboard.

He unfolded it and read.

_Dear Shadowchasers,_

_I'm afraid this is the last time we can help you beyond the terms in the agreement we made with your employer so long ago. Should we do any more, we risk breaking our code of conduct._

_As for who we are and what our motivations are, suffice to say this: There are many groups in this world and others who seek justice and order in one way or another... Our methods are different than yours, but we are similar in many ways. _

_Good luck, and know from this point that you are not alone in your quest for a peaceful world._

_- A friend_

There was a long pause.

"A friend..." said Ember.

Jinx mounted her bike, and turned on the pan-dimensional system.

"We'll figure it out later," she said. "I need a shower before I do anything else."

Shichiro looked at the pool before he mounted his bike.

They had learned much... But it hadn't been good news. He didn't know how they were going to stop this new threat...

At least they had survived this whole mess. But he was sure that a new mess would come... Starting at midnight.

**Next:**

**[color=brown]Jinx: Jalal has a plan to make a final assault against our enemy, but before we do so, I decide to take it up on its invitation. At the B.A.D. Area where Yusei's battle with Kiryu met its fateful end, I face a Shadow Turbo Duel with a demonic creature, using cards I've never seen before. Can my X-Sabers overcome this terrible darkness?**

"**Chthonian Alliance" is coming soon.**

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Champion of Equality, the Wrath of Terra Ironhoof**

Sometimes the second half of the Shadowchaser creed "Knowledge is not power" seems like a bad joke. It's supposed to mean that having knowledge, especially being Aware, does not make you better than others who don't have it. But ask any scholar, mage, or any being whose dedicated to the pursuit of information in all its forms, and he will tell you that there is indeed _tremendous_ power born from knowledge. To understand is to influence, to control and to manipulate, and for Shadowchasers there are rarely ever situations where it does not pay to be forewarned of the threats they may face on the job. But never has the folly of Jalal's creed blown up in his face so spectacularly as it did during what is now infamously referred to as 'The Ironhoof Incident.'

The incident took place a few months after the resolving of the Great Deluge. Jalal had been in one of the rare cases where he took to the field personally, leading a vanguard of reinforced stone golems they commenced a raid on a bar in Chicago that was rumored to be a front for a massive smuggling operation for pleasure crystals. Unfortunately the tip-off had proven to be false, and as the golems single mindedly tore the bar apart in search of a nonexistent hidden door, a recently graduated college girl who had been celebrating with her friends was nearly trampled to death.

Before Jalal could give the order for the golems to cease, a previously unnoticed patron responded by tearing a bar stool from its moorings and, to everyone's disbelief caved the golem's head in. As the girls helped their injured friend to safety, the patron, who turned out to be a minotaur dressed in a long cloak, stormed up to Jalal in a drunken rage and chewed him out for, as the patron called it 'Disgracing his father's honor by using the power he had given Jalal in such a reckless manner.'

What lead up to the following melee is not clear, but patrons familiar with the minotaur had abruptly fled as if for their very lives after an irritated Jalal had addressed the minotaur as 'sir' and threatened to arrest him for obstruction of justice. The patron minotaur had calmly finished its beer, before pulling out a pair of custom brass knuckles.

The following morning Jalal awoke to find himself stuffed into a trash can in an alleyway surrounded by the broken remains of his entire team of golems and, to his embarrassment, had the word 'SEXIST' seemingly pounded into his forehead. Quickly located by native Shadowchasers, Jalal remained oddly close mouthed as to the nature of what had happened the night before. The only clue for a while was that, upon returning to base he immediately requested that all known information on minotaurs be revised to acknowledge the existence of females of the species, something that pretty much everyone had believed, up to now, did not exist. Such was the legend of Terra Ironhoof, the first she-minotaur to be encountered in the organization's history.

Later information leaked in amidst a jumble of second hand accounts and (hopefully) overly exaggerated stories. Sketches, witness accounts and the occasional photographs suggest Terra to be a giant of a woman, over six feet tall and covered in dark brown fur with a figure that some say would put an Amazoness to shame, boasting muscles equaled only in size by her formidably large bust (the latter of which lead to the brief circulation of jokes directed at Jalal referring to him as "Jalal the DragonBlind"). Her horns are not as large as males of her species but her appearance is made no less fearsome for it thanks to her numerous piercings.

A ferocious defender of women's rights Terra claims that her rampages are done in order to bring justice to a world where her 'sisters' are still left to the discretion of males who would bring them harm. Her weapons of choice seems to be custom built knuckle dusters upon which she bears the legend "SEXIST" on each one, seeming to serve as her trademark by pounding the word into the faces of those who are unfortunate enough to earn her wrath.

Of course, several Incantifers are researching just how female minotaurs can exist at all. As far as anyone knows, minotaurs are created via the will of Baphomet, a demon lord who's reputation as a chauvinist is legendary. Is someone with a dislike for him moving in on his turf? Some Incantifers point to Gwynharwyf as the most likely suspect. A member of the Court of Stars, Gwynharwyf is known as the Whirling Fury, and has been revered not only by fey, but by virtuous barbarian tribes over the centuries. Her battles against demons have been the stuff of legend. Although no specific story exists of her opposing Baphomet, the idea of her interfering with his "work" is not much of a stretch.

**Story Ideas:** Jalal has yet to actively press charges against Terra despite the money and resources lost in the destruction of his golems and his own personal humiliation. Seeing as he is immortal he has stated that since he was never in any true danger, Terra's rampage was mainly out of the need to prevent the accidental deaths of civilians in the area, something he had admitted to be entirely his error for having nearly caused in the first place. Nonetheless if Terra does come to town, Shadowchasers may be inclined to do their best to either stay out of her way or see that she doesn't cause another ruckus. (Terra is more benign than most minotaurs, but she is still a minotaur.)

Save her assault on Jalal, Terra has yet to pick any more fights with the Shadowchasers, and on occasion has actually been found in direct confrontation with several powerful criminals. Stories persist of her battling it out with incubuses, vampyres, and other Shadowkind who prey upon women. One of the most fantastic rumors is that she dared to attack the Dread Emperor to free the children bound to him, and fought the fiend to a standstill before the arrival of Shadowchaser reinforcements forced him to flee. Terra might not seem like the first person you want to see taking to the streets when she feels the need to heed the call of her "sisters in need". But when their interests coincide few can think of a more intimidating presence on the battlefield.

**Deck Suggestions:** Despite her nature Terra uses neither Beasts nor, as some might speculate, Amazons. Instead when Terra feels the need to hold her own in Duel Monsters (which is something she is always eager to engage in seeing it as a male dominated game to begin with) she uses X-Sabers. The most widely believed reason for this is said to be that Terra has developed an admiration of Jinx of the Neo Domino branch, attracted by her strong will and no-nonsense attitude. In fact Terra's feelings may stem deeper then simple admiration, as she is reportedly a lesbian, but for now has made no effort to contact Jinx.

Her feelings notwithstanding, it is interesting to note that Terra's variant of the X-Sabers is considered far and wide to be more efficient then Jinx's version. Avoiding more generic X-Sabers like Galahad, Wayne, and Anabelera Terra favors multiple copies of recent additions to the archetype such as Boggart Knight, Reijigra, and Emmersblade in order to produce a steady stream of Synchros to dominate the field. Terra also uses three copies of the field spell Saber Vault, giving her monsters an incredible boost in the right circumstances, particularly when she manages to get out Gatmuz.

_Terra was a creation of fanfic author Metal Overlord 2.0._


	58. Chthonian Alliance

_I'd like to make a request: Do not send any more Shadowchaser Files. The next two will be the last for now._

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**DUEL FIFTY-EIGHT**

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**Chthonian Alliance**

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Jinx walked into the lounge, wearing a bathrobe and drying her hair with a towel.

"I've taken four showers and I still smell like fish," she said. "I hope Boris isn't making seafood in there."

"I think he's making his special two-triple lasagna," replied Shichiro. "He said we needed something good after all that happened."

The lounge was rather crowded now. Gears was at the computer. Ember was sitting, stroking Gabriel. The four Titans were standing nearby, quite over their grief by now, and pining for revenge. And Mal Ambrose, whom they had almost forgotten about, was sitting on an easy chair, nervously smoking a pipe.

"You shouldn't smoke, Mal," said Shichiro.

"Please, Mr. Osaka..." said the attorney. "The dangers of smoking are the least of my worries at this point."

"Well, apparently, Cyber Eltanin is a legit card," said Gears. "And according to Google, 'Eltanin' is the name of a star, a star in the constellation Draco."

"So then…" said Jinx. "Would a 'Cyber Eltanin' be an… artificial star?"

"It doesn't matter," replied Trymus. "This fiend must be stopped. Under no condition must Pandorym be freed. He was just so…"

"…evil…" added Shannalla.

"He was more evil than that thing?" asked Ember.

"Wait a second…" said Shichiro. "Jalal mentioned a doomsday scenario he had heard about called The Calamity of Pandorym… He claimed it was a false alarm, like the Y2K Bug…"

"Trust me, this was no false alarm," said Jetta. "At least not when it actually happened, several millennia before your founder's time. Pandorym was the only mortal being who ever truly managed to harness the Power Primordial and understand its powers. It made him think he had the power of a god…"

"Well, technically, he did…" replied Il Mathman.

"Maybe I can explain it," sighed Mal. "I wrote my thesis on it, after all..."

Everyone listened as he put down the pipe, and started to talk.

"Okay... I'll start at the beginning... When the Big Bang created the universe, several powerful godlike entities were born. Most of these entities represented the destructive side of the elemental forces.

"They weren't gods. Gods gain power from mortal worshippers. Beings like this are opposed to living things by their nature. Where a benign god of fire like Hephaestus represents fire in its ability to shape metal and aid crafts, one of these entities that represented fire would only be able to create wildfires that raged out of control, destroying everything in their paths.

"These entities ranged in size and power from the size of a man to those that were worlds onto themselves. They were too chaotic to ever name themselves, so they're called the Old Ones.

"Despite being the antithesis of life, they created many servitor races, some of which are still known today. The giants are a good example."

"Like the Jotuns, the enemies of the Norse Gods?" said Gears.

"Now you're getting the picture," replied Mal. "Other destructive and primitive humanoids like bullywugs and trolls were also originally created by the Old Ones, but such races have likely been forgotten by their creators by now. The creations of the Old Ones were just as destructive as they were. If left unchecked, the Old Ones and their servants would likely have destroyed everything that the later gods created... But they were opposed by their opposites, the Hebdomad.

"Some people say that the Hebdomad are the generals of the armies of Heaven and leave it at that, but they're much more. There are only seven Hebdomad, far less than the Old Ones, but these beings, which were also born in the moment of creation, have power stemming from celestial sources. While the Old Ones represent destruction, the Hebdomad represent creation. They supposedly serve the Demiurge..."

"Demiurge?" asked Jinx. "Isn't that supposed to be some sort of Creator?"

"It's an intermediary between other beings and the Ruler of Heaven," replied Mal. "The mere names of the Hebdomad strike fear into the hearts of evil beings... Barachiel, Domiel, Erathaol, Pistis Sophia, Raziel, Sealtiel, and the mysterious Zaphkiel. All of them except probably Zaphkiel, who is never seen by mortals, sponsor groups of mortal followers. Some, like Raziel, sponsor militant groups of crusaders, while others, like Pistis Sophia, sponsor pacifistic monastic orders. They all have their own ways of striving towards peace and justice.

"Anyway, there was a big conflict, and the Hebdomad defeated the Old Ones. But they couldn't kill them. It may not have even been possible for the Old Ones to die.

"So they were imprisoned in various ways that nullified their powers. If they represented Wind, they were chained on remote, airless worlds. Those that represented Fire were submerged in the seas of watery planets that orbited cold stars. Some of the strongest ones were sealed in pocket dimensions. The Hebdomad took no chances.

"But the Old Ones' servants and servitor races remained. One that was more ambitious than any others was the sorcerer Pandorym.

"He laid low in secret for millennia, searching for a weapon to gain his revenge... And he found one. He mastered the deadliest form of elementalist magic... Void Magic."

"Wait..." said Gears. "I heard an Incantifer mention that once... Some theoretical form of magic about using the 'space between the spaces'?"

"Void Magic is a rare school of wizardry that draws power from the four elements, turning the user into a parasite," said Trymus.

"Like the Paragons," said Jinx.

"Like the Dark Synchros…" said Ember.

"Exactly," said Mal. "Void disciples are very rare, thankfully. But once Pandorym mastered the Power Primordial, he evolved himself into a being called the Heart of the Void.

"Only one Heart of the Void can exist at one time, and there have been spans of centuries where there has been none. A void disciple who achieves this would be able to use his personal power to absorb the elemental energy of whole planets, maybe even stars, converting it into energy for Heavens knows what…

"He was thus able to harness the Power Primordial better than any other non-divine being had ever or would ever be able to. And then he challenged the Hebdomad for their power. Had he succeeded, what he would have done next is anyone's guess... He might have freed his former masters, or he might have challenged the Demiurge itself."

"I don't like where this is going," said Jinx.

"Don't worry, he failed," said Mal. "The Hebdomad destroyed his physical body, and imprisoned his essence somewhere. Just where is a big secret."

"I'm assuming the Hebdomad didn't truly kill him because they didn't want another void disciple to obtain such power?" asked Jinx.

Mal nodded.

"Yes," he said. "Pandorym is powerless, wherever his essence is, but he is still the Heart of the Void. Until he truly dies, no-other void disciple can gain the position and the power that would come with it."

At that moment, the flames in the fireplace leapt up, and Jalal's holographic image appeared.

"I got here as soon as I heard," he said. "Are you folks all right?"

"We'll live," said Ember.

"You dueled it?" he asked.

"Yeah, but it ditched us at the last moment," replied Shichiro. "Its hovercraft was beeping, and it was babbling something about 'five percent remaining'."

Jalal rubbed his chin.

"I think I know why it retreated," he said.

"Aboleth are aquatic beings. But they don't truly have gills. They breathe by absorbing oxygen through their skin, and to do that, they secrete a type of mucous. But this mucous loses its potency when exposed to air, and it dries out quickly while out of water.

"A aboleth who can't breathe won't die, but it enters a state of suspended animation called _long dreaming _which they consider far worse than death. It is said that an aboleth in long dreaming experiences nightmares about the ancient fiends who ruled Hell before the fall of Lucifer. And the only way an aboleth can recover from long dreaming is with the help of another aboleth.

"If another aboleth gets to it in time, that is. An aboleth in long dreaming is a sitting duck, completely helpless to defend itself."

"Its hovercraft must have contained a sort of artificial breathing device…" said Gears. "And clearly, its battery was almost drained."

"No wonder it was in such a hurry to leave," said Jinx. "But Shichiro... you could have won, right?"

Shichiro sighed.

"I'm not going to lie to you people..." he said. "I recovered Hand of the Six Samurai with Drill Warrior's effect... I had Double Summon... And the card I was about to play was Pot of Avarice.

"If I had used it and had drawn another Samurai, I could have destroyed Cyber Eltanin... Otherwise... With my Drill Warrior tied down and in Attack Mode..."

He shivered.

"That thing is no pushover," said Ember. "We need a plan…"

"First thing's first," said Jalal. "The Paragons are vashar?"

"That's what they told Ember, yes," said Jinx.

Jalal paused. He looked indifferent.

"Should we be concerned?" asked Gears.

"Actually, I'm relieved," replied Jalal. "That story always worried me… I worried that vashar might have been on Earth, posing as humans, and that there might have been hundreds, plotting diabolical schemes.

"Those four are pretty bad, but now that we've learned that they're the only four left… It's rather a relief."

"Jalal..." said Ember. "I know this sounds crazy… I know that the vashar did some pretty terrible things… But if the gods really cast the forerunner of their race aside like he was garbage…"

"Stop right there," said Jalal. "Michiko, did Iggwilv tell you who wrote that story?"

Ember stopped short.

"Uh..." she said.

"She said that_ The Book of Vile Darkness _was written by…"

It slowly sunk in.

"Because the legend was written by them, Michiko, it was interpreted by them," said Jalal. "And if an evil race blames someone for a sorrowful past, the interpretation is subject to their biased view of the facts. There might have been far more that the story didn't tell. And I trust I need not say more."

"So what are we going to do about the aboleth?" asked Shichiro.

"Well, that's a sticky wicket, as we Brits are fond of saying," replied Jalal, rubbing his chin again. "But I have a plan that I think can weaken its influence on this world.

"Its power on Earth is tied to the four Elemental Nodes that the Primals built so long ago. If we were to locate those Nodes and destroy their power sources, the aboleth might be rendered helpless.

"Of course, that's likely easier said than done, and I expect fierce resistance when you make the attempt. I contacted a specialist who agreed to act as a guide. He will be here in the morning."

"It's expecting one of us to meet with it at midnight…" said Jinx. "Tell you what, I'll go this time."

"Dinner is served!" shouted Boris from the kitchen. "Lasagna up! And wait until you see this garlic bread... I used twice the normal garlic!"

"You guys do have enough toothpaste in this place, right?" asked Gabriel.

"Let's eat for now..." said Jinx. "Midnight will come when it comes..."

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But come it did...

Dinner went by without incident, and they all took a nap afterwards. They all wished Jinx good luck. Gabriel offered to come, but Shichiro would not hear of it.

It was now ten minutes to midnight.

Jinx drove her D-Wheel across the ash-strewn wasteland that surrounded the center of the B.A.D. She was closing in on the place... The place where Yusei Fudo's Savior Star Dragon had struck down Earthbound God Ccapac Apu in one mighty blow.

"I'm almost at the spot, people," she said into her radio. "The control tower was somewhere around here."

"Just be careful, Jinx," said Shichiro. "You've got no idea what that thing is planning this time."

Then Jinx heard a sound like an incredibly noisy motorcycle. She swerved to avoid a rider trying to sideswipe her from behind.

Then she saw that the rider was driving a D-Wheel that seemed to be made of fire, and that he wore leather pants and no shirt on his hulking, muscular body, and an iron mask instead of a helmet. It was the drekavac demon who had murdered Taramanda.

The creature pulled to a stop.

"You!" said Jinx.

"Why yes, it is me," said the demon. "Uh, who am I?"

"Don't get smart..." said Jinx. "Taramanda was hardly an innocent, but she didn't deserve what you did to her."

"Ah, yes... Taramanda..." said the demon, with a chuckle. "I wonder what her fate will be now...

"She didn't live up to her end of the bargain she made when Seghulerak turned her into an anathema... So now she has to be Seghulerak's slave forever...

"Ironic... She was an empress in life, but now..."

"You know, pal," said Jinx, "I don't find you the least bit funny..."

"You'll find this even less funny," said the demon.

He waved his hand, and a dark mist covered the field.

"What's this?" asked Jinx.

"We're going to Turbo Duel," said the demon, "and it's going to be a ride that you'll never forget. Lose, and find out firsthand what Taramanda is experiencing."

_A Turbo Shadow Duel..._ thought Jinx.

"Any time you're ready," said the demon.

Jinx hit a command on her console, and the Speed World card flashed onto her screen.

"_Duel Mode engaged,"_ said the computer.

The silvery void of Speed World covered the dark wasteland.

**(Jinx: 8,000, SPC: 0) - - - - - - - - - (Demon Guardian: 8,000, SPC: 0)**

"Hang on," said the demon. "Things are gonna get kinda bumpy!"

The two D-Wheels sped off from the starting point, the fiend's demonic bike leaving a trail of flames in its wake.

Jinx made her opening draw, and looked at the six cards on her gauntlet.

She chose two of them, and threw them on her console. Two reversed cards appeared, one in her Monster Zone, and one in her Spell Zone.

"That will be all for now," she said, as they faded from view.

"You think you're safe defending?" said the demon, as he made a draw.

Both Speed Counters clicked up to 1.

"Well, think again. Since you control a Monster and I don't, I can Normal Summon this creature with no sacrifice."

_He said Normal Summon... _thought Jinx._ It isn't Cyber Dragon or Vice Dragon..._

"I summon Hellfire Spearman – Ghost Lancer!" exclaimed the demon.

In an aura of black flames, a phantom Monster appeared. It looked like an aborigine tribesman wearing skins and war paint, holding a long spear. (2,000 ATK)

"And this guy doesn't really care what Mode your Monster is in," continued the demon, "because he inflicts damage either way.

"Attack her Monster!"

The Ghost Lancer did a 180 and lunged at Jinx's hidden Monster. XX-Saber Emmersblade appeared, and pain ripped through Jinx's chest as he was skewered.

"I use Emmersblade's effect," said Jinx, "to Special Summon X-Saber Palomlo!"

In a flash of light, the small lizard-man holding a spear appeared. (200 ATK)

"I'll set this, and end my turn," said the demon, as a facedown card appeared behind the Zombie.

Jinx caught her breath, and made a draw.

**(J: 6,800, SPC: 1) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 8,000, SPC: 2)**

"I summon X-Saber Anabelera!" she shouted.

In a flash of light, the female, armored X-Saber appeared, holding her whip aloft. (1,800 ATK)

"Then, I Tune them both together..."

The two X-Sabers leapt into the air, and turned into five glowing stars...

"_Legend of the Old West, he rides from out of the wildness with determination on his face, courage and fortitude riding alongside him! Clustering stars form a path to victory in this wild land..._

"_Synchro Summon... X-Saber Wayne!"_

As she spoke these words, there was a galloping of hooves, and a rider on a horse appeared next to Jinx's bike...

The horse vanished, and X-Saber Wayne appeared flying in front of her D-Wheel. He drew his weapon, and gave it a twirl. (2,100 ATK)

"Now, I use his effect," continued Jinx. "I can Special Summon a Warrior-Type Monster from my hand. Like X-Saber Galahad."

The portal opened again, and the toad-like Warrior in armor holding his lance flew out next to Wayne. (1,800 ATK)

"And they call my kind ugly," grumbled the demon.

"Beauty is only skin-deep," said Jinx, "and so is ugliness. Galahad, crush that Zombie! Chivalrous blade!"

Galahad made a rush at the phantom, and his Attack Score went up to 2,100. He stabbed at the Ghost Lancer with his own lance, and it burst with a chilling moan.

Wayne flew out far in front of both bikes.

"Wayne, attack that demon directly!" shouted Jinx. "Saber six-shooter!"

Wayne aimed at the front of the demonic motorcycle, and fired six rounds. The demon barely flinched as the bullets riddled his bare skin.

"Uh... doesn't that hurt?" asked Jinx.

"Fool..." chuckled the demon. "The pain of a Shadow Duel means nothing to my kind. In the depths of the Abyss, pain is a part of life. Folks like me have to adapt to it, or we don't survive.

"Pain only makes us stronger... And this duel, it only helps me!"

His facedown card spun around.

"I activate Damage Condenser! I toss one card..."

He threw a card into his discard slot.

"...and in return, I can Special Summon a Monster from my deck, so long as its Attack Score isn't greater than the amount of damage I just took.

"I choose to summon Hellfire Sleeping Princess – Ghost Sleeper."

In another aura of dark flames, a new Zombie appeared. It looked like a skeleton dressed in a rotting, torn, bridal dress. (1,300 ATK)

"If you think for a minute I'm scared of Miss Havisham there…" said Jinx.

"Eh?" said the demon. "I don't get the reference..."

"Figures..." said Jinx. "I didn't think you were much of a 'reader'. I end my turn."

The demon made a draw.

**(J: 6,800, SPC: 2) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 5,800, SPC: 1)**

"You may not be afraid of Sleeping Princess," he said, "but I assure you, what I can summon using it may be a different story.

"I play Speed Spell – Overboost, which increases my Speed Counters by 4."

The Spell Card appeared, and his D-Wheel suddenly shifted in speed, pulling ahead of Jinx.

"They'll fall to 1 at the end of the turn, but since that's the amount I had before I played the Spell, it doesn't matter.

"And now that I have 5 Speed Counters, I have enough to play this..."

He played another Speed Spell.

"Speed Spell – Speed Fusion! I'll use it to fuse together my Ghost Sleeper with Hellfire Winged Lizard – Ghost Wyvern."

A decayed, winged dragon-man appeared next to the other Zombie. Then, a dark portal appeared, and swallowed both of them up.

Lightning flashed in the sky, and thunder rolled. A large portal started to form.

_What is he summoning?_ thought Jinx.

There was a terrible roar, and a huge creature emerged from the portal in front of Jinx. It looked a huge, rotting, undead dragon, with flaming, glowing eyes. It reeked of death. (3,000 ATK)

"I give you Underworld Dragon Draconecro!" exclaimed the demon. "Don't let its good looks fool you..."

The huge Zombie roared at Jinx.

"Attack X-Saber Wayne!" shouted the demon.

Jinx braced herself as a mighty wave of negative energy blasted from Draconecro's jowls, seemingly consuming Wayne...

**(J: 5,900, SPC: 2) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 5,800, SPC: 5)**

But when she looked, she saw that Wayne was still there. He seemed to be in incredible pain, but he had somehow survived the attack.

"How?" she asked.

She looked at her foe, and saw that a blob of darkness was starting to form next to his bike.

"Confused?" asked the demon. "Draconecro doesn't kill Monsters that it attacks. What is does do is steal their souls. And as you can see from looking at Wayne, it has a debilitating effect."

Jinx looked at Wayne. It was true. His Attack Score had been reduced to zero.

"As for what Draconecro does with the souls it steals," continued the demon, "it makes good use of them..."

The blob of darkness then formed into a shadowy copy of Wayne, a duplicate all in black. (2,100 ATK)

"Meet Wayne Dark Soul," laughed the demon. "And my Battle Phase continues...

"Wayne Dark Soul, attack your better half!"

The dark version of Wayne aimed a duplicate of Wayne's gun, and pulled the trigger. With a ghostly howl, a blast of screaming phantoms shot from it, hitting Wayne. He didn't shatter, but groaned even more. Jinx felt the pain in her chest again.

"Now that you've sampled Draconecro's power, Miss Noriko," said the demon, "I'll end my turn and turn it over to you."

His Speed Counters fell down to 1, and his D-Wheel slowed down considerably.

Jinx couldn't help but shiver as she made a draw.

**(J: 3,800, SPC: 1) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 5,800, SPC: 2)**

Her other facedown card spun around.

"I activate Altar for Tribute," she said. "This lets me sacrifice a Monster, and gain Life Points equal to that Monster's base Attack Points."

Galahad vanished, and both Jinx and her bike glowed with golden light.

"Why did you do that?" asked the demon. "If you had any sense you would have gotten rid of that soulless shell in front of you. He's useless right now."

"Not exactly," said Jinx. "I summon X-Saber Passiul."

The portal opened again, and the X-Saber in blue with the large sword appeared next to Wayne. (100 ATK)

"Another Tuner?" asked the demon.

"You got it!" said Jinx. "I Tune Wayne and Passiul together..."

The two X-Sabers flew into the sky, and turned into seven glowing stars.

"_Power gained from primal rage, nature spirits bestow your gifts on your chosen ones! Clustering stars light the way to victory on the battlefield! _

"_Fight on… X-Saber Urbellum!"_

With a flash of light, Urbellum landed, and drew his twin swords. (2,200 ATK)

"Urbellum, destroy that imposter!" shouted Jinx. "Take down Wayne Dark Soul!"

Urbellum flew at Wayne's shadow-self, and with one slash of his blade, ripped it to shreds.

"Not bad," said the demon. "but you'll find Draconecro much harder to defeat."

Jinx took her last card and set it on her Disk.

"We'll see," she said. "It's your move..."

"Fool..." said the demon, making a draw.

**(J: 5,600, SPC: 2) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 5,800, SPC: 3)**

"Draconecro, time to gain a new soul," he said.

The undead dragon roared, and loomed over Urbellum.

"I don't think so..." said Jinx.

"Eh?" said the demon. "A Trap? What is it?"

"One Seriousness," said Jinx, as her facedown card spun around. "It Equips to Urbellum, and raises his Attack Score by 800 points."

(3,000 ATK)

"Their scores are equal!" shouted the demon. "They'll kill each other!"

"No they won't," said Jinx. "Your Monster can't destroy Monsters that it battles, remember?"

The demon realized that it was only too true. Urbellum made a slash with his even bigger sword, cutting Underworld Dragon Draconecro in half down the middle.

_Curses, _he thought._ Draconecro has to do damage to take a soul..._

"And since Urbellum destroyed a Monster while using One Seriousness," said Jinx. "I get to draw one card."

She made a draw.

The demon set a card on his Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

"This duel isn't over yet," he said. "It's your move."

Jinx made another draw.

_This guy will be good later,_ she thought.

"Urbellum, attack him directly!" she shouted.

Urbellum rushed at the demon's bike.

"Not so fast!" shouted the fiend. "I have a Trap too..."

His facedown card spun around.

"Zero Gravity! It forces all Monsters on the field to switch Modes."

Urbellum backed off, and shielded himself in Defense Mode. (1,300 DEF)

Jinx sighed.

"That's all I can do," she said.

"Then it's my move..." said the demon, as he made a draw.

His bike accelerated a little more as he looked at the card. Thunder rumbled overhead a little more.

**(J: 5,600, SPC: 4) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 5,800, SPC: 5)**

"I summon Hellfire Pirate – Jolly Roger," he said.

Jinx watched as a hideous Zombie appeared next to the demon's bike. It looked like the corpse of a drowned man that had been submerged for some time, bloated and waterlogged, dripping with foul liquid. It wore a rotting pirate outfit, and carried a cutlass. (2,000 ATK)

"So this guy has the same summoning effect as your Ghost Lancer?" asked Jinx.

"No," replied the demon. "Remember when I discarded a card to play Damage Condenser? The card I discarded was a Zombie called Sleepy Beauty.

"When it's in my Graveyard, all of my Zombies have their Levels downgraded by 1.

"Anyway... Jolly Roger, keelhaul her X-Saber!"

The Hellfire Pirate moaned, and slashed at Urbellum with its cutlass, blowing him to pixels.

"Heh, heh..." said the demon. "It's your move..."

Jinx quickly made a draw.

"I summon XX-Saber Fulhelmknight!" she exclaimed.

Fulhelmknight leapt onto the field, her daggers flashing. (1,300 ATK)

Then she looked a little scared at the eerie atmosphere surrounding the two D-Wheels.

"Calm down..." said Jinx. "I have it all under control..."

_I hope..._

"It's your move..."

The demon made a draw.

"Jolly Roger, eviscerate that X-Saber!" he commanded.

The Zombie rushed at Fulhelmknight...

"I activate Fulhelmknight's effect!" shouted Jinx. "Just once, she can block one of your attacks!"

Fulhelmknight raised her hand, and the Jolly Roger bounced off an invisible shield.

The demon growled a little.

"I end my turn!" he shouted.

_This is getting annoying,_ he thought._ That aboleth had better be prepared to pay me when I get back. I wonder what it's doing now, anyway?_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Down under the city, in another of the aboleth's dark audience chambers, Hebi-Na slithered in. She had a Duel Disk on her left arm, and held a flashlight with her right.

She shone it on the pool.

"I know you're here..." she said, angrily. "Come out and face me."

A low chuckle echoed through the chamber.

"_I'm curious, Hebi-Na..." _said the aboleth's voice. _"How did you find me?"_

"I did some research, you lunatic!" she shouted back. "I found out that it was an aboleth that summoned that drekavac demon, and after that, finding out the rest was easy.

"Now show yourself!"

The pool started to churn and bubble, and after about a minute, the creature rode out on its now-repaired hovercraft. It had quickly fixed the problem that had forced it to flee before, and wasn't worried about the same thing happening this time.

It looked at Hebi-Na. It admired her attitude. Not that it would convince it to spare her life.

"_I have to admit, snake, I'm impressed..." _it said._ "So, now you're here for revenge? I thought you didn't like humans."_

"We ophidia may hate humans," replied Hebi-Na, "but if you things count all vertebrates as your enemies, I got news for you... Reptiles are vertebrates. It seems that ophidia and humans have a common enemy now. It may be the only thing so far that the two races would agree on."

"_Don't make me laugh..." _said the aboleth._ "You snakes are nothing but an evolutionary dead end. Your race had its chance, and failed, just as the dinosaurs did."_

"And is your race any different?" asked Hebi-Na. "You seem to be hiding in the shadows as much as we are."

"_At least we never tried to destroy a world in order to prosper,"_ it replied.

"Liar..." said Hebi-Na. "I know all about Nal Xem, the world that the Psurlons claimed as the headquarters of their trade consortium. I did research, remember?

"Nal Xem was once a paradise world, with lush forests, lolling hills, and sparkling lakes. Its wilderness was teeming with life, and poets would come from hundreds of worlds to be inspired by the songbirds who sang like the choirs of angels...

"But the Psurlons bought land there until they owned the whole planet. They built their factories, and mined the place for its resources. The tore the forests down, and ripped up the landscapes.

"Today, Nal Xem is nothing but a wasteland of dead tree stumps and strip mines under a smog-filled sky. All of the wildlife has long become extinct. Members of other races need breathing aids to spend time there without getting sick. It's no wonder you choose to direct the Psurlons' activities from Earth. You're an aquatic Shadowkind, and there's no water there that can sustain life!"

"_Yes there is..." _replied the aboleth_. "We just keep it to ourselves..."_

"Know what the irony is?" asked Hebi-Na. "The Power Primordial is the power that was unleashed in the moment of Creation. And in your mad quest to harness it, you do the opposite of creating. You only destroy!"

"_So what are you going to do about it?" _asked the aboleth._ "I could turn you into a snakeskin purse right now if I wanted to."_

Hebi-Na held up her Disk.

"I challenge you to a battle of Duel Monsters..." said Hebi-Na. "If you win, you are free to do with me as you please... But if I win, I leave you where the Shadowchasers can find you."

"_Interesting..." _said the aboleth._ "Tell me, if by some chance you actually win, what will you do then?"_

Hebi-Na sighed she bowed her head.

"I... I don't know, honestly..." she said. "Right now, I'll most likely hole up in some place in Satellite, and purposely let the Shadowchasers know I'm there... Then, when they send a squad to surround the place and tell me to give myself up, I'll rush out at the nearest one holding a knife..."

The aboleth chuckled.

"_The old 'suicide by cop' maneuver, huh?" _it said._ "Well, how can I refuse?_

"_This might even be fun..."_

Hebi-Na activated her Disk...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**(J: 5,600, SPC: 6) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 5,800, SPC: 7)**

Jinx drew a card.

"I sacrifice Fulhelmknight..." she said.

The young X-Saber turned into an orb of light.

"...to summon Allsword Commander Gatmuz!"

The portal opened, and the hulking Beast-Warrior in full plate, holding his mighty sword, emerged. (2,100 ATK)

"Make that pirate walk the plank!" she shouted. "Severing slash!"

Gatmuz roared, and flew at Hellfire Pirate. With one swing of his weapon, the Zombie was cut in half.

"Nice..." said the demon, "but when Hellfire Pirate is destroyed by battle, and I have no other Monsters, I can remove it and another Zombie in my Graveyard from play..."

Jolly Roger and Ghost Sleeper slipped out of his discad slot.

"...and I get to draw two cards."

He made two draws.

"And I believe it's my move..."

He made a third draw.

**(J: 5,600, SPC: 7) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 5,700, SPC: 8)**

He set two cards on his Disk, and a facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Your move," he said, as they faded.

Jinx made a draw.

_X-Saber Axel? _she thought._ Not exactly the guy I was hoping for..._

She put it with her other two cards.

"Commander..." she said. "Get 'im..."

Gatmuz lifted his sword again.

"I activate a Trap," said the demon, as his facedown card spun around. "It's called Dark Dowry.

"This is a little confusing, so listen closely. I select one Monster on the field. It can't be a reversed Monster, so I can only choose Allsword Commander Gatmuz.

"Then, the Monster I select gains the effect of one Monster in my Graveyard for the rest of the turn. But here's where it gets interesting... YOU get to choose which one!"

Jinx gave him a strange look.

"Fine!" she said. "Since it only lasts a turn, I choose Hellfire Spearman – Ghost Lancer, so he can gain its trampling effect!"

"Thanks..." chuckled the demon. "I was kinda hoping you'd choose that one..."

Dark Mimic LV1 appeared on the card, and Gatmuz sliced it in half. The demon's bike shook a little.

"Due to Dark Mimic's effect, I get one draw," he said, making a draw. "And since I took damage, due to your choice, I get to summon... THIS!

"Tragoedia, arise!"

With a roar and a plume of black smoke, the horrible demon appeared in front of both their bikes. It looked at Jinx with a smile... Not a very pleasant smile, one that all teeth and very little actual smile.

"Its bark is worse than his bite now," said Jinx. "With only two cards in your hand, its Attack Score isn't that impressive."

(1,200 ATK)

"We'll soon see..." said the demon. "It's my move..."

He made a draw.

**(J: 5,800, SPC: 9) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 4,600, SPC: 9)**

"I activate Tragoedia's effect," he continued. "I choose one Monster in my Graveyard, and its Level becomes equal to that Monsters Level.

"So I'll choose Hellfire Spearman – Ghost Lancer, which means Tragoedia's Level becomes 5.

"Then I'll summon Dark Resonator."

The small Fiend Tuner wearing a foolscap, holding a tuning fork and mallet appeared. (1,300 ATK)

_A Synchro Summon? _thought Jinx._ But to summon what?_

Dark Resonator and Tragoedia turned into eight glowing stars, which flew into the sky. The demon raised his hands, and chanted.

"_The first heretic, who dared to question the wisdom of the Demiurge... The only member of the seraphim hosts to rebel against the Hebdomad... Crawl forth from the depths of the Abyss where you fell to show you're your true might..._

"_Synchro Summon... Iblis the Dark One!"_

There was an aura of black flames again, and a frightening creature flew out of the sky. Although this creature was clearly a Fiend, he had obviously once been a fallen angel. His muscular frame was now coal-black, he had horns on his brow, and his wings were now molted and composed of black feathers. His hands were clawed, and his feet were taloned. He wore only a breechcloth made of fine silk. His eyes glowed with hellish fire. (2,700 ATK)

"Ho boy..." said Jinx.

"Let me explain this Monster's effect," continued the demon. "It cannot be simpler. I get to name one Attribute now, and when Iblis here attacks Monsters of that Attribute, he gains 1,000 Attack Points.

"But... When he's _being_ attacked by Monsters of that Attribute, he _loses_ 1,000 Attack Points.

"Simple? Good. Iblis, wipe out Allsword Commander Gatmuz with primordial hellfire!"

The fallen angel formed a ball of black flame in his hand, and his Attack Score rose to 3,700. He hurled it, reducing Gatmuz to ashes in an instant. Jinx groaned, and struggled to keep her bike upright.

The demon set a card in on his console, and a facedown card appeared.

"Make your move," he said.

Jinx quickly whipped the top card off her deck.

**(J: 4,000, SPC: 9) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 4,600, SPC: 10)**

"I Special Summon XX-Saber Gardestrike!" she shouted.

The portal opened behind her, and Gardestrike leapt out, holding his scimitar up high. (2,100 ATK)

"So, your Monster loses 1,000 Attack Points when an Earth Monster attacks it?" she asked.

"Gardestrike... Attack!"

The Beast-Warrior leapt at Iblis...

"I activate Proof of Powerlessness!" shouted the demon, as his facedown card spun around. "Because I have a Monster that's at least Level 7, I can destroy all Level 5 or lower Monsters!"

Gardestrike shattered into pixels.

"The downside is, I can't attack this turn... But because it isn't my turn, that doesn't really matter."

Jinx took X-Saber Axel from her gauntlet.

_I was wrong... _she thought._ This guy is useful after all._

She set the card on her console, and it appeared reversed in front of her. Then she set another card, and a reversed card appeared in her Spell Zone.

"I end my turn," she said. "It's your move..."

The demon drew a card. It considered for a minute.

Flames shot from the back of its bike as it hit the maximum number of Speed Counters. He did a wheelie, and pulled ahead of Jinx.

He pointed and Iblis threw his ball of flame, incinerating Axel.

"I use X-Saber Palomlo's effect!" shouted Jinx. "I pay 500 Life Points to Special Summon him from my Graveyard!"

In a flash, Palomlo appeared in front of her bike. (300 DEF)

"Make your move," said the demon.

Jinx drew a card. As she did, her D-Wheel shifted into the highest gear as well. Shannalla appeared behind her.

"You sure you ready for this?" she asked.

"Oh yeah..." said Shannalla, with a hint of anger in her voice. "Let me at him..."

"Okay then..." said Jinx.

Her facedown card spun around, revealing Gatmuz's Urgent Orders. Axel appeared first (400 ATK), then Fulhelmknight. (1,300 ATK)

"With three X-Sabers on the field, I can Special Summon XX-Saber Faultroll!"

Faultroll flew onto the field, holding aloft his mighty greatsword. (2,400 ATK)

"I Tune together Axel, Faultroll, and Fulhelmknight..."

The three X-Sabers flew into the sky, and the three blazing suns appeared over the ash-strewn wasteland.

"_Strength of legend, beauty beyond compare, entrusted by billions to carry their heritage, given the power unleashed at the moment of Creation! Mighty champion of a deceased race… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force… _

"_Synchro Summon, Shannalla the Fierce!"_

Shannalla descended from the heavens, looking at the demon and his Monster with a scowl on her face. (2,600 ATK)

"Shannalla is an Earth Monster," she said, "so she could take down tall, dark, and gruesome on her own..."

A card slipped out of her discard slot.

"But why not go for the gusto? I remove X-Saber Urbellum from play to make her even stronger."

Shannalla flexed her muscles. (4,800 ATK)

"Accursed wench..." growled the demon.

"Shannalla, attack!" shouted Jinx. "Send Iblis the Dark One back where he belongs! Pouncing tiger rage!"

Shannalla leapt at Iblis the Dark One, and the Fiend's Attack Score fell to 1,700. The drekavac demon truly screamed this time as her sword hit home and Iblis was blasted out of existence.

**(J: 3,700, SPC: 12) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 1,500, SPC: 9)**

"That hurt..." he muttered.

He growled.

"THAT HURT!"

Jinx set another card on her console, and a reversed card appeared in her Spell Zone before fading from view.

"Make your move..." she said.

The demon snarled as he drew a card.

He threw all three of his cards onto his console, and three reversed cards appeared in his Spell Zone.

"I'm done..." he said.

Jinx nervously made a draw.

_Got to be careful here..._ she thought.

"I know that your chick has an Ancient Gear effect," said the demon, as one of his cards spun around, "so I'm activating this now... The Spellbinding Circle!"

Shannalla gasped as a glowing pentagram appeared around her, trapping her inside.

"No..." gasped Jinx. "I'll show you...

"Come out, Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei!"

Lei Lei jumped out of the portal with a snarl. (2,300 ATK)

"Attack him directly!" she shouted.

Lei Lei pounced at the demon's bike.

"Temper, temper, Miss Noriko..." said the demon.

Another Trap Card spun around.

"Activate Draining Shield!"

Lei Lei bounced off an invisible shield, and fell backwards.

Then he slumped down into Defense Mode. (0 DEF)

Jinx looked at the last card in her hand. She set it on her console, and it appeared facedown.

"End!" she said.

The demon chuckled as he made a draw.

**(J: 3,700, SPC: 12) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 3,800, SPC: 11)**

"First, I summon Mezuki to the field," he said, playing the card.

The horse-headed, axe-wielding Yokai emerged from the portal. (1,700 ATK)

"Then, I activate Call of the Haunted!"

His last Trap Card spun around. A look of fear appeared on Shannalla's face as Underworld Dragon Draconecro appeared again. (3,000 ATK)

Shannalla tried to struggle, but the Trap was holding her too tight.

"Draconecro..." said the demon. "You know what to do..."

Shannalla closed her eyes tight as the huge Zombie prepared to attack.

"You're gonna be fine!" shouted Jinx, as her Trap Card spun around. "I activate... Baton of the Hero!

"Now, I can choose the target of Draconecro's attack... And I choose Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei!"

Draconecro's blast of negative energy shot at the defending Beast-Warrior. He made no reaction whatsoever.

"Since your Zombie can't destroy Monsters by battle, the attack became pointless," said Jinx. "And it's ironic that I use Baton of the Hero against you here... This same Trap was used by Yusei when he confronted Kiryu at this very site.

"And just like now, it made a big difference."

"Mezuki, destroy her Indomitable Fighter," growled the demon.

Mezuki flew up to Lei Lei and made a slash with his axe, cutting him in twain.

_Ironies are lost on some people..._ thought Jinx.

"It's my move..." she said.

She made a draw.

"And it's time to end this once and for all!" she shouted.

Her facedown card flipped up. It was Limit Reverse.

X-Saber Passiul appeared on the field again. (100 ATK)

"Huh?" said the demon. "Him again?"

"Then I summon X-Saber Urz," continued Jinx.

With a flash, the X-Saber with the demonic face, holding twin scimitars, appeared next to Passiul. (1,600 ATK)

"Time for one final Synchro Summon," she said, as the two Monsters turned into six glowing stars.

She chanted one last time.

"_The Code of the Samurai reborn in the body of a powerful warrior! Spirits of the land endowing strength to her mighty blade! Clustering stars bring tradition to the modern era…_

"_Synchro Summon… XX-Saber Hyunlei!"_

Hyunlei landed in front of Jinx's bike, and drew her katana with a flourish. (2,300 ATK)

"Now, I can use her effect to destroy up to three Spell or Trap Cards," continued Jinx.

Spellbinding Circle and Call of the Haunted shattered. Shannalla burst free in rage.

"No..." gasped the demon. "If Call of the Haunted is destroyed..."

"Draconecro goes with it," added Jinx.

The huge Zombie roared, and burst into a cloud of black dust.

"Now, I remove XX-Saber Faultroll from play to activate Shannalla's effect again..."

(5,000 ATK)

"Ladies... Let's finish this..."

Hyunlei leapt at Mezuki, and with one swipe of her katana, cut the Zombie in half down the middle.

Then Shannalla flew at the guardian demon.

"Enough of this..." he said. "That aboleth doesn't pay me enough..."

He shifted gears, and turned off the track. But Shannalla gave chase. As he tried to get away, she threw her sword, impaling his D-Wheel.

The demon lost control... He was thrown from his ride just as it exploded into a blast of hellfire...

**(J: 3,700, SPC: 12) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 0, SPC: 0)**

Jinx got off her bike. She took her helmet off, and looked at the fire.

_Some people never learn..._ she thought.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the aboleth's lair, the demon was suspended in a globe of blue energy.

"_That was the shoddiest job I have ever seen," _said the aboleth._ "I told you to scare the living daylights out of whoever came, who ended up trying to flee like a coward? You did."_

"I'll live with your disappointment," said the demon. "It's not like you can kill me. You'd be violating the contract you made with my master."

"_That may be true," _said the aboleth_. "But I can enact the escape clause that lets me sell your contract to another party, or trade it for another item or service of value."_

"What?" said the aboleth. "Then... Who am I going to be working for?"

"_The Doomdreamers," _replied the aboleth._ "I think your services should be enough to pay them back for a deal I made with them last year."_

"Oh, come ON!" shouted the demon. "Those lunatics? You can't expect me to..."

"_What are you upset about?" _asked the aboleth._ "I figured working for them will remind you of home."_

"It WILL!" cried the demon, who was now very upset. "Why do you think I was so anxious to leave?"

He was about to say something else, but the aboleth gestured, and he vanished.

"_Let's see..." _it said._ "I think it's been about an hour since I dealt with Hebi-Na... Better go check on her..."_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

One would think that a Turbo Shadow Duel would make it hard to sleep. But Jinx slept like a log after getting back. Everyone did.

At eight the next morning, everyone was up with the sun. They had been told that this specialist would be here soon. Boris was making pancakes and sausage.

"So who is this guy?" asked Ember, as she reached for the orange juice.

"I assume one of the Incantifers that the Shadowchasers are allied with," replied Gears. "They're usually the ones that Jalal calls in when he needs a specialist."

Then the doorbell rang.

"That must be him now," said Shichiro.

He went to the door and looked out the window.

"Well I'll be..." he said.

A minute later, he walked into the kitchen, with someone following him. Everyone was shocked when they saw that it was actually Wilhelm. He wasn't alone either. He was carrying Sorsha.

"Wilhelm?" said Gears. "How was Mumbai?"

"Hot," said the hellfire warlock, as he sat down. "I was in the Abyss for so long, I kind of forgot how unpleasant hot weather was in the mortal world. But I managed to do my business and deal with some trouble that the Dual-Sided Cult was getting into.

"Anyway, Jalal briefed me. We need to get to these Elemental Nodes, right?"

"Yeah," said Jinx. "Where are they?"

"Well, an Elemental Node has to be built where the elemental aspect it is to be dedicated to is strong."

He gestured, and an illusory map of the world appeared over the table.

"They're in remote areas, very far apart from each other. My Staff of Portals can take us to the general areas..."

Four lights lit up on the map, two in North America, one in Europe, and one in Asia.

"Once we get to these places, of course, taking care of whatever is guarding them and dealing with any hazards is going to be your job. The aboleth hasn't survived from the beginning of time by being stupid."

"So where do we start?" asked Shichiro.

Boris slid a plate of pancakes in front of Wilhelm.

"Thanks..." he said. "We have any coffee?"

"Yep," said Boris. "And I think I might have some tuna for Sorsha."

"That would be nice," said Sorsha. "They don't sell all-too decent cat food in India."

"As for where we should start," said Wilhelm, "the Earth Node is the least powerful, and thus might be easiest to handle. But the Fire Node is the most powerful, and destroying it would inflict the most damage on that aboleth.

"But... In theory, destroying one Node starts a process that weakens the other Nodes. By taking them down from least to most powerful, our job might be easier."

"Okay... Earth Node it is..." said Shichiro.

The map zoomed up to one of the lighted areas, which was focused on California.

"Then as soon as everyone is ready we will head for our goal..." he said. "Yosemite National Park...

"Let's just hope our friend isn't expecting us..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – OVERBOOST (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **Four golden stars flying through the energy of Speed World.

**Card Description:** Increase your Speed Counters by 4. At the End Phase of the turn, reduce your Speed Counters to 1.

Note: "Speed Spell – Overboost" was first used by Jack in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Fortune Cup Finale (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**HELLFIRE SPEARMAN – GHOST LANCER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 2,000  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** If your opponent controls a Monster and you control no Monsters, you can Normal Summon this card from with no Tribute. When this card battles a Defense Position Monster with an Attack Score greater than the attack target's Defense Score, inflict the difference in battle damage to your opponent's Life Points.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**HELLFIRE SLEEPING PRINCESS – GHOST SLEEPER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,300  
**DEF:** 0

**Flavor Text:** _When a man of noble birth mourned too long for his deceased sweetheart, she returned, but as a soulless, hideous thing. Sometimes, the dead are best left to rest in peace…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**HELLFIRE WINGED LIZARD – GHOST WYVERN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,700  
**DEF:** 0

**Flavor Text:** _An undead dragon, animated from the rage felt at the time of death when it was slain by a heroic knight. It wanders the world seeking revenge, even though its slayer perished years ago._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**UNDERWORLD DRAGON DRACONECRO (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 3,000  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** _"Hellfire Sleeping Princess – Ghost Sleeper" + "Hellfire Winged Lizard – Ghost Wyvern"_

This card cannot destroy Monsters by battle. When this card battles a Monster and inflicts damage, after damage calculation, reduce the ATK of the attacked Monster to zero and Special Summon an "Underworld Token" (Zombie/Dark/Lv4/ATK?/DEF0). The ATK of an "Underworld Token" is equal to the base ATK of the attacked Monster, and cannot destroy Monsters by battle.

_Note: The proceeding four cards were first used by Skeleton Knight in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" manga. Creative credit goes to the writers._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SLEEPY BEAUTY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** When this card is in your Graveyard, decrease the Level of all Zombie-Type Monsters in your hand by 1.

_Note: "Sleepy Beauty" was first used by Michal in "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode 070. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**HELLFIRE PIRATE – JOLLY ROGER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 2,000  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed by battle and you control no other Monsters, you can remove this card and another Zombie-Type Monster in your Graveyard from play to draw two cards from your deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**IBLIS THE DARK ONE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,700  
**DEF:** 2,200

**Card Description:** _Fiend-Type Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters_

This card cannot be Special Summoned except via Synchro Summon. When this card is Synchro Summoned, declare one Attribute. This card gains 1,000 Attack Points during the Damage Step only when attacking Monsters of the declared Attribute, and loses 1,000 Attack Points during the Damage Step only when it is the target of an attack by Monsters of that Attribute.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK DOWRY (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A frightened woman in a bridal dress running through a derelict cemetery.

**Card Description:** Select one face-up Monster. Your opponent selects one DARK Monster in your Graveyard. The Monster you selected gains the effect of the Monster your opponent selected until the End Phase of the current turn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Hebi-Na: I've been a part of this whole deal since the beginning... Sadly, I don't think I'll see the end.**

**My decision to face that thing was a mistake, one I won't get a chance to repeat. Now, one last time, I'll be facing the Shadowchasers, and dueling with tremendous stakes.**

**At least the deck I have might let me gain something from them that will make this more bearable... A little compassion. One way or another, this is my last stand... But maybe someone will at least feel a little sorry for me when I'm gone. It's more than any ophidia can hope for, but at this point, it's truly ALL I can hope for.**

"**Tragedy" is coming soon.**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchasers Files**

**The Deathpriests of Orcus; Thralls to Demon**

Demogorgon is called the Prince of Demons, but that means that he commands the most authority among other demons (more or less). If you're looking for the demon who has the most mortal worshippers, that would have to be his hated rival, and biggest current contender for his title, Orcus, the Demon Prince of Undead.

Legends say that Orcus was a mortal man countless millennia ago, a villain of great evil. His soul descended into the Abyss when he died, where he became a minor demon. He evolved over centuries, becoming stronger and stronger, eventually becoming one of the most powerful players in the insane politics of the Abyss. With domination over undead and leagues of mortal followers, many of them necromancers and other evil magicians, Orcus may be the demon who is closest to achieving true godhood.

Some people think that liches and other walking dead would be prime candidates for leading the evil cults of this being. However, few liches willing serve Orcus. They much prefer Vecna and Wee Jas. More often than not, the leaders of his cult are true ghouls, a type of undead that he created though his servant, the Ghoul King Doresain.

Unlike common ghouls, who look like decayed and rotting corpses, true ghouls are almost indistinguishable from living humans. Some are even quite attractive. Sunlight doesn't bother them, they have no problem crossing running water, and are not repelled by holy objects, unless such objects are strongly enchanted. Many legends exist of individuals who had trusted friends, lovers, or even spouses, who were later horrified to learn that the confidant was actually an undead creature who belonged to a demonic cult. A human that actually finds himself in such a relationship had best get out of it quickly. True ghouls can turn humans into creatures like themselves via an unholy ritual, and if they truly want to continue a romantic relationship with someone, this must eventually happen.

The Deathpriests of Orcus are divided into several cells. They keep a low profile. True ghouls might pose as common citizens during the day, holding down various jobs and being active (perhaps even productive) members of the community, only meeting at night in their hidden temples for meetings and rituals. Large temples have included one in Boston, one in Madrid, one in Beijing, and one in Rio de Janeiro. All of these large temples were raided and closed down by Shadowchasers, but Jalal is certain that more remain.

The current leader of the cult is Skull Lady Shakara, also known by some as her alter ego, Sylvia Daren. A stunningly beautiful woman, it's hard to believe she is actually the undead creature she is, at least until she is seen wearing her ceremonial garb. Describing it as "evil sorceress attire" is more accurate than one might think – she is a powerful wizard. The peculiar thing is, she was originally an unwilling recruit; the former leader of the cult turned her into a true ghoul against her will. Normally, this would have made her his slave, but she found a way to indirectly get rid of him, by tipping off the Shadowchasers while he went to a meeting with other temple leaders. Apparently, Orcus was impressed by her manipulative ability, because only she was able to pick up the scepter that bestowed leadership.

What makes Shakara especially creepy is her deck. She is capable of magically changing it whenever she wants, but the Monster Cards are special. Whenever she defeats an enemy in a Shadow Duel, she imprisons him in a special card. She can then turn that card into any Monster Card she desires, so long as it matches the victim's gender and at least vaguely resembles his species. When she duels, her former enemies are forced to fight for her as the spirits of the cards. She does her best to try to use someone her opponent might recognize, in hopes of demoralizing him.

In theory, the Deathpriests have one major goal – recruiting more worshipers to their cause, thus gaining more power for Orcus. Orcus is incredibly power-hungry, and seeks domination of the entire Abyss, along with Demogorgon's title. Eventually, he intends to gain the status of a true god, something that no demon lord has actually done before. This makes them a serious thorn in the Shadowchaser's side, because the cult gets bigger by the day, and their methods of recruitment aren't exactly honest...

**Story Ideas:** True ghouls are like something out of a horror movie. Once the Shadowchasers learn that some of them are in town, they may be afraid to trust anyone. The smiling waitress at a café... The friendly chef at the pizza place... Even the young woman that you're going out with who you shared a passionate kiss with... Are they human, or are they the walking dead?

Once this fear wears off, the tone will quickly change. Where Orcus is involved, the tone turns into horror of a different type. Exactly which type might vary depending on the location. Gothic horror and supernatural horror are both possible, but it should involve undead Monsters of some sort. Shadowchasers will encounter skeletons, zombies, and strange necromantic constructs when going up against the minions of Orcus.

Shakara might work behind the scenes of any endeavor of the Deathpriests. Dueling her is incredibly dangerous, as the penalty losing means becoming her slave and a part of her deck.

**Deck Suggestions:** Thinking that all the Deathpriests use Zombies is a sure way to lose. They can, and do, use many different kinds of decks, depending on their individual tastes. The leadership of the cult does use Zombies, however – with a twist. Their decks utilize the Field Spell Zombie World, and focus mostly on using Monsters like Il Blud, Paladin of the Cursed Dragon, and Red Eyes Zombie Dragon to steal opposing Monsters and use them against their owner.

Shakara has this deck too, but only uses it when she is feeling merciful towards her prisoners (which is rare). She can transform the enchanted cards to create several types of decks, but is limited to archetypes that, for the most part, resemble humans. Warriors, Fairies, Spellcasters, Lightsworn, Elemental Heroes, and similar Monsters are common. It is rumored that she has had enough victories over female duelists to use only them, making decks of Harpies, Amazons, and Cyber Girls. This reveals a frightening truth... Shakara must be an excellent duelist to have fought so many Shadow Duels and won them all, because she apparently has never had to pay the price for losing one.


	59. Tragedy

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**DUEL FIFTY-NINE**

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**Tragedy**

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Yosemite National Park.

Spanning three counties in southern California, it was a wilderness paradise known for its granite cliffs, clear streams, gushing waterfalls, and lush sequoia forests.

Due to the time difference, it was four-thirty in the afternoon (on the previous day) when the four Shadowchasers hiked up a steep hill with Wilhelm leading the way. Both Sorsha and Gabriel were in tow, and the hot summer sun was making it a rather tiring trek.

"So, Wilhelm..." said Jinx. "The Primals were founded in ancient Egypt... You're saying that they not only knew about North America two and a half millennia before Columbus, they made bases here?"

"Why, yes," said Wilhelm. "Most Shadowkind and Aware who had magical talent knew about the 'New World' long before anyone else did."

"Why the secrecy?" asked Shichiro.

"They wanted to keep it for themselves," said Wilhelm. "Folks like Magellan died trying to find the westward passage, the route to riches... Sorcerers like the Primals who knew the true layout of the world could get to the East easily, and didn't have to share the wealth they got from it with any greedy monarchs. So for a long time, the existence of the Americas was something known only to a privileged few."

"So..." said Ember. "Who _really_ discovered America?"

Wilhelm chuckled.

"The elves claim that they did," he replied. "So do the gnomes, the dwarves, and about eight other Shadowkind races. As the case is with Mundane explorers, America was 'discovered' several times over the ages by several different factions... And we may never know who was truly the first..."

He pointed to a cliffside up ahead.

"Our goal should be there... The Earth Node is supposed to be in a cave in that big rock formation."

"Let's hope you're right..." said Gears.

Then they heard a loud hissing noise.

"Good lord!" said Ember, as they all looked at the ground. "It sounds like a nest of angry snakes!"

"No," said a familiar voice that sounded pissed-off. "Just one big snake. But she's still rather angry."

They all looked in the direction of the voice. They were rather annoyed now themselves.

Hebi-Na slithered out from behind a tree. She was wearing a Duel Disk, and had a sword by her side.

"So why are you here now, Hebi-Na?" asked Shichiro. "If you were smart, you would have tried to go to Somalia, or Côte d'Ivoire, or some other place where the Shadowchasers would have to fight to even go to."

"If I was smart, I would have hanged myself in my cell before this whole mess started," hissed Hebi-Na. "I tried to end it on a high-note, but only made it worse... Now there's only one thing left for me to do..."

She lifted her left arm.

"And why should we duel you?" asked Jinx. "There are five of us and only one of you."

"Did you bring dynamite?" asked Hebi-Na. "That's the only way you're getting into any of the Nodes without something I can provide. If you don't believe me, go to the entrance to the Earth Node and go in. About twenty feet into the entrance, you'll find the tunnel blocked with bricks and mortar. The aboleth gets in by teleporting inside.

"But... It gave me something that will get you by the barriers blocking all four Nodes. You just have to beat me to get it."

"Why are you working for the aboleth?" asked Shichiro.

"Long story," said Hebi-Na. "One which doesn't have a happy ending."

"Fine," he replied.

He stepped forward, and activated his Duel Disk.

"No thank you," said Hebi-Na. "I want to duel him."

She pointed to Wilhelm.

"Eh?" said Wilhelm.

"The aboleth is being smart," said Gears. "It's trying to do away with our guide."

"Wilhelm..." said Jinx. "You don't have to..."

"Horseradish!" exclaimed Wilhelm, stepping forward.

He placed his own Duel Disk on his arm, and activated it.

"I graduated from the Academy of Modern Wizardry in Vienna, second in my class. I mastered the art of the hellfire warlock. I've battled demon princes, infernal generals, yugoloth vassals, and various other Lower Planer riff-raff, both in spell battles and Shadow Duels. The day I can't handle something like this is the day I turn in my wizard's hat."

Hebi-Na sighed.

_So now it ends... _she thought, looking at her deck._ Let's hope now I can truly go out with a bang, rather than a whimper._

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Wilhelm: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Hebi-Na: 8,000)**

"Ladies first," said Hebi-Na, making a draw.

She almost expected some dumb joke to be made in response to that comment, but there was none, so she took three cards from her hand.

She set all three on her Disk, and three set cards appeared, one a Monster, and two Spells or Traps.

"I'll end my turn there."

Wilhelm drew a card, and looked at it.

_This Monster would be useful, but it's Level 5..._ he thought.

He looked at another Monster.

_This one's Attack Score is low, but I can defend with it._

He took that card and set it on his Disk. A set Monster appeared.

"Bad hand, Will?" asked Hebi-Na. "Well, maybe this will help..."

One of her two facedown cards lifted up. The Trap Card was a cartoonish picture of Magical Scientist being given a physical by the doctors from DNA Surgery.

"DNA Checkup, and it works as follows: You try to guess what Attribute my set Monster is.

"To make it fair, you even get two guesses.

"Guess right, and you get draw two cards. Guess wrong, and I get to draw two cards. You got that?"

"Yes, I got that..." said Wilhelm.

"Talk about clever," said Jinx. "Wilhelm has absolutely no idea what kind of deck she's running... This is a shot in the dark."

"Well..." said Shichiro. "In this case, making two wild guesses with only six possibilities, he's got a one-in-three chance."

"I don't often take the path of least resistance," said Wilhelm, "but it appears now I must. I choose Light and Dark."

Hebi-Na grinned. The set Monster lifted up slightly, and the symbol for Earth was visible. Wilhelm sighed.

"Sorry," said Hebi-Na, "but this Monster is neither Light nor Dark."

She made two draws.

"In that case, madam," said Wilhelm, "my turn is over."

"There's really no need for formalities here, Will," said Hebi-Na, as she drew a card.

"Like I said, people... The reason I'm here is a long story that doesn't have a happy ending...

"And maybe once I take you through it, you'll feel a little pity for me, rather than the hatred I see in you now..."

"Pity?" shouted Ember. "After you stuffed me into that cocoon and sent me to that snake infested jungle?"

"Taramanda did that!" shouted Hebi-Na. "I was just a tool that she cast the spell through!

"In fact, Taramanda is the key part of the first chapter of my story..."

She fit a card into her Disk, and a Continuous Spell appeared.

"You think she busted me out of jail because she liked me? Watch..."

Then the whole landscape went dark. As everyone watched, they were transported to Taramanda's throne room. Hebi-Na was kneeling before the anathema, having just been brought there by the golem.

"_Hello, Hebi-Na," purred Taramanda. "Were you happy in prison, child?"_

_She spoke in a very soft, gentle tone, almost as if Hebi-Na _was_ a child. _

"_Hebi-Na, you know that what you did was a big no-no," continued the Empress. "I gave you Seghulerak's card, and what happened?"_

_Hebi-Na didn't dare answer._

_Taramanda got a little angrier. _

"_You lost…" she said, getting off her throne. "You let our goddess be struck down… by a Shadowchaser apprentice!"_

_Hebi-Na wanted to run, but she knew she'd never make it to the door. No regular ophidia could outrun this creature, even if there weren't a small squad of guards and that golem standing by._

"_But all that aside, I would have been content to simply let you rot in jail," continued the Empress. "But despite your failure, you simply know too much. I couldn't leave you in the hands of the Shadowchasers. The curse I put on you may have kept your mouth shut for a while, but curses can be detected and lifted, and sooner or later, they were going to wonder why you would prefer the Coffin of Stone to turning informant..._

"_When Saramanda turned informant, dozens of ophidia projects were set back years, and dozens more were _completely _ruined… I could not risk the possibility that you'd do the same thing…"_

_Taramanda seized Hebi-Na by the throat…_

_Then a transformation started to occur. Every other ophidia in the room, Hssimim and Csimith included, started to get nervous. Taramanda was starting to assume her true form._

_It was a horrifying sight to behold. Her face changed shape to that of a king cobra, and two smaller cobras sprouted from her shoulders. Her human half became covered with snake-like scales._

"Time for your punishment, Hebi-Na,"_ hissed the anathema._

Then the vision stopped. They were back at the duel.

"She only broke you out of jail so she could kill you?" asked Jinx, softly.

"Yes..." replied Hebi-Na. "I was only spared because someone, who I would later learn was the aboleth, gave me the knowledge of the Dark Synchros. It was also the one who let Taramanda find that golem in the first place.

"But anyway, back to the duel. Because I played Sad Story – Sorrowful Memories, if either of us draws a Monster during our Draw Phases, it goes back to the deck, and then the deck is reshuffled.

"Now, I flip my Monster into Attack Mode..."

Her facedown Monster flipped up.

"Dweller in the Depths!"

A Dragon with jet black scales, dark wings, and glowing eyes appeared where the card had been. It growled at Wilhelm. (1,500 ATK)

"And because I have a Continuous Spell on the field," continued Hebi-Na, "it gains a little bonus."

(1,800 ATK)

"Attack his Monster!"

Dweller in the Depths breathed a card of corrosive gas at the reversed card...

Then, when the cloud dissipated, a simple-looking bed with a sleeper in it appeared on the card.

"Huh?" said Hebi-Na.

There was a spooky moan, and a ghostly phantom holding a shield and sword floated out of the bed. (1,800 DEF)

"That's The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams," said Wilhelm. "And it seems that the battle was a draw."

Hebi-Na put her hand on her hip.

"Just move..." she said.

Wilhelm made a draw.

He turned it around, showing that it wasn't a Monster.

"Seems luck is with me so far," he said, as he added it to his hand.

"I sacrifice my Ghost..."

The Gross Ghost and its bed turned into a dark orb of energy.

"...to summon the Poet of Hell... Helpoemer!"

In a fiery burst of hellfire, a hideous Fiend appeared. It was a humanoid with leathery, black, skin, fanged mouths all over its torso, propped up against a stone slab. It wore only a tattered kilt. (2,000 ATK)

"Wilhelm uses Fiends?" asked Ember. "I thought he spent his time fighting demons..."

"Of course I use Fiends," chuckled Wilhelm. "It takes one to defeat one, you know...

"Anyway... Helpoemer, destroy Dweller in the Depths with Chthonian chatter!"

The Fiend's multiple mouths let out a horrible gibbering noise, and the shadowy Dragon shattered into pieces.

"My Dragon's not going alone!" cursed Hebi-Na, as her other facedown card shot up. "I activate Michizure!"

Helpoemer shattered into pieces.

Wilhelm looked where his Monster had been.

"I end my turn," he said.

**(W: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,800)**

Hebi-Na made a draw.

She turned the card around, showing that it was a Spell.

_Corridor of Agony? _thought Wilhelm._ Why would she need that?_

"Time to continue my story," said Hebi-Na, as she played another Continuous Spell Card. "In fact, just like last time, I'm going to _show_ you, using Sad Story – Unwavering Truth."

Darkness descended on the field again.

"I wasn't well-liked by the other ophidia even after I became the holder of the Dark Synchros. Remember Hssimim? That loudmouth with the Worm Deck? Here's how he reacted after one of the Dark Synchros was defeated."

They were in Taramanda's throne room again. Two cards appeared in Hebi-Na's hands.

"_Seems Rhys was a big loser," she said._

_Hssimim growled._

"_Your majesty," he snarled, turning to Taramanda, "I renew my objection to this stupid plan! We should throw these idiotic Dark Synchros in the trash can before we have a major crisis..."_

_He looked at Hebi-Na._

"_Along with the moron who's been in charge of giving them out..."_

"_HEY!" shouted Hebi-Na. "I prepared a decent deck for Rhys to use that would have made excellent use of Typhoeus... But she chose to steal one instead! Blame her!"_

"_Maybe she did it because she saw that the deck you gave her was crap," said Hssimim, getting in her face._

"_SHUT UP!" shouted Taramanda. "Both of you! I'm tired of your incessant arguing! _

"_I want you both out of my site until you agree not to squabble like children! Begone!"_

_Hssimim and Hebi-Na gulped. They bowed, and quickly left the room._

Hebi-Na sighed again.

"As much as I hated Hssimim..." she said. "As much as I still hate him... It seems he was right all along... If we had thrown those accursed cards away when we had the chance, all of this trouble may not have happened..."

"Hebi-Na..." said Ember.

"Leave me alone!" said Hebi-Na. "I have Sad Story – Unwavering Truth on the field now, and it does for Spell Cards what Sad Story – Sorrowful Memories does for Monster Cards!"

"Gott in Himmel..." muttered Wilhelm.

"I end my turn!" said Hebi-Na.

Wilhelm made a draw.

He let a sigh of relief out. It was a Trap Card.

_I don't know what this ophidia plans to do, _he thought,_ but maybe she can help me when she does it._

He set three cards on his Disk, and three cards appeared in his Spell/Trap Zone.

"That will be all,"

"Then I draw," said Hebi-Na.

She drew a card.

"But, because this is a Monster," she said, showing him the card, which was Sangan, "Sorrowful Memories sends it back to my deck..."

She put the card back in her deck, and the Disk reshuffled it.

"Now it's time for the gut-wrenching conclusion to my story..." she said, as yet another Continuous Spell appeared.

"_Another_ Sad Story card?" asked Jinx.

"That's right," said Hebi-Na. "Sad Story – Dreadful Day, and oh what a dreadful day it was, only yesterday..."

The field went dark for the third time.

"I had nothing... No home, nowhere to go... My clan was disbanded, and I was wanted by the authorities... I was ready to go to the Daedalus Bridge and jump off..."

They saw another vision... Of her confronting the aboleth.

"But I wanted to do one thing first... I wanted to get revenge against the thing that had caused all my misery...

"I can't begin to tell you how big a mistake that was..."

They all watched in horror as Cyber Eltanin loomed over Hebi-Na. (10,000 ATK)

"_Attack directly," _commanded the aboleth._ "Descent of Draconis."_

They couldn't believe what they were seeing. It was clearly overkill. Hebi-Na's scream lasted only a couple of seconds, and then she was knocked out cold.

"Show's over!" said Hebi-Na, as the vision faded. "I thought it would kill me, but the fate it chose for me was far worse... He subjected me to a small sample of the Bells of Baphomet... A hideous, horrible din that left me begging for death. It silenced them after an hour, but told me that if I didn't serve as its slave, it would bring them back permanently."

"Hebi-Na, wait..." said Shichiro.

"So here's the climax of my Sad Story..." snarled Hebi-Na, grabbing a card from her hand.

An explosion of energy shot up from the spot in front of her.

"I Special Summon the dreaded Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings!"

A large and incredibly ugly Dragon appeared out of the smoke. It was gaunt and emancipated, and it had horns that looked like the branches of a dead tree. Its wings looked like wax paper on a crooked framework. (1,900 ATK)

"Hebi-Na, stop this!" shouted Shichiro. "Don't you realize that it won't keep its word?"

"Of course it won't!" replied Hebi-Na. "It will likely kill me even if I win this duel.

"But dying quickly is better than spending heavens knows how long being tortured by those bells before their demon comes to finish the job.

"Attack him directly!"

The Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings roared, and shot a blast of filth and venom at Wilhelm.

When it passed, he had an annoyed look on his face.

"He barely moved!" said Jinx.

"Oh, please..." said Sorsha. "I've seen him fight dragons twice this size..."

"Trap Card, activate..." said Wilhelm.

One of his facedown cards lifted up.

"Damage Condenser. I toss one card..."

He discarded a card.

"And in return, I get to Special Summon Headless Knight from my deck."

A phantom knight in armor carrying a sword and shield with – naturally – no head appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (1,700 ATK)

"Headless Knight?" chuckled Hebi-Na. "You couldn't do better than that?

"And now the effect of my Dragon Queen activates... You must discard a card from your hand."

Wilhelm looked at the two cards in his hand. He took one of them, Sinister Sprocket, and discarded it.

"Then, I get to draw a card," said Hebi-Na, making a draw.

"And it's your move. By the way, now that Sorrowful Memories, Unwavering Truth, and Dreadful Day are all in place, any card at all that is drawn during the Draw Phases, Monster, Spell, or Trap, is sent back to the deck."

**(W: 6,100) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,800)**

"Then I make one draw," said Wilhelm.

He drew a card.

"Of course, it doesn't matter what card this is, because of your combo..."

He put it back in his deck, and the Disk reshuffled it.

"So what will you do?" asked Hebi-Na. "All you have left is one card..."

"But it's the important one, madam," said Wilhelm, as one of his facedown cards lifted up. "With Call of the Haunted, I can bring The Earl of Demise back from the Graveyard. Which, naturally, I discarded when I played Damage Condenser."

A tall, ugly ghoul, dressed in a rotting nobleman's outfit, holding a rapier appeared. (2,000 ATK)

"And now, this one card..." he said, turning it around.

"Polymerization?" gasped Hebi-Na.

"That's right!" said Wilhelm, as a dark vortex appeared behind the two Fiends. "I fuse my two Monsters together..."

Headless Knight and The Earl of Demise were sucked through the vortex...

There was a haunting moan, and another ghost floated into view. It also wore rotting clothes that seemed to have once belonged to nobility, held a rapier, and its head was hairless, gaunt, and sunken, with flesh clinging tightly to the skull. (2,000 ATK)

"Attack her Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings my Duke of Demise!" ordered Wilhelm. "Phantom sword!"

The Duke of Demise moaned, and flew at the much larger Monster. With one slash of its blade, it cut the huge Dragon down the middle.

"Yeah..." said Ember.

**(W: 6,100) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,700)**

Wilhelm crossed his arms.

"It's your move, madam..." he said.

Hebi-Na drew a card. Without even looking at it, she returned it to her deck, and it was shuffled.

"You may have defeated my Dragon," she said, "but during my Standby Phase, I can send a Continuous Spell to the Graveyard, and it comes right back."

Sad Story – Sorrowful Memories vanished, and Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings appeared again.

"At least part of her lock is gone," said Jinx.

"That Duke of Demise is a pretty scary Monster," said Hebi-Na, fitting a card into her Disk. "But my Dragon won't be afraid of any ghosts once I play Banner of Courage!"

Once again, a Continuous Spell Card appeared.

"With this card, for my Battle Phase only, my Monsters gain 200 Attack Points.

"So... Attack the Duke of Demise! Sorrowful stream!"

The Dragon Queen's Attack Score rose to 2,100, it shot its acidic blast again, and the Fiend burst into a cloud of ectoplasm.

"Aw, man..." said Ember. "Wilhelm's Monster just got clobbered..."

"Don't be so sure," said Sorsha, who was grinning.

The cloud of ectoplasm reformed, turning into the Duke of Demise again.

"It really doesn't care if your Dragon is scared of it or not," said Wilhelm. "The fact remains, it can't be killed that way."

Hebi-Na looked at him.

"Okay, fine, so it can't be destroyed in battle," she said. "But you still took damage, so now you have to toss a card from your hand."

Wilhelm laughed, and lifted up his hands.

"I'd love to oblige, madam," he said, "but I have no cards to discard!"

_Damn..._ thought Hebi-Na. _That means I can't draw any..._

She took a card from her hand, and set it on her Disk. A reversed Monster appeared.

"Make your move..." she said.

**(W: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,700)**

"I draw..." said Wilhelm.

He drew a card.

"And this is a Monster, so it seems I get to keep it. Now, I pay 500 Life Points to keep Duke of Demise for now...

"Then I summon Necro Soldier."

A weird Monster appeared next to the Duke of Demise. It looked like a Zombie dressed as a toy tin soldier. (0 ATK)

"It's powerless..." said Jinx.

"Again, don't be so sure," said Sorsha.

Duke of Demise flew up to Dragon Queen, and with one swipe, beheaded the creature.

"I end my turn," said Wilhelm.

**(W: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,600)**

Hebi-Na growled as she drew a card.

"Seems I drew a Monster too," she said, turning it around. "And now that it's my Standby Phase, I'll send Unwavering Truth to the Graveyard to bring my Dragon back again."

Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings appeared again. (1,900 ATK)

"Also, because it's your Standby Phase," said Wilhelm, "the effect of Necro Soldier activates, and I get to summon a second one from my deck."

A second Necro Soldier appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (0 DEF)

"AND, I can use the effect of _that _Soldier to summon a third one."

A third Necro Soldier appeared. (0 DEF)

"Moving right along..." said Hebi-Na. "I flip Dark Mimic into Attack Mode..."

The demonic treasure chest appeared where the reversed card had been. (100 ATK) She drew another card.

"Seems I need to use something else to get rid of that ghost... I sacrifice Dark Mimic..."

The chest dissolved into grains of light.

"...for Gravi-Crush Dragon!"

In another burst of energy, a large, hulking humanoid with grey skin, the head of a Dragon, and a long, thick tail appeared next to the Dragon Queen. (2,400 ATK)

"Now, by sending another Continuous Spell to the Graveyard," she said, "I can destroy one Monster."

Sad Story – Dreadful Day vanished, and Duke of Demise shattered into black shards.

"Gravi-Crush Dragon, attack the Necro-Soldier in Attack Mode!"

Gravi-Crush Dragon bellowed, and rushed towards the small Zombie. Its Attack Score rose to 2,600.

"Not going to work," said Wilhelm, as his last facedown card lifted up. "Activate... Spirit Shield!

"Now, by removing one Fiend or Zombie in my Graveyard from play, your attack is halted, and your Battle Phase is over."

Helpoemer slipped out of his discard slot, and he placed it inside his jacket.

"And I can do that any time I want to, because it's a Continuous Trap.

"You mean you could have done that to block _any_ of my attacks up to now?" gasped Hebi-Na.

"Ja," said Wilhelm. "But by making you think I couldn't, I was able to fight your Monster, forcing you to use its revival effect, and forcing you to summon that other Dragon to destroy my Monster. In the end, you destroyed your own lock."

Hebi-Na looked at him.

She sighed.

"Not surprising..." she said. "I was outsmarted _again._ It's happened so often you'd think I'd be used to it by now...

"I wouldn't have been surprised if that aboleth had taken a branding iron and stamped the word 'loser' on my forehead."

"Hebi-Na, that's not true..." said Ember. "You beat me, remember?"

"Yeah, when I was Taramanda's proxy, remember?" replied Hebi-Na. "For all intents and purposes, I had help in that duel. Seems I'm nothing more than a big joke on my own.

"Oh, I end my turn..."

_Hebi-Na's deck seems to rely a lot on Continuous Spells, _thought Ember._ If I didn't know better, I'd swear..._

She opened her eyes wide.

_No... It wouldn't... It couldn't..._

"Who am I kidding?" she said out loud. "It would, it could, and it probably did!"

"Huh?" said Shichiro. "What?"

"Wilhelm!" shouted Ember. "I have to tell you something!"

"Don't worry, Miss Eiko," said Wilhelm, "I have everything under control."

"But..." said Ember.

"Besides, you can't accept outside help in a duel," said Wilhelm.

Ember gave a nervous sigh.

"It's not too late to end this peacefully, madam," said Wilhelm to Hebi-Na, as he made a draw.

"While you're thinking about that, I'll play Akashic Record. I get to make two draws..."

He drew two cards.

Then he turned both forward.

"Since neither has been used yet, I get to keep them.

"And I'll use one... I sacrifice two Necro Soldiers..."

Two of the Zombie toys vanished.

"...for Belial, Marquis of Darkness!"

A tall intimidating Fiend appeared on the field. It was a fallen angel, complete with black, feathered wings, and a dark halo. He wore armor and a toga, had long, tangled, white hair, and carried a jet-black claymore. (2,800 ATK)

Hebi-Na flinched nervously.

"Attack Gravi-Crush Dragon!" ordered Wilhelm. "Flaming sword of Phlegethos!"

Belial made a rush at the humanoid Dragon, and with one swipe, cut it in twain.

"Ergh..." said Hebi-Na.

**(W: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,200)**

"I end my turn..." he said. "But keep this in mind... With Belial on the field, he's the only Monster that can be targeted for an attack or a card effect."

Hebi-Na nervously drew a card.

"I play The Dark Door," she said, as once again, a Continuous Spell appeared. "Now, both players can only attack with one Monster per turn.

"I'll move my Dragon to Defense Mode..."

Dragon Queen shielded itself with its arms and folded its wings. (2,600 ATK)

"...and end my turn."

Wilhelm drew a card.

"I sacrifice my last Soldier..." he said.

The third Necro Soldier vanished.

"...to summon Puppet Master."

With a haunting laughter, a desiccated corpse dressed like a jester with strange strings on each finger appeared hovering over Wilhelm's side of the field. (0 ATK)

"Now, I use its effect... I give up 2,000 Life Points, and Special Summon not one, but _two_ Fiends from my Graveyard."

Puppet Master cackled, and Headless Knight (1,450 ATK) and The Earl of Demise (2,000 ATK) appeared on Wilhelm's side of the field.

"They can't attack this turn... But Belial can."

Belial made a slash with his blade, and Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings was cut in half again.

"And with that, madam, I end my turn."

**(W: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,200)**

Hebi-Na drew a card. She looked at it.

Banner of Courage vanished, and Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings appeared again. (2,600 ATK)

"This is ridiculous," said Gears. "Sorsha, does Wilhelm have D.D. Crow in that deck?"

"No..." said Sorsha, "but I think he has something to solve this problem."

"I pass this turn," said Hebi-Na.

Wilhelm made a draw.

"Problem solved..." he said. "I sacrifice Puppet Master..."

Puppet Master turned into a glob of shadow energy...

Then a plume of dark smoke erupted from where it had been, followed by the smell of brimstone. Slowly, the smoke began to clear, and a hulking figure became visible in it...

It was Dark Ruler Ha Des, the King of the Underworld. (2,450 ATK)

"Problem _definitely _solved," said Gears. "With Ha Des on the field, all of Wilhelm's Fiends negate the effects of all Monsters they destroy. So once Belial takes it down this time, it's not coming back again."

"You heard him," said Wilhelm. "Belial, finish it off!"

Belial made one final swipe at the Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings with his claymore. It gave one final scream, and then shattered into pixels.

"To complete my turn," said Wilhelm, as he played the other card in his hand, "I play The Beginning of the End. Because I now have seven Dark-Attribute Monsters in my Graveyard, I can remove five of them from play..."

Sinister Sprocket, The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams, and all three Necro Soldiers slipped out of his discard slot, and he placed them inside his jacket.

"...and then make three draws."

He drew three cards.

"And it's your move..."

Hebi-Na drew a card.

When she saw what it was, she broke down into sobs.

"Huh?" said Wilhelm. "Bad draw?"

"No..." said Hebi-Na, through tears. "This is the most powerful card in this deck... And I _really_ don't want to use it...

"But not doing so would be disobeying a direct order..."

She put that card aside, and played a Spell Card.

"I play Soul Release... I'm removing Duke of Demise and Puppet Master from play."

"Why is she doing that?" asked Gabriel.

"Because with no Fiends or Zombies in his Graveyard..." said Sorsha.

Spirit Shield shattered into pieces.

Hebi-Na sobbed as she played two more cards – Corridor of Agony and Dark Room of Nightmare.

Then, the area clouded over, and lightning flashed. All three of her Continuous Spells turned to ice and shattered.

A huge, monstrous behemoth descended from the storm clouds. At first, it looked like the Winged Dragon of Ra, but at second glance, it was actually an evil parody of that being, gaunt, skeletal, and demonic. Its wings were bat-like, it had wicked claws and talons, and its hide was the color of tarnished gold, if it were possible for gold to tarnish.

It let out a roar that made the mountains shake. (4,000 ATK)

"This was what I was afraid of!" shouted Hebi-Na. "If that aboleth could get ahold of Uria... Why couldn't it do the same with Hamon?"

"Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder..." said Hebi-Na.

The Sacred Beast roared again.

"...attack Belial with Cerulean Skyfire!"

Lightning flashed, and a volley of sapphire-blue lightning bolts shot at Belial. Wilhelm was actually knocked down as his Monster was blown to pieces.

"And... due to Hamon's effect..." said Hebi-Na. "You lose an additional 1,000 Life Points."

Wilhelm grit his teeth.

**(W: 1,300) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,200)**

"People..." said Gears. "Aside from all the bargains she's made... Hebi-Na is just a normal ophidia, right?"

"Uh, I think so..." said Shichiro. "Why?"

"Ordinary mortals can't control the Sacred Beasts!" said Gears. "These are demon emperors with incredible powers! She's likely to _die_ from the strain of trying!

"Just look at her!"

It was true. Sweat was pouring from Hebi-Na's brow, and she was holding her chest.

"You have to stop this, Hebi-Na!" shouted Wilhelm. "You can't command this creature!"

"I can't end the duel!" cried Hebi-Na. "It thrives on bloodlust...

"You think I'm controlling this card? I'm not! It's controlling me!

"The aboleth put Hamon in the deck to make sure I'd follow orders. It's been supervising me the whole time, telling me in no uncertain terms what it would do if I dared disobey...

"I was lucky it let me tell you that story with the Sad Story cards... The aboleth thought it would be 'amusing'."

Wilhelm looked at her. His eyebrows narrowed.

"Then I know what I must do..." he said.

He looked up at Hamon.

"I've never faced a Duel Monster as dangerous as you... But you're no different than a lot of the foul lords of the Abyss I've vanquished... Just as they fell before my powers, I'll find a way to defeat you..."

He drew a card.

"I throw two cards facedown and move everyone to Defense Mode," he said.

Two reverse cards appeared. Then Earl of Demise sheathed its rapier and knelt. (700 DEF) Headless Knight knelt and held its shield up. (1,700 DEF) And Dark Ruler Ha Des knelt and crossed his arms. (1,600 DEF)

"I draw..." muttered Hebi-Na.

She drew a card.

Her hand shook as she played it.

"Lightning Vortex!" she exclaimed.

She discarded the other card in her hand, Spell Reproduction, and lightning flashed.

"Chain!" shouted Wilhelm, as a facedown card shot up. "Gift of the Mystical Elf!

"With this, I gain 300 Life Points for each Monster on the field!"

He glowed with golden energy as lightning crashed down, and his three Monsters were vaporized.

"As if will matter!" shouted Hebi-Na. "Hamon, attack directly!"

Hamon roared, and its Cerulean Skyfire flashed...

Then, a swarm of little, furry, brown things surrounded Wilhelm. They exploded as the bolts of lightning hit them, but they shielded Wilhelm from the attack.

"Yeah!" shouted Ember.

"Never underestimate the power of a little Kuriboh," said Shichiro.

**(W: 2,500) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,200)**

"People, be serious!" said Gears. "Hebi-Na's heart is pounding so hard, I can hear it from here! It might _explode_ if this duel lasts much longer!"

Wilhelm drew a card. He looked at the two cards in his hand.

_And ending it is all going to depend on a lot of luck,_ he thought.

"I remove three more Fiends from play," he said.

He took Belial, Ha Des, and Earl of Demise and put them inside his jacket.

"...to summon Dark Necrofear!"

With a flourish, the dreaded Dark Lady used by the Evil Spirit of the Ring appeared over the field.

She knelt in a defensive position. (2,800 DEF)

"Trying to... Take Hamon from me?" asked Hebi-Na.

"I'm not done..." said Wilhelm. "Since that was a Special Summon, I can still set this Monster."

He set his last card, and another Monster appeared reversed.

"It's your move... Both of you."

Hebi-Na drew a card.

"End of the line," she said. "I Equip Hamon with Fairy Meteor Crush!"

She played the card, and a red aura surrounded the Sacred Beast.

"Hamon, destroy that hidden Monster!"

Everyone watched in horror as Hamon prepared to attack. The Monster, a nasty-looking imp, appeared a second before it was incinerated.

Hebi-Na took some deep breaths.

"Well?" she shouted to the sky. "I've completed my mission! Are you happy?"

"Uh, Hebi-Na?" said Sorsha. "Check the score..."

"Huh?" said Hebi-Na.

**(W: 800) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,200)**

"HOW?" shouted Hebi-Na.

"Simple," said Wilhelm, as he got up. "The Monster you attacked had a very high Defense Score."

"HOW high?" gasped Hebi-Na.

"I believe, 3,300," said Wilhelm.

"But... But you set it with no sacrifice..." said Hebi-Na, in disbelief.

"It was a Doomsday Horror," said Wilhelm. "Its Attack and Defense Scores are each equal to 300 times the number of Dark-Attribute Monsters that have been removed from play thus far. Up to this point, eleven Dark Monsters have been eradicated.

"And that's not its only effect. When it's destroyed, like you just did, all Dark Monsters that have been removed from play are returned to the Graveyards."

He took all eleven Monsters from his jacket, and fed them all into his discard slot.

Hebi-Na hung her head.

"Is there some higher force at work?" she asked. "Was I doomed since the day I was hatched? Did someone wager my soul on some celestial game of craps and lose?"

Wilhelm looked at her.

"_Gott würfelt nicht,"_ he said.

"Huh?" she replied.

"It's an old German phrase," he said, "attributed to Albert Einstein. Translated, it means 'God does not roll dice'.

"It's open to interpretation, like a lot of things he said. What I think it means is, nothing happens by chance, and there are causes for everything. No, Hebi-Na. Your soul was not wagered in a craps game. If you look hard, you can find reasons for everything bad that happened to you."

_That's it, Wilhelm, _thought Gears._ Confuse that big monstrosity that's doing this to her._

"Just off the top of my head, some reasons I can name include your oppressive culture and society, the tyrannical rule of your empress, and that accursed aboleth's desire to use you as a pawn.

"Maybe you and several other ophidia are victims in many ways. And it may not be too late...

"We can help you... You just have to accept it..."

Hebi-Na looked at him. She stopped crying.

Then Hamon let out the most ear-splitting roar yet. Clearly, it had been sickened by Wilhelm's speech.

"But there are some creatures that are just unreasonable..." said Wilhelm.

He quickly drew a card.

"Perfect... Time to end this... Dark Necrofear... Move to Attack Mode!"

Dark Necrofear stood up. (2,200 ATK)

"Now, I summon Prometheus, King of the Shadows!"

He played the card, and a muscular, humanoid Fiend, wearing a cape with his face hidden under a hood, appeared. (1,200 ATK)

Visions of the cards depicting all the Dark Monsters Wilhelm had used started to appear behind him: The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams, Helpoemer, The Earl of Demise, Duke of Demise, the Necro Soldiers, Sinister Sprocket, Puppet Master, Belial Marquis of Darkness, Dark Ruler Ha Des, Kuriboh, and Doomsday Horror.

"I'll remove all these Monsters from play again..." he said, "and for each one, Prometheus gains 400 Attack Points."

All the cards vanished into nothing. (6,400 ATK)

"Attack!" he shouted. "Destroy Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder!"

Prometheus shot a burning blast of dark fire from his palm. Hamon roared again. Cracks formed on its hide...

Then it exploded into pieces of tarnished gold metal.

"Dark Necrofear," he continued, "attack directly with Doom Murder Gaze!"

Dark Necrofear opened her eyes wide, and fired a blast of dark energy. Hebi-Na barely reacted as it struck her.

**(W: 800) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 2,600)**

"Now, my final Trap," he said, as his facedown card lifted up. "Escape From the Dark Dimension. I can now Special Summon one Dark Monster that has been removed from play."

Belial, Marquis of Darkness leapt out of the card, holding his rapier up high. (2,800 ATK)

He leapt at Hebi-Na, and made a slash at her with his weapon.

**(W: 800) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 0)**

Hebi-Na fell down like an empty bag.

There was a long, tense pause.

Ember was the first one to do anything. She walked up to the ophidia. Hebi-Na took some deep, gasping breaths as she sat up.

"Going to gloat?" she asked.

"I'm above that, Hebi-Na," said Ember. "Look, just turn yourself in. With all you've been through, I'm sure they'd be willing to accept a plea bargain this time."

"You... you think so?" asked Hebi-Na.

"Positive," said Ember. "Now hand over your sword and that key you were talking about, okay?"

Hebi-Na paused.

Then she reached to undo the buckle that held the sword's sheath in place...

Then something happened. She screamed, collapsed, and held her hands over her ears.

"NOOOO!" she pleaded. "You promised! PLEASE!"

"What's happening?" shouted Jinx.

"The Bells of Baphomet!" exclaimed Wilhelm. "That foul thing inflicted them upon her again! But how..."

Then he hit himself.

"Wilhelm, you idiot!" he said. "They never left! She said that it subjected her to them for an hour and then silenced them... It couldn't silence them, the curse is irreversible!

"It must have just turned on some magical damper that prevented her from hearing them!"

"And now it's turned the damper off..." said Gears.

"What can we do?" said Ember. "Hebi-Na? Can you hear me?"

Hebi-Na slowly got up. She looked at Ember.

"Ember..." she said weakly. "It's all over... You can't cure the Bells... I only have one way out now...

"You have to do it..."

"How?" said Ember. "What do I do?"

"You're armed, aren't you?" asked Hebi-Na.

Then exactly what Hebi-Na was asking her to do sank into Ember.

"Ergh..." said Hebi-Na, clutching her head.

"Here, I'll make it easier for you..."

She drew her sword, clumsily.

"You'll be able to call it self-defense..."

"Ember, wait!" said Wilhelm.

Everyone turned to Wilhelm. His eyes were glowing, and magical energy surrounded his hands.

"Wilhelm, you can silence the Bells?" asked Gears.

"No..." said Wilhelm, "but I'm not bad at bestowing curses either..."

He chanted an eldritch incantation in a language that they didn't understand. A wave of energy struck Hebi-Na, and she let out a gasp...

Then she dropped her sword, and fell on her stomach.

She was asleep. In a very deep sleep.

"What..." said Ember.

Wilhelm took a deep breath.

"A variation of the curse that the Old Fairy cast on Sleeping Beauty," he replied. "No spinning wheel or forest of thorns, but the same effect."

"You put her to sleep for a thousand years?" asked Jinx.

"I did what I had to," said Wilhelm. "While she's asleep, she can't hear the Bells, and she won't be found by their merciless demon.

"Let's hope that in her dreams she might find a small measure of peace..."

Shichiro hit a button on his mobile.

"Jalal?" he said. "I'm sending a prisoner to the infirmary...

"It's a very long story... And I'm afraid that the ending isn't a happy one..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

After a long explanation and a transfer, Shichiro hung up. Wilhelm was holding a star-shaped ornament that had appeared on the ground when his curse took effect. They assumed it was the key.

"So she can never wake up?" asked Ember.

"Not until someone finds a way to permanently silence the Bells of Baphomet," said Wilhelm.

"You don't seem optimistic," said Shichiro.

"I'm not," replied Wilhelm. "Since that terrible curse was first used on this world during the reign of Henry VIII, wizards and sages have been searching for a cure. They're no closer now than they were way back then."

"Poor Hebi-Na..." said Ember. "Funny... As bad as the ophidia can be... That aboleth is a much, much worse evil."

"At least the ophidia have an evil goddess directing them as an excuse," said Gears. "I don't even think the aboleth _have_ a god."

"Most of them don't worship any gods," replied Wilhelm. "Their memories stretch back further than the days before most gods came into being, and they can remember the events that gave rise to most of them, so they don't respect them. A few outcasts might revere Tharizdun, but..."

He stopped short. Everyone was looking at him with a look of horror.

"Oh yes..." he said with a chuckle. "You all think that name is bad luck... Ah, well... I've never been the superstitious sort..."

"People, lets stop mourning Hebi-Na and concentrate back on the job at hand..." said Shichiro. "We still don't know what's actually in the Earth Node...

"I think Hebi-Na may have been the prelude to an even darker story. We can only hope its outcome doesn't turn out how hers did..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SAD STORY – SORROWFUL MEMORIES (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image: **The petrified wing and tail of Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings in a dry desert.

**Card Description:** You cannot activate any other Spell Cards during the turn you activate this card. If either player draws a Monster Card during his or her Draw Phase, that card is sent back to the deck. The deck is then reshuffled.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SAD STORY – UNWAVERING TRUTH (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image: **The petrified corpse of Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings in a ruined city at night.

**Card Description:** You cannot activate any other Spell Cards during the turn you activate this card. If either player draws a Spell Card during his or her Draw Phase, that card is sent back to the deck. The deck is then reshuffled.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SAD STORY – DREADFUL DAY (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image: **The petrified wing of Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings near a mountain lake.

**Card Description:** You cannot activate any other Spell Cards during the turn you activate this card. If either player draws a Trap Card during his or her Draw Phase, that card is sent back to the deck. The deck is then reshuffled.

_Note: The Sad Story cards were used by Misty in the Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's episode "Truth and Consequences (Part 1)". Creative Credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUKE OF DEMISE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,000  
**DEF:** 1,700

**Card Description:** _Headless Knight + The Earl of Demise_

This card cannot be destroyed by battle. During each of your Standby Phases, pay 500 Life Points. If you do not, destroy this card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**NECRO SOLDIER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** If you control this face-up card during your opponent's Standby Phase, you may Special Summon 1 "Necro Soldier" from your hand or deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPIRIT SHIELD (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image: **An aura of ectoplasmic energy deflecting a blast of light.

**Card Description:** If you have no Fiend or Zombie-Type Monsters in your Graveyard, destroy this card. When your opponent declares an attack, you may remove one Fiend or Zombie-Type Monster in your Graveyard from play to negate the attack and end the Battle Phase.

_Note: "Duke of Demise", "Necro Soldier", and "Spirit Shield" were used by Bakura at various times during the original anime's "Dawn of the Duel" arc. Creative credit goes to the writers._

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**Next: **

**Jinx: The Earth Node is truly a den of Evil. After avoiding the Primals' traps and hazards and making our way to the central chamber, who do we find guarding the main altar? Soth, but he's changed, and not for the better. I have to take him on in one more duel, but not only has his deck been improved, but it hides a powerful new addition, one strangely linked to the Signers' victory over the Earthbound Gods!**

"**Shifting Shadows" is coming soon.**

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_And now, the final Shadowchasers Files..._

**Shadowchasers Files**

**The Doomdreamers: Servants of the Mad God**

Who is the worst enemy that the Shadowchasers must face? That's a matter of opinion, and many options much be considered. Atropus the World Born Dead was probably more powerful than any other foe they ever faced, and could have destroyed the world, but they're reasonably sure that it will never come back.

One menace that threatens the world which the Shadowchasers must face again and again are the Doomdreamers, the cult of the Mad God, Tharizdun.

The name Tharizdun is rarely spoken. Most call him the Dark God, the Dark One, the Chained God, and occasionally by his pseudonym the Elder Elemental Eye. (But only a few know that that's a pseudonym. Most believe that the Elder Elemental Eye is a separate entity.) Tharizdun's goal was to destroy all of existence. He was insane, of course, and because absolutely no other god would benefit from his plan, all of them, even the most evil ones, formed an alliance, defeated him, and sealed him away in a prison demiplane. He remains there to this day, but his worshippers remain, and their goal is to break him out.

It would be wrong to call the entire cult of Tharizdun Doomdreamers. Actually, only the elite members of the cult, the leadership, have the right to call themselves by that title. Most of the cult is full of humans and Shadowkind who join such groups for the typical reasons – a rebellious attitude, a spoiled nature, or a grudge against society. The cult _never_ brainwashes anyone into joining. The cult learned from the Society of Light that a brainwashed cultist might come to his senses, and then become a terrible enemy.

Of course, these rank and file cult members rarely ever know much about the cult's true plans or activities. They just do what superiors tell them to, and these superiors pass down orders from _their _superiors. Only the actual Doomdreamers are truly privy to the plans of the cult, and how they go about them.

Becoming a Doomdreamer has nothing to do with merit or experience. Tharizdun himself chooses the members of this elite group. If a member of the cult expresses interest in actually freeing Tharizdun and is not scared away by some of the most gruesome rituals, the god may think he or she has what it takes. It all starts with a nightmare in which the candidate is contacted by the dark god himself. (This is where the name 'Doomdreamer' comes from, in fact. The name is actually an informal version of a much longer title.) If certain tests are then passed, the candidate becomes a Doomdreamer, and his communing with his god becomes more frequent.

Some would say that you'd have to be insane to want to go far in this cult (Tharizdun will obviously try to destroy all of existence again if he is freed) but the truth is, that's the whole point. Every high-ranking member of the cult is insane to a certain degree. Some are archetypal mad cultists. Others are the type who you'd never know are crazy until they were caught up in a fight. Some are sadistic, and even more are masochistic. Those who equate pain with pleasure are powerful foes, because hurting them only makes them tougher.

The current leaders of the Doomdreamers are the Triad, the cult's three most powerful members. They've held this position for as long as anyone can remember, and no-one expects them to be replaced any time soon. Exactly where their base of operations is isn't known. They are very rarely seen in person, most often using technology and magic to project their images to the other Doomdreamers from this location. Often they are seen in a dark room where they each have their own throne.

The First is an exiled Incantifer, who is said have power in sorcery that is second only to Maskent. He has been with the cult longer than any other living member; he claims that he can remember a time when Tharizdun was freed, but this is a lie.

The Second is an aboleth, also an exile. Although it has not been a member of the cult for as long as the First, it is far older than him, and it actually _can _remember the days when Tharizdun was free. Curiously, the Second has made more personal appearances than the other two members of the Triad, although no-one ever wants it to visit – it almost always kills at least one cult member for some reason before it leaves.

The Third, the youngest member of the Triad, is only twenty-five years old, but those who underestimate her magic are blown away by her mastery of Wind Magic. It is said that not even the Bride and Lord of the House of the Howling Gale working _together_ were able to defeat her in a wizards' battle (they currently have a rich bounty on her head for the humiliation, but she could care less). She is actually a wind genasi (a type of Shadow-touched whose Shadowkind parent was an elemental spirit) who was raised in the court of Yan-C-Bin, the Wind Elemental Lord of Evil.

**Story Ideas:** Authors are encouraged to plan long and plan well before using the Doomdreamers. They are madmen who worship one of the darkest forces in the cosmos. The Doomdreamers know that their plans might not come to fruition in their lifetimes, but they don't care. They also know that if Tharizdun's goals succeed, not even they will survive. They don't care. Why do they do what they do? Doomdreamers are not only mad, they are chosen ones of a god that is also mad. It is a _special_ madness.

Doomdreamer schemes rarely make sense, and could involve almost any endeavor. They might be looking for some artifact that was lost ages ago, or be trying to summon some demon that knows something they could benefit from. Not all their plans work (madness has its downside) but sometimes they have explosive results.

The Shadowchasers might find allies when opposing the Doomdreamers that would otherwise be enemies. Followers of virtuous gods like St. Cuthbert's house are sure to want to help, but so will the cults of more sinister gods, like the Beloved and even the Sons of Tyranny. No god, not even the most evil, wants the followers of Tharizdun to succeed. They can remember what Tharizdun did when he was free, and know that he would see them all dead in an instant.

It's rumored that the Dread Emperor may be an ally of the Doomdreamers. This may just be a rumor, however.

**Deck Suggestions:** Lower-ranking members of the cult tend to use decks that pay homage to Tharizdun's identity as the Elder Elemental Eye. They use themes that focus on Earth, Water, Wind, or Fire. This opens a lot of possibilities, but most have at least a slightly sinister theme. A cultist using a Fire Deck might use Volcanics and concentrate on getting Volcanic Doomfire out quickly, while one using an Earth theme might use defensive Rock Monsters and the Acidic Downpour Field Spell.

True Doomdreamers have different tastes. They are more likely to use cards that are designed to inflict the most pain possible. They use a lot of Marik's cards, including Nightmare Wheel, Lava Golem, Plasma Eel, Drillago, and Viser Des. In addition, some of the more experienced Doomdreamers (mostly the ones that are most insane) are able to create Shadow Duels, making them terrible opponents in this regard.

The gods alone know what kind of decks the Triad use.


	60. Shifting Shadows

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL SIXTY**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shifting Shadows**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

As Hebi-Na had warned, twenty feet into the cavern entrance they found the tunnel bricked up with stone and mortar. However, shining their flashlights on the wall revealed an indentation that matched the shape of the amulet that Heb-Na had dropped.

Wilhelm touched the amulet to the indentation, and the wall became transparent, and then simply faded away. They walked through, into a dark cavern. The wall reappeared behind them.

"No keyhole on this side," muttered Jinx, shining her flashlight behind them.

"Then we'd best succeed and destroy the Node's power source," replied Gears.

Wilhelm gestured, and a flame appeared in his hand. He turned to the wall, and saw a torch in a holder.

Lighting it caused a reaction that lit every torch in the room, and several more down a hallway in front of them.

They all gave a cry of surprise. Surrounding them were alcoves, each one containing an ancient skeleton, some wearing armor, others were wearing jewelry.

"These corpses..." said Ember. "Are they the Primals... Or their victims?"

"Impossible to say..." said Gears.

He took out a small device and turned it on. Shichiro turned on a similar device. Both of them started to beep, and a light on both flashed.

"Seems we're in the right place," said Gears. "This place is the Earth Magic mother lode."

"This sensor is burying the needle too," added Shichiro. "The negative energy here is overwhelming... This place is a virtual chill grill."

"So, forward?" asked Jinx, looking down the corridor.

"I don't trust that corridor..." said Wilhelm.

He dug into his pocket and took out a coin. Then he tossed it into the corridor.

SMASH! A stone column came crashing down in the center of the corridor where he had tossed the coin.

"Booby trap," said Wilhelm. "Figures..."

"So how do we get by?" asked Ember.

Wilhelm shone his flashlight on the runes above the door.

"Well, there must be some way to shut it off," he said. "The Primals wouldn't have built a place that even they couldn't traverse safely...

"A simple Legend Lore divination on these runes..."

He chanted something in the Gaelic tongue, closed his eyes, and held his forehead.

"Ah, I've got it!" he said.

Then he started saying something. It sounded sort of like dwarven, but rougher and deeper. The corridor glowed with a green light.

"Trap deactivated," he said.

He walked forward, and sure enough, the trap didn't react.

"What was that thing you said?" asked Shichiro, as the followed him.

"A universal planar greeting spoken in Terran," replied Wilhelm. "The language of Elemental Earth. Some say that the dwarven tongue was derived from it, but if so, that was many eons ago."

They exited the corridor into another room, where the floor was apparently bare soil.

"Hold it," said Shichiro. "I've got bad vibes coming from this..."

As soon as he said this, five lumps of soil rose from the floor, growing until they were man-sized... The Shadowchasers drew their swords.

The lumps quickly grew arms, legs, and a head each, and they all made horse roars.

"What are they?" shouted Jinx.

"Earth elementals!" answered Sorsha.

"And given the negative properties of this place," said Gabriel, "they likely have an evil nature."

"I don't think we'll be able to duel our way past these guys..." said Wilhelm, as his hands started to glow.

He threw up his hands, and two bolts of burning lightning flashed from them...

But to his surprise, they didn't seem to even dent the elementals.

"More bad news," said Wilhelm. "The Node seems to give these creatures a powerful resistance to magic. And I'll wager it makes them pretty strong too."

"Well, ain't that peachy..." said Gears.

He confronted one of them, and made a cut with his sword. He lopped off the creature's arm.

The elemental paused. Then a new arm quickly grew from where the severed one had been. It glared at Gears.

"Uh..." said Gears.

He was thrown backwards as the creature slugged him.

"We need a different approach people!" he groaned, as he got up. "Swords aren't gonna cut it against things made of dirt!"

Then Shichiro's Duel Disk started to glow.

In a flash of light, Trymus appeared in front of him. The elementals howled, as if his mere presence pained them.

"All things have their opposites," said the Titan. "And Wind opposes Earth, eroding it and tearing it down."

He gestured, and a windstorm erupted in the room. The five elementals moaned, and as Trymus said, were blown apart, scattered like sand castles on a windy day.

"How'd we ever manage without you guys?" asked Shichiro.

They looked around. The room had three exits. One to the left, one to the right, and one ahead.

Wilhelm concentrated.

"That way," he said, pointing right.

"You sure?" asked Ember.

"It seems both the source of the Earth Magic and negative energy is coming from that direction," said Wilhelm. "Odds are, it's the power source of the Node.

"Let's be careful. I'd wager that the guardian this time is something capable of coherent thought."

They slowly walked down the corridor. As they did, their flashlights cast creepy shadows on the walls. Odd roots protruded from the walls and ceiling.

"Anyone want to make some root beer?" asked Jinx.

"Be serious, Jinx," said Shichiro, as they walked into another dark chamber.

Then they were startled as the chamber lit up, illuminated by hundreds upon hundreds of candles. More alcoves holding skeletons were in the walls, and these seemed to be better dressed than the ones in the entrance hall. An ominous altar of black stone was in front of them, and behind it was a large crystal, about six feet in height and three in width, that was the color of a bruise. A slight violet glow came from the crystal's core.

Standing on the altar was someone they recognized only too well...

"Soth!" exclaimed Jinx.

"Yes, Miss Noriko, it is I," said Soth, sarcastically. "How awfully perceptive of you..."

He clearly wasn't in a very good mood. He seemed genuinely upset for some reason.

"Why are you here, Soth?" asked Shichiro.

"Because of the nature of my punishment for losing last time," replied Soth. "My powers, my ability to tap the Power Primordial, is now all dependent on the Earth Node. If I leave the Node, I become powerless."

"Uh..." said Gears. "Did the aboleth do this to the other Paragons?"

"How should I know?" asked Soth. "We haven't been allowed to speak to each other."

"People..." whispered Shichiro. "This is our big chance... If we wreck the Earth Node's power source, Soth will be helpless. We'll be able to take him into custody like a penny-ante pickpocket!"

"I heard that, and it's not gonna happen!" shouted Soth.

He gestured, and his evil-looking Duel Disk appeared on his arm.

"I intend to hold onto my power for as long as possible," he said. "It's all I have left. And being bound to this Node and being forced to guard it may be boring, but it has its upside.

"I can now create even deadlier Shadow Duels than before. Plus, my deck contains a beast so wicked, I would never have been able to command it without the power from the Node.

"And it's not like destroying the power source will be easy anyway... That big gemstone behind me is the generator. Not only do you have to get by me to get to it, it's as hard as diamond, and it regenerates any damage done to it."

This last comment went unheard by everyone except Wilhelm. Everyone else was trying hard to think of what kind of Monster could possibly be lurking in Soth's deck. When you tallied up all the infamous demons and other horrible Monsters that had appeared in the history of the game, the Earth Attribute kind of came up short.

"So..." said Soth. "You can duel me... Or you can just turn around and go home. I won't stop you."

Jinx stepped forward.

"I'll duel you, Soth," she said. "Let's see once and for all who can truly harness the power of Earth better."

Soth chuckled.

"Then don't say I didn't warn you," he said.

The two Duel Disks activated. As they did so, Wilhelm gestured, and a leather-bound book appeared in his hand. He opened it and skimmed the pages.

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Soth: 8,000)**

"Here's a preview," said Soth, making his first draw.

"I summon Mezuki!"

The ground in front of him churned, and the horse-headed, axe-wielding demon crawled out of the ground. It shook the dirt from its shoulders, and let out a roar. (1,700 ATK)

"Lovely," said Shichiro, nervously.

He clearly remembered the Yokai Deck.

"I end my turn," said Soth.

Jinx drew her sixth card, and looked over her hand.

"Come out, X-Saber Anabelera!" she shouted.

Anabelera leapt onto the field with a flip. She glared at Soth and his Monster. (1,800 ATK)

She lashed her whip, and Mezuki was blown to pieces.

**(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,900)**

Soth felt his cheek, where a small scratch had appeared.

"Not bad," he said. "But the real challenge has yet to start... Anything else?"

"No," said Jinx.

Soth made a draw.

"I summon Onagakokuba," he said.

There was a sound like the neighing of some demonic horse, and another demon burst out of the ground. Apparently, it _was_ a demonic horse, with sharp teeth and glowing eyes. (1,400 ATK)

"Now I use its effect," he said. "Once per round, I can toss a Zombie from my hand..."

He took Gozuki from his hand, and discarded it.

"...and this guy permanently gains 500 Attack Points."

(1,900 ATK)

"Attack! Flatten her X-Saber!"

Onagakokuba whinnied and bucked, and pummeled Anabelera with its front hooves. She fell over and shattered.

Jinx winced. She felt her own cheek, where a scratch had formed on it, just as one had appeared on Soth's following her attack. She kind of got the idea how this Shadow Duel was going to work...

"I'll throw a card facedown," said Soth, as he fit a card into his Disk, "and it's your move."

**(J: 7,900) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,900)**

Jinx made a draw.

She opened the Field slot of her Disk.

"Okay, Soth," she said, "I'm activating a Field Spell..."

"What, Gaia Power?" laughed Soth. "Don't you realize that my Monsters are as much Earth as yours?"

"This isn't Gaia Power," said Jinx, as she placed the card in the slot. "This is a card from my Side Deck that I put there specifically for duels like this..."

The dark altar faded away, and was replaced by a much more benign altar. The room they were in now looked like a grand cathedral made of a silvery, metallic substance. Behind Jinx was an altar with the X-Saber insignia on the bottom, with a large sword mounted above.

"Welcome to Saber Vault," she said. "Here, all X-Sabers gain 100 Attack Points times their Level, but lose the same amount from their Defense Scores. Now, granted, there are only four X-Sabers who benefit from this more than they do from Gaia Power, but it's a good card to have in case your opponent uses Earth Monsters.

"Anyway... I summon X-Saber Galahad!"

In a flash, the toad Warrior in plate armor leapt onto the field, brandishing his spear. (1,800 ATK) –) (2,200 ATK)

"And don't forget, Galahad gains an additional 300 Attack Points whenever he attacks a Monster.

"So... Attack Onagakokuba! Chivalrous blade!"

Galahad leapt at the Zombie horse, and his Attack Score rose to 2,500. He stabbed it with his weapon, and it burst into black shards of darkness.

"Ergh..." said Soth.

**(J: 7,900) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,300)**

"Okay, Miss Noriko..." he growled. "Now's where I get nasty..."

He drew a card. Then his facedown card lifted up.

"I pay 1,000 Life Points to activate Ghostly Reinforcements, and Special Summon two low-Level Zombies from my Graveyard."

Onagakokuba appeared first. (1,400 ATK) Then Gozuki also appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"Next, I use Gozuki's effect, to send Onmoraki to my Graveyard."

He took a card from his deck, and discarded it.

"Then, with two Zombies on the field, I can Special Summon THIS!"

There was an explosion of flames from the spot in-between the two Zombies, and a huge creature started to form...

"Kasha, the Fire Wagon!"

Jinx stepped back in fright. She remembered this creature from a previous duel a couple of months back. It looked like an old-fashioned gypsy wagon, with a demon's face on the front, and burning wheels.

Kasha's front window slowly started to open...

"When Kasha is summoned," said Soth, "all other Monsters are sent back to the owners' decks...

"Black Gate!"

There was a powerful suction, and Onagakokuba, Gozuki, and Galahad were drawn through the Fire Wagon's front window.

"Jinx..." gasped Ember.

"That's not all," said Soth. "Its Attack Score is 1,000 for every Zombie that I sent back to the decks."

(2,000 ATK)

"Like I said, now's where I get nasty... Attack directly! Inferno wheel!"

Jinx braced herself as Kasha's two wheels were propelled at her like flying rotary saws. Despite her best efforts to stay standing, she fell over.

Jinx took a deep breath. She felt her torso... Her shirt had been torn, and two nasty scars were on her abdomen.

She slowly got up, sweat pouring from her brow.

**(J: 5,900) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,300)**

She drew a card.

She looked at her hand, which consisted of X-Saber Axel, X-Saber Passiul, Shrink, Morphing Jar, and Wild Nature's Release.

_Crap... _she thought._ I have nothing that can defeat Kasha, even with Saber Vault and Shrink combined!_

She took Morphing Jar and the two Spell Cards, and set them on her Disk. The three cards appeared in front of her, all reversed.

_Let's just hope he doesn't summon another Monster,_ she thought.

Meanwhile, Sorsha was talking to Wilhelm.

"Any luck finding a way to smash that crystal?" asked the familiar. "Jinx isn't doing too hot over there..."

"Well..." said Wilhelm, not looking up from the book, "normally if I wanted to destroy a big, magical gemstone that had the hardness of diamond, I'd cast Transmute Rock to Mud, which would melt it into a big pile of inert ooze."

"So then do it already!" said Sorsha.

"Have you forgotten where we are?" asked Wilhelm. "Transmute Rock to Mud is an Earth Elementalist spell. In this place, all such spells that are cast without protection are likely to become corrupted and cause some bad effect.

"It might cause a lethal wild surge... Or summon even stronger elementals, or even one of the dreaded Dark Stone Acolytes... Or if we're _really _unlucky, it will attract the attention of Ogremoch himself.

"The only way to safely cast an Earth Elementalist spell here is to set up a ward of positive energy that can counter this place's aura of negative energy. Finding a way to do it might take some time..."

"My move..." said Soth, making a draw.

"I play my Foolish Burial Spell Card," he said, playing a card.

He took another card from his deck, and discarded it.

"Next, I set a facedown card..."

A reversed card appeared behind Kasha.

"...and then summon Karakasa."

As he played the card, the most unlikely Monster of all appeared in mid-air. It at first looked like nothing more than an old umbrella. Then it opened, and sported eyes and a long tongue. (800 ATK)

"An umbrella?" said Jinx.

"It will get the job done," said Soth. "I'm sending it and Kasha to the Graveyard..."

The two Zombies vanished.

"...to Special Summon Nine-Tailed Fox _from_ my Graveyard."

In another burst of fire, the beautiful but sinister-looking kitsune appeared in front of him. (2,200 ATK)

"And when it's summoned this way, it gains a trampling effect."

_Ho boy..._ thought Jinx.

Nine-Tailed Fox's tails darted forward like spears, impaling the grinning Morphing Jar. Jinx tumbled backwards, falling on her behind.

**(J: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,300)**

Soth laughed as he discarded his one card.

"The hardest part of the duel," he chuckled. "Good thing for you, you landed on your softest..."

Jinx scowled. She discarded her two remaining cards, and they both made five draws.

Soth made a slight smirk.

"I'll set another card facedown," he said, "and end my turn."

Another set card appeared next to the first one.

Jinx quickly drew a sixth card.

"I summon XX-Saber Fulhelmknight!" she shouted.

With a flash of energy, the young, dagger-wielding X-Saber leapt from the altar of Saber Vault. (1,300 ATK) –) (1,600 ATK)

"Trap Card, activate," said Soth, as one of his facedown cards lifted up.

"Huh?" said Jinx, looking at it. "Cloning?"

"That's right," said Soth. "This Trap conjures up a Clone Token, a duplicate of the Monster you just summoned."

A doppelganger of Fulhelmknight appeared next to Nine-Tailed Fox. (1,300 ATK)

"Of course," continued Soth, "the Clone Token can only exist so long as the real Fulhelmknight stays around…"

Jinx's eyes narrowed.

_I don't know what he plans to do with that phony Fulhelmknight, _she thought,_ but I have to get rid of Nine-Tailed Fox now._

One of her set cards lifted up.

"I activate Shrink!" she shouted.

Nine-Tailed Fox shrank to half its size. (1,100 ATK)

"Fulhelmknight, destroy it!" shouted Jinx. "Flashing daggers!"

Fulhelmknight leapt at the Zombie fox, hurling a volley of glimmering shards. The Yokai shattered into pixels.

"I activate Nine-Tailed Fox's other effect," said Soth. "I Special Summon two Fox Tokens in Defense Mode."

Two small foxes appeared where the big one had been. (300 DEF)

Jinx sighed. She fit a card into her Disk, and a new reversed card appeared.

"I end my turn," she said.

**(J: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,800)**

Soth grinned evilly as he made a draw.

"Time to bring out my secret weapon," he said. "First, I activate Call of the Haunted."

His other facedown card lifted up, and Onmoraki appeared. (1,200 ATK)

"Due to its effect, I get to make one draw."

He drew a card.

"Then, I sacrifice my Clone Token and one Fox Token..."

The two Tokens turned into a glob of dark shadow.

"...to summon Emissary from Pandemonium!"

The Monster that appeared was a hideous-looking Fiend. It looked like a demonic dog, with large horns growing out of its neck, a ridge of knife-like blades down its back, and piercings with chains attached to them. (2,600 ATK)

"Oh no, not another Dark Tuner!" cried Ember.

"Calm down, Ember," said Gears. "That thing may look nasty, but I happen to know that it's just a regular Tuner. It isn't even a Dark Monster.

"Still… It is Level 7, which means it can only be used to summon very powerful Synchro Monsters…"

"There are always ways of working things out, Gears," said Soth.

He played another card.

"I play the Equip Spell, Dark Desire! By Equipping it to Emissary from Pandemonium, I can raise its Level as much as want, so long as I pay 500 Life Points per Level I increase it.

"So I'll pay 500 Life Points to bring it up to Level 8.

"Dark Desire also lets me use it as either a true Tuner or a Dark Tuner, whichever I desire.

"So... By subtracting my Level 1 Fox Token from my Level 8 Emissary, I can bring out my secret weapon..."

Emissary from Pandemonium turned into eight glowing stars, which circled around the Fox Token...

Then, the Token burst, and the stars turned into seven dark stars, which started to circle around Soth...

"_When the Shadows are devoured by even darker Shadows, the curtain is pulled back to reveal… a world without light!"_

A very large shape started to take form, and all the humans in the room were shocked when they saw what it looked like. They didn't think this was possible...

It looked almost exactly like the Ancient Fairy Dragon, the Signer Dragon belonging to Ruka, at least in body shape. But rather than being rainbow colored and radiating an aura of light and warmth, it was colored by hues of black and grey, and was surrounded by an aura of shadow and chilling cold.

"I give you..." said Soth, _"Dark Fairy Dragon"_!

(2,100 ATK)

"Uh, since when did Ancient Fairy Dragon have an evil sister?" asked Ember.

"She didn't!" exclaimed Shichiro. "I mean...

"Where did this thing come from?"

"That's what I want to know, Soth!" demanded Gears. "Where did this abomination come from? Did the Dark Signers create it as part of some plan they would implement after Ruka was done away with?"

"You presume too much!" laughed Soth. "The Dark Signers had nothing to do with this Dark Synchro. It's a little something the boss was saving for a special occasion.

"But anyway...

"Dark Fairy Dragon... Attack Fulhelmknight! Eternal night!"

The dark imposter let out a scream, and shot a blast of pure darkness at the young X-Saber...

"I activate Fulhelmknight's effect!" shouted Jinx. "Just once, she can deflect one attack!"

Fulhelmknight lifted her hand, and the darkness was halted by an invisible shield.

"Ah, well..." said Soth. "Maybe next round... I end my turn..."

**(J: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,300)**

"How's it going, Wilhelm?" said Shichiro. "Not to rush you, y'know, but..."

"I'm trying, Mr. Osaka," replied Wilhelm, "but it's difficult. Every time I try to erect an aura of positive energy, the negative energy of this place extinguishes it!

"The Primals were all better wizards than I was... And even though they're dead, trying to overcome their magic is daunting..."

"My draw!" said Jinx, drawing a card.

She quickly played a card, and X-Saber Urz appeared next to Fulhelmknight. (1,600 ATK) –) (2,000 ATK)

Then the two X-Sabers turned into seven glowing stars that flew towards the ceiling of Saber Vault.

"_Power gained from primal rage, nature spirits bestow your gifts on your chosen ones! Clustering stars light the way to victory on the battlefield! _

"_Fight on… X-Saber Urbellum!"_

Urbellum leapt from the altar with a roar. (2,200 ATK) –) (2,900 ATK)

"Urbellum, destroy that abomination!" she ordered. "Saber sword-slash!"

Urbellum drew his blades, and made a rush at the fake Fairy Dragon. He hit it dead in the center with one blade...

"I activate its effect!" laughed Soth. "By sacrificing another Monster, I can not only protect Dark Fairy Dragon, but I can cut your Life Points in half!"

Onmoraki vanished, and Jinx screamed as she was hit by a tremendous backlash of energy. She was thrown backwards, her clothes even more torn, and scorch marks on her skin.

"Jinx!" shouted Gabriel.

"Gabriel, no!" shouted Jinx. "If you heal me and I lose anyway, it will have been a waste... I'll be fine..."

"That didn't make sense!" exclaimed Shichiro. "That effect was even _remotely _similar to the real Ancient Fairy Dragon's effect!"

"Maybe that's the whole point…" said Gears. "I don't know how that thing created this evil imposter, but maybe when it did, it just said, 'the Hell with it, it doesn't have to make sense'."

**(J: 2,150) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,500)**

Jinx slowly got up.

"I set one more card facedown, and end my turn," she said, as a third reversed card appeared. "Do your worst."

Soth made a draw.

"My worst, huh?" he said. "Okay...

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon. I'm getting sick of this blasted Field Spell, so goodbye!"

He played the card, and a tornado erupted in Saber Vault. The whole cathedral cracked and then shattered like glass. Urbellum's Attack Score fell to 2,200.

"Next, I remove Mezuki from play to Special Summon Onmoraki from my Graveyard."

Onmoraki appeared once again. (1,200 ATK)

"I get to draw one more card..."

He made a draw.

"...and it seems I can use it right away!" he said, taking it and another card. "I first play Fiend's Sanctuary."

He played the Spell Card, and a Metal Fiend Token appeared next to Onmoraki. (0 ATK)

"Then, I sacrifice my Token and Onmoraki..."

The two Monsters turned into a ball of glowing light.

"For the mighty Daidarabotchi!"

With an earsplitting roar, the huge, hulking, giant Yokai appeared in front of him. (2,900 ATK)

"This is bad…" said Shichiro. "That walking landmass is the same card he beat me with…"

"Well, forget about doing the same thing this time," said Jinx, as one of her facedown cards lifted up. "I activate Threatening Roar!"

"You're no fun..." muttered Soth. "I end my turn..."

Jinx drew a card.

_Seems that in order to defeat that that thing, I have to attack it when he has no other Monsters, _she thought._ And I think I have a way to do it..._

One of her remaining two facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Limit Reverse," she said. "I'll bring X-Saber Axel back from my Graveyard."

Axel appeared in front of her. (400 ATK)

"Then, I'll sacrifice him..."

Axel vanished into grains of light.

"...for XX-Saber Gardestrike."

The panther-like Beast-Warrior holding his long scimitar appeared. He looked at the two behemoths, and made a scowl. (2,100 ATK)

Then Jinx's last facedown card, the one she had set when she set Morphing Jar, lifted up.

"I activate Wild Nature's Release!" she shouted. "Now, Gardestrike's Attack Score is boosted by his Defense Score!"

Gardestrike let out a mighty roar. (3,500 ATK)

"Gardestrike, slay his Daidarabotchi!" she shouted.

The X-Saber flew at the giant, and hit it with his scimitar so hard that the whole room shook. Daidarabotchi just stared at the Beast-Warrior with a dumb expression for a moment...

Then it teetered, and then fell with a crash, shaking the room again.

"Heh..." said Gears. "Like a dinosaur... Took a few seconds to reach its brain..."

"All right!" shouted Jinx. "Urbellum, let's try this again! Attack Dark Fairy Dragon! Take it down!"

Urbellum made a leap at the Dark counterpart. The evil imposter let out a panicked shriek...

Urbellum's sword made a savage cut down the middle, slicing the Dark Synchro clean in half. The remains exploded in a blast of flames and darkness.

"Curse you, Noriko!" shouted Soth.

He held his chest, where two large scratches had appeared on his stony skin.

**(J: 2,150) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 3,800)**

"I set two cards facedown, and end my turn," said Jinx, as two reversed cards appeared in front of her. "Unfortunately, that means, because I used Wild Nature's Release, Gardestrike has to leave."

Gardestrike shattered into pixels.

"This duel isn't over yet, Noriko," said Soth, as he made a draw. "I still have more Life Points than you..."

A Spell Card appeared.

"I play Burial from a Different Dimension. I can now return Mezuki to my Graveyard.

"But, I'm removing it from play again, to Special Summon Karakasa to the field."

The haunted umbrella appeared again, and folded itself. (0 ATK)

"Why that one?" asked Jinx.

"You'll see," said Soth. "I set a Monster, and end my turn."

A reversed Monster appeared next to the possessed bumbershoot.

Jinx drew a card.

"XX-Saber Emmersblade, come on out!" she said.

In another aura of energy, the large, caped praying mantis appeared. (1,300 ATK)

"Urbellum, you first," she said. "Take out that mystery Monster."

Urbellum made a rush for the card. Crow Tengu appeared on the card, and with one swipe of the X-Saber's blade, was cut down.

Emmersblade leapt at Karakasa, and tore the haunted umbrella to pieces with one wipe of his claw.

"Thank you..." said Soth. "When Karakasa is destroyed by battle, I can take two more, and set them on the field."

He threw two cards on his Disk, and two set Monsters appeared in front of him.

Jinx sighed.

"I end my turn," she said.

Soth made a draw. He smirked slightly as he looked at it.

_Did he get a good draw?_ thought Jinx.

Soth put that card aside, and took his other two cards.

"I play Monster Reincarnation!" he said, playing one of them. "I'll ditch this other card..."

He discarded the other card, a second Emissary from Pandemonium.

"...and get Daidarabotchi back."

The card slipped out of his discard slot.

"Now, I'll sacrifice my two Karakasa to summon it!"

The two reversed Monsters vanished. Jinx went to activate her facedown card.

Then she stopped.

_Think I'll wait,_ she thought.

The giant Yokai appeared again. (2,900 ATK)

"Daidarabotchi, flatten X-Saber Urbellum!" commanded Soth. "Earth-shattering strike!"

Daidarabotchi roared, and charged at Urbellum, making the ground tremble.

"I activate Staunch Defender!" shouted Jinx, as one of her facedown cards lifted up. "Now, Daidarabotchi will attack Emmersblade instead!"

Daidarabotchi's fist slammed into the Insect, blowing it into nothing. Jinx screamed and was propelled back ten feet.

**(J: 550) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 3,800)**

"Are you out of your mind?" said Soth. "Do you want to lose? That move cost you 1,600 Life Points when you could have lost only 700!"

Jinx slowly got up, holding her ribs. Her stomach was bruised and battered, and bruises were also on her arms and face.

"I know..." she groaned. "But the pain is worth it... To beat you...

"Emmersblade's effect activates... I can now Special Summon X-Saber Airbellum from my deck..."

The savage, bestial X-Saber appeared on the field. (1,600 ATK)

Soth frowned. He took his last card, the one he had drawn this turn, and set it in his Disk. A facedown card appeared.

"It's your move," he said.

Jinx quickly whipped the top card off her deck. She quickly played it.

"I Special Summon XX-Saber Faultroll!" she shouted.

Faultroll appeared, holding his broadsword up high. (2,400 ATK)

"Now, I Tune Urbellum and Airbellum together…"

Then two X-Sabers leapt towards the ceiling, and the room went dark. The three blazing suns appeared…

"Not so fast!" shouted Soth.

His facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Enma's Judgment!"

The dark ruler of the Underworld appeared behind him, and he held up five cards, Crow Tengu, Gozuki, and all three Karakasa.

"NO!" screamed Shichiro. "Jinx!"

"That's right…" said Soth, with a sinister smile. "I just remove these five Monsters from play, and…"

"And nothing," said Jinx, as her own facedown card shot up.

"Solemn Judgment!"

Lightning flashed, and the old man with a cudgel followed by two muses appeared.

"Sorry, pal… Enma only rules the Underworld. As such, his judgment can be appealed by the King of Heaven. I have to pay half my Life Points, but it's worth it."

Lightning flashed again, and Enma shattered into black shards.

"No…" said Soth. "You can't…"

Jinx ignored him as Urbellum and Airbellum turned into ten glowing stars.

"_Strength of legend, beauty beyond compare, entrusted by billions to carry their heritage, given the power unleashed at the moment of Creation! Mighty champion of a deceased race… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force… _

"_Synchro Summon, Shannalla the Fierce!"_

Shannalla landed, and looked Soth in the eye. (2,600 ATK)

Jinx took Urbellum from her discard slot, and Shannalla's Attack Score rose to 4,800.

"Attack Daidarabotchi!" she shouted. "Pouncing tiger rage!"

Shannalla leapt at the giant, and there was no delay this time. With one mighty smash, the huge Yokai was blasted into shards. Soth let out a scream.

"Faultroll, finish him off!" ordered Jinx. "Attack directly!"

Soth screamed again, as Faultroll's blade carved a huge scar across his torso. He fell over.

**(J: 275) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 0)**

Jinx held her chest. Mercifully, her scars and bruises started to fade, and her wounds started to heal.

"Damn you..." said Soth.

He started to glow with a red aura. The whole Node started to shake.

"I'll kill you all! Even if I take myself out with you!"

"Any time now, Wilhelm!" shouted Gears.

"I'm trying!" said Wilhelm. "But the Node has doused every aura I've tried to erect..."

Then the four Titans appeared around Wilhelm, Jetta and Il Mathman to his right side, and Shannalla and Trymus to his left.

"Of course!" he exclaimed. "I'll cast it under _your_ positive energy aura! Let's see this place try to extinguish that!"

As the Node continued to shake, Wilhelm started to quickly cast the Transmute Rock to Mud spell. The evil crystal shivered, and glowed more intensely...

Then, finally, its glow went out, and it collapsed, turning into a morass of mud and ooze. The candles all went out, and the shaking stopped.

Soth groaned, and fell on his face.

Shichiro shined his light on the fallen Paragon.

"Soth," he said, "it's the end of the line. You're under arrest."

He lifted his own, much smaller gemstone and it glowed...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"So Jinx..." said Shichiro, as they walked out into open air. "Since when did you start using Solemn Judgment?"

"Oh, for about one day now..." said Jinx. "I figure with the odds getting bigger, I needed a few more powerful cards.

"So... one down, three to go... Uh, we did bring changes of clothes, right?"

"How did they make a Dark Synchro version of Ancient Fairy Dragon?" asked Ember. "And why wasn't its effect even close to the real thing?"

"Know who's effect reminded me of?" said Gears. "Cusillu, Demak's Earthbound God."

"That's because it _was_ Cusillu," said Wilhelm.

"HUH?" said everyone else.

"Well, let me explain," said Wilhelm. "What that thing was, more than likely, was a vestige. You see, whenever a powerful entity is vanquished or dies, its spirit is sometimes able to manifest itself as a vestige, a projection of itself. I believe that card was Cusillu's vestige. Somehow, the aboleth was able to capture it inside a card."

"So why did it take the form of an evil Ancient Fairy Dragon?" asked Ember.

"Who killed it in the battle with Demak?" asked Wilhelm.

"Uh... Ruka... Using Ancient Fairy Dragon..." replied Ember.

"Exactly," said Wilhelm. "It is said that when one sentient being is slain by another, the image of the killer is forever marked upon the victim's soul, like a still photograph. Ancient Fairy Dragon is at the front of Cusillu's mind, so its vestige takes a form similar to hers."

"Do you think the rest of the Paragons have these vestiges?" asked Jinx.

"Possibly," said Wilhelm. "But... At least they lack the more dangerous powers of the Earthbound Gods... The ability to attack directly, and avoid attacks."

"Still doesn't explain what Ancient Fairy Dragon has to do with the Earth Attribute," said Gears.

"Maybe it has something to do with her real effect," said Shichiro. "Something about Field Spells representing the land, which represent the Earth and... Oh, I dunno...

"But I do know that Stardust Dragon is Wind Monster, so if Rary is guarding the Wind Node and he has an evil version, we should go there next so I can take him on. I think I can handle any deck that tries to copy one of Yusei's cards."

"You sure?" asked Gears.

"Positive," said Shichiro. "Where's the Wind Node?"

Wilhelm gestured, and the map appeared again. A marker appeared in the middle of Asia.

"In Nepal," he said. "At the base of Mt. Manaslu."

"Mt. Manaslu?" asked Ember. "What's that?"

"Nepal has more mountains in it than Everest, Miss Eiko," replied Wilhelm. "Manaslu is the eighth tallest mountain in the world."

"Good thing we have to go to its base, and not its peak!" said Gears. "What are we waiting for?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ONAGAKOKUBA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,400  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description:** You can send one Zombie-Type Monster from your hand to the Graveyard to increase the ATK of this card by 500. This effect may be used once per round.

_Note: "Onagakokuba" was used by Misawa in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" Manga. Creative credit goes to the writers._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**KARAKASA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute:** Wind  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 800  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed as a result of battle, Special Summon up to 2 "Karakasa"s from your hand or deck in facedown Defense Position.

_Note: "Karakasa" was a creation of fanfic author Lux-Nero. Used with permission._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK DESIRE (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image: **A handsome, young man kneeling in front of a sinister-looking temptress who is beckoning him to rise. (When examined closely, the man looks very similar to Jack Atlas, while the temptress looks similar to Carly as she was when she was a Dark Signer.)

**Card Description:** Equip only to a Tuner Monster. Pay any number of Life Points when this card is activated, in increments of 500. For every 500 Life Points paid, the Equipped Monster's Level is increased by 1. The Equipped Monster may be treated as a Dark Tuner Monster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK FAIRY DRAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Dark Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** –7  
**ATK:** 2,100  
**DEF:** 3,000

**Card Description:** _1 or more non-Tuner Monster – 1 Dark Tuner Monster_

To Special Summon this card, subtract the Level of the Dark Tuner Monster used as Synchro Material from the combined Levels of the non-Tuner Monster(s) used. The value must equal the Level of this card. This card's name is treated as "Ancient Fairy Dragon". If this face-up card you control would be destroyed by battle, you can Tribute 1 other monster you control to prevent it from being destroyed, and halve your opponent's Life Points.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Shichiro: The Wind Node is just as dangerous as the Earth Node, and Rary is here, as we expected. But something happens in the duel that unfold that I clearly did not expect. Demons usually don't follow any rules… Were the rules regarding these Dark Synchro strategies totally without any rules whatsoever? There may be a method to this madness, and I have to get through this Shadow Duel to find it.**

"**Earthbound Whirlwind" is coming soon.**


	61. Earthbound Whirlwind

_Before this chapter gets underway, I'd like to remind everyone that the rules for duels in this fanfic still follow the September 2010 Lists, the ones that were in effect when this fic started, not the current Lists. A card is used in this chapter that is now illegal under the current Lists._

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL SIXTY-ONE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Earthbound Whirlwind**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunately for Jinx, the answer to her question about whether they had brought a change of clothes was "yes". And she needed it, along with the cold weather gear they had brought.

Nepal was a land of extremes. It had no less than five climatic zones, based on the altitude, from sub-tropical to Arctic. It also had five seasons, with the monsoon season between summer and fall. Fortunately, it was spring here right now, as it was in the rest of the Northern Hemisphere, but it didn't make the rocky area around Mount Manaslu, located in the west-central part of Nepal, any less chilly or windy.

Fortunately for the four Shadowchasers, the locals around Manaslu tended to be friendly towards Japanese hikers, who came to this area often. Just as Great Britain considered Everest to be "theirs", Manaslu was the territory of Japanese climbers. A few of the local farmers had heard rumors of a bricked-up cave on the base of the mountain's east slope, and with Wilhelm guiding them, the entrance to the Wind Node was easy to find. By the time they did, with the time difference, it was eight AM, the same day as it was in Japan.

"Be ready for anything, folks," said Wilhelm, as they approached the bricked-up wall. "I don't believe for an instant that security here is any more lax."

He touched the key to the indentation, and the wall vanished.

Once again, they entered a dark room. He didn't have to light the torches, because they lit automatically when they entered.

They looked around. On each wall except the one they came in was an archway that seemed to lead nowhere. Just three archways against the walls.

"What are these?" asked Shichiro.

"Teleporters," replied Wilhelm, rubbing his chin. "You walk through one, and you're in a different room in the compound."

"Then let's..." said Gears.

"Hold on..." said Wilhelm. "I've seen tricks like this before... Places like this sometimes use 'teleport traps'.

"You teleport blindly, you could wind up in a flooded room, or a room full of acid, or more likely in this case, one that causes a second teleportation that causes you to appear two-thousand feet above the ground outside."

His eyes glowed as he read the runes on the one in front of him.

"Stay away from this one," he said, pointing to a rune colored gold. "That's the Auran word for 'airless'. The room that leads to is a vacuum."

"Auran?" asked Ember, as Wilhelm examined another door.

"The language spoken by creatures of Elemental Air," said Sorsha.

Wilhelm's eyes glow again.

"Avoid this one too," he said, pointing to another rune. "It means 'poison'. The air is likely poisonous in the room where it leads."

"Then by process of elimination..." said Jinx, looking at the third door.

"Just to be safe," said Wilhelm, looking at it, as his eyes glowed again.

Then he started to speak an odd language. It sounded like a mellow breeze blowing through the forest.

Before everyone knew it, the room melted away, and a new room materialized around them.

"You think you can warn us before you do that again, Wilhelm?" asked Shichiro, holding his chest.

"Sorry!" he said.

Gears looked down the corridor. It was dark and dingy down that way.

"Man, why do cursed temples always have to be dark, scary places?" he said.

Wilhelm held up a torch, and it lit with a hasty incantation.

"Don't worry," he said, "I'll go first..."

As they started down the corridor, they started to feel it. First a draft, then a breeze.

"Keep going folks," said Wilhelm, "I think I see a room up ahead..."

Then the breeze turned into a full-fledged wind. Wilhelm's torch was snuffed out, but it didn't stop there. The wind intensified, and quickly became the strength of a storm. The five humans and the two spirits struggled against it.

"What is it?" shouted Ember.

They looked, and saw two glowing eyes up ahead at the source of the windstorm. Then they heard a laughter that sounded like the howl of a driving gale.

"It's a wind elemental!" shouted Wilhelm. "And a strong one too!"

"You think Trymus can help us with this?" asked Jinx.

"Not likely!" shouted Wilhelm. "Elementals are a case where you _definitely _do _not_ fight fire with fire!"

"Well, we gotta do something!" shouted Jinx.

Then she fell down. She was almost blown away, but Gears caught her hand.

Then Ember's Duel Disk glowed. Jetta flew out.

"Someone mention fire?" she asked. "Everyone, hold on tight..."

She erupted in an aura of flames, and flew towards the elemental.

"How is she going to stop it?" asked Jinx.

"I have no idea..." said Shichiro. "Wilhelm, does a wind elemental need oxygen, or..."

Then the room ahead of them erupted in a flashover of fire. The wind died down.

"Uh, no..." said Wilhelm, "but enough fire will hurt pretty much anything..."

They all walked into the room, where several tapestries, wooden chairs, and sarcophagi had been reduced to ashes.

"Uh..." said Jetta. "Guess I'm not much of an archaeologist..."

"That's okay," said Ember, as the Titan vanished.

"If you guys are through wrecking the furniture," said Rary's voice, "I'm in here..."

They looked at the doorway...

They cautiously walked though, and like before, the room was illuminated by thousands of candles. Rary stood at an altar similar to the first, with a strange object hovering over it. It looked like a sphere five feet in diameter, made of a seamless, silver substance. It pulsated with glowing energy.

Sorsha hopped on Wilhelm's shoulder.

"That thing must be the power source," whispered the familiar, "and it's a mortai's core. Transmute Rock to Mud isn't going to cut it this time. Any ideas?"

"I'm thinking..." said Wilhelm.

"So..." said Rary. "How many of the Paragons are dead so far?"

"None," replied Shichiro. "We're more merciful than your boss is. But Soth is jail, and we will extradite him when the request comes."

"Mmm..." said Rary. "Well, whatever he had, I assure you that what I have is a little more dangerous...

"And even if you defeat me, robbing me of my power won't be as easy..."

He pointed to the sphere.

"That's the core of a mortai, one of the cloud beings that populate the skies of the Beastlands. Beings of Wind so powerful, not even I would be able to defeat one. I have _absolutely_ no idea how the Primals managed to do it and then corrupt its core so it would power this place.

"But the fact is, they did. And it still contains a remnant of the charge of the mortai's life essence, which is very similar to an electrical charge. You so much as touch it, you'll get a shock with as much power behind it as a bolt of lightning."

"That's not good..." said Shichiro.

"But for now, Mr. Osaka..." said Shichiro.

He activated his demonic Duel Disk.

"...I've wanted to duel you for a long time... As you recall, our last confrontation was inconclusive... I want to settle it once and for all!"

"I can take you!" said Shichiro, as he activated his own Duel Disk.

_At least I hope I can... _he thought._ My duel with the aboleth was inconclusive too, and I lost the duel with Soth. _

_This is certainly going to be a Shadow Duel, and if I lose here, I may not get a chance to lose again!_

He paused.

_Most likely, his secret weapon is a Dark Synchro version of Stardust Dragon with Ccapac Apu's effect... If I just keep that in mind, I might get through this long enough to mount a counter-attack._

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Rary: 8,000)**

"You go first," said Rary. "I insist."

Shichiro made one draw.

He set a card on his Disk, and a set Monster appeared in front of him.

"That's all?" asked Rary, making a draw. "You must be losing your touch...

"I summon Slate Warrior!"

In a gust of wind, a weird-looking creature appeared. It had a bald, expressionless head, a golden breastplate over a green shirt, red pants, and yellow boots. It held a long staff with a knob on the end. (1,900 ATK)

"Let's see how tough your Monster is..." he said, as Slate Warrior pointed its staff at the facedown card.

The weird Fiend shot a ray of green energy at the reversed card. Command Knight appeared on the card, and blocked it with her shield. (1,900 DEF)

"Seems she's pretty tough," said Shichiro.

"Eh, I'll end with this," grumbled Rary, as a facedown card appeared behind Slate Warrior.

Shichiro made a draw.

"I play Six Samurai United," he said, as the Continuous Spell appeared in front of him. "Then, I summon Six Samurai – Kamon!"

In a blast of fire, the Six Samurai's demolitions man appeared in front of him. (1,500 ATK) –) (1,900 ATK)

"Seems we have a standoff, pal," he said. "I end my turn."

Rary chuckled.

"Not for long..." he said.

He drew a card.

"Slate Warrior, beat it," he said, as the Fiend vanished.

"I summon Raiza the Storm Monarch!"

A windstorm erupted on the field, as the twenty-foot-tall Monarch of Wind loomed over Rary. (2,400 ATK)

"Now, his effect sends one card to the top of your deck..."

Kamon vanished.

"Attack Command Knight! Imperial hurricane!"

The winds intensified, and shot a concentrated blast at Command Knight. She shattered into pixels.

"I set one more card, and end my turn," said Shichiro, as a second facedown card appeared.

"Dumb," said Shichiro. "If you had any sense you would have used its effect on Six Samurai United."

"Huh?" said Rary.

"This is one of the reasons they implemented Duel Monsters as the way of dealing with things," said Shichiro, as he made a draw. "Some folks think that it puts the Shadowchasers at a disadvantage... But in this game, lunatics like you packing the Power Primordial are forced to think rather than just destroy everything in sight, and it gives us a chance too.

"I summon Kamon again."

Kamon appeared again, looking ticked off. (1,500 ATK)

"Then, I send Six Samurai United to the Graveyard to draw two cards."

The Spell Card vanished, and he made two draws.

"Then, I play Double Summon!" he said, as a new Spell Card appeared. "Now, I can summon Six Samurai – Irou."

The blind, katana-wielding Samurai appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"And with both of them on the field, I can summon their liege... Appear, Great Shogun Shien!"

A bonfire erupted in front of Shichiro, and the mighty Shogun, clad in plate armor and holding his blazing sword, appeared. (2,500 ATK)

Shichiro's allies started to cheer.

"All right Shogun..." said Shichiro, "dethrone his Monarch with Sword of Burning Pride!"

Shien bellowed a war cry, and leapt at the Storm Monarch, made a swipe, and a follow through. Raiza groaned, and then fell, exploding in a burst of shards and feathers.

"Now it's time for Irou and Kamon to join in," said Shichiro.

The two Samurai leapt at the Paragon of Wind. Rary struggled to stay afoot as bombs thrown from Kamon exploded around him, only to be knocked down as Irou's katana sliced across his chest.

**(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 4,700)**

"Keep going, Mr. Osaka," said Wilhelm, who was skimming through another spellbook. "I might know something that can break that core up there... It's just a matter of translating this Supernal text."

"Supernal?" asked Ember. "What language is that?"

"Well, _supposedly _it's a language that the gods use among themselves, as well as their servants," replied Wilhelm. "That's what legends say, anyway. It's a difficult tongue to say the least...

"The thing about Supernal is, whether it's divine in nature or not, it is for all practical purposes, magical. If someone speaks Supernal to a listener who has never learned it, the listener hears it as his or her own language.

"Some legends say that all other languages were formed from Supernal."

"So you can speak this... Supernal?" asked Ember.

"Well, no..." replied Wilhelm. "Very few mortals can actually speak Supernal... But seeing as devils use it to communicate with mortals, I learned how to decipher it at least. And once I figure out this text I should know how this spell works, which I can cast, seeing as it's written in ordinary Latin."

Rary got up, and was clearly angry. His clothes were burned, and a large cut was across his chest.

"Fat chance!" he shouted. "Your spell would have to be able to kill a mortai to break this core, and like I said, not even I would be crazy enough to try to do that."

"I end my turn," said Shichiro.

"And before your turn ends, I activate this," said Rary.

One of his facedown cards lifted up.

"Fires of Doomsday. It lets me conjure up two Doomsday Tokens."

Two small creatures appeared in front of him. They each looked similar to the Token created by Fiend's Sanctuary, but were made of black fire, and each had one eye. (0 ATK x2)

_He could have used those to stop my direct attacks, _thought Shichiro._ Only one reason why he didn't..._

"Now, I'll draw," said Rary, drawing a card.

"I sacrifice both Doomsday Tokens..."

The two Tokens vanished.

"...for Dark Tuner Nightmare Hand!"

In an aura of shadowy energy, the same Dark Tuner that Taramanda had used in her first duel with Jalal appeared. (0/0)

"Now, I use its effect," continued Rary, "to Special Summon a Level 2 Monster from my hand... How's this for using my brain, pal?"

Shield Wing appeared on the field. It cowered in fright at the sight of the Dark Tuner. (0 ATK)

"Now, I subtract my Level 10 Nightmare Hand from my Level 2 Shield Wing."

Nightmare Hand burst into ten glowing stars. Shield Wing shrieked and covered itself with its wings as a dark shadow enveloped it.

Then, it was gone, and the stars turned into eight dark stars. Rary laughed hysterically.

"_When the Shadows are devoured by even darker Shadows, the curtain is pulled back to reveal… a world without light!"_

Shichiro stepped back as a large shape started to appear.

_All right! _he thought, nervously._ When he attacks, I can use my Samurais' effect, letting one of them take the fall for another. I'll still lose a Samurai, but I'll avoid the burn effect..._

Then the creature came into view... And it was the biggest surprise of the day.

It was indeed an evil version of a Signer Dragon... But not the one they had expected...

Many would have said that making Jack's Red Dragon Archfiend look even more sinister would be hard to do – it was an Archfiend, after all – but somehow, the aboleth had found a way. The thing in front of Shichiro had coal-black scales, not red at all, and even more horns and sharp ridges than the true signature Monster of the former Turbo Duel champion.

"I give you..." said Rary, "_Dark Dragon Archfiend_!"

(3,000 ATK)

"No... way..." said Shichiro.

"I believe the word I'm supposed to say is," said Rary, "way. Now, I'll activate this Trap Card..."

His facedown card lifted up.

"Interdimensional Matter Transporter! This causes my Monster to leave the field until the End Phase."

Dark Dragon Archfiend vanished in an aura scintillating lights.

"Why did I do that, you ask? Because, when Dark Dragon Archfiend leaves, all your Monsters are destroyed, and you lose 800 Life Points for each one!"

Shichiro screamed as an explosion erupted on his side of the field, and all three of his Monsters were blown to bits.

"That was Aslla piscu's effect!" exclaimed Wilhelm. "The hummingbird demon has formed a vestige in shape of Jack's Dragon!"

"No..." said Jinx. _"You think?"_

**(S: 5,600) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 4,700)**

Shichiro got up. He held his chest.

_Damn... _he thought._ I wasn't prepared for this..._

_What the Hell does Red Dragon Archfiend have to do with Wind?_

He paused for a minute.

_Probably the same thing Ancient Fairy Dragon has to do with Earth – almost nothing. If the aboleth had any sort of system to giving out these Dark Synchros, we're obviously not getting it..._

Meanwhile, Wilhelm rubbed his chin.

He had an idea about exactly what the connection was... It didn't make sense as far as Duel Monsters was concerned, but it was something...

"I end my turn, Mr. Osaka," said Rary, as the aura of light appeared again.

Dark Dragon Archfiend reappeared with a roar. (3,000 ATK)

_Gotta do something, or this is gonna be a very short duel,_ thought Shichiro, as he made a draw.

He set three cards on his Disk. Three set cards appeared, one in his Monster Zone, and two in his Spell/Trap Zone.

"End," he said.

"My draw..." said Rary, drawing a card.

"I summon Winged Sage Falcos."

In another gust of wind, a humanoid falcon appeared, wearing a noble's robe and a red fez. (1,700 ATK)

"Dark Dragon Archfiend, attack!" he shouted. "Dark Blazing Hell Flare!"

The wicked imposter launched a ball of flames so intense that Shichiro felt heat like a furnace when his Monster was burnt up.

"Skelengel's effect lets me draw one card," he said, making a draw.

"Pity..." said Rary. "Falcos could have handled that..."

Falcos flew towards Shichiro.

"...but I wasn't about to take any chances..."

The Winged Sage plunged its beak into Shichiro's shoulder, and he cried out in pain.

**(S: 3,900) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 4,700)**

Shichiro groaned and held his shoulder.

"All right!" he muttered. "My move..."

He made a draw.

"I summon Six Samurai – Zanji!"

In an aura of light, the Samurai holding the glowing naginata appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"Zanji, attack the Winged Sage! Rising sun strike!"

Zanji leapt at the Winged Beast, and brought his sword down on it, blowing it into an explosion of feathers.

"Next, I'll move to my second Main Phase," he continued, "and discard this card to Special Summon Quickdraw Synchron."

He discarded the card, and the cute android cowboy appeared. (700 ATK)

The lights on the Tuner's chest flashed, and the shooting gallery of Synchron Tuners appeared and began to spin. Quickdraw Synchron fired, putting a hole through Turbo Synchron's card.

"Now that that's done," said Shichiro, "I activate Call of the Haunted."

One of his facedown cards lifted up, and Tuningware leapt onto the field. (100 ATK)

"Now, I'll Tune it and Quickdraw Synchron together..."

The two Machines flew towards the ceiling, and faded into six glowing stars...

"_A powerful force thunders down the highway. Clustering stars form a path, and shift into high gear!_

"_Start your engine, Turbo Warrior!"_

Twin headlights flashed, and Turbo Warrior leapt onto the field. (2,500 ATK)

"I get to draw one card due to Tuningware's effect," said Shichiro, as he made a draw.

He looked at it.

"And I end my turn."

**(S: 3,900) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 4,700)**

Rary chuckled and made a draw.

"Dark Dragon Archfiend," he laughed, "destroy that oversized junk heap!"

The Dark Synchro roared...

"I activate... Covering Fire!" shouted Shichiro, as his other facedown card lifted up. "Now, Turbo Warrior gains attack points equal to Zanji's Attack Points!"

Turbo Warrior roared, and its Attack Score shot up to 4,300. It leapt at the Dark Synchro, and with one slash of its claw, blew the evil Dragon to pieces.

"Have you forgotten something?" asked Rary. "Like, what happens when Dark Dragon Archfiend leaves the field?"

"Oh no..." said Shichiro.

He screamed again as an explosion blew his two Monsters to pieces, and knocked him prone.

"Ouch..." he said.

"I'll set one card facedown, and end my turn," said Rary, as a reversed card appeared. "Let's see what other dumb mistakes you make."

**(S: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 3,400)**

_They aren't dumb mistakes, _thought Shichiro, as he slowly got up_. I came into this duel expecting a copy of Yusei's Dragon with Ccapac Apu's effect, not a copy of Jack's Dragon with Aslla piscu's effect..._

_Maybe that's my biggest weakness... I take too many things for granted. Maybe I've just got to learn that when dealing with some things, I can't trust my predictions. _

_Heck, that was the whole reasoning behind Duel Monsters being part of the Fair Fight Clause. You never know just what your opponent will have in his deck. If anything, a Shadowchaser is at a disadvantage in that matter, because before long, in his neck of the woods, his deck becomes too well-known!_

He stood up.

He drew a card.

_Shien's Footsoldier? Well, I can't exactly attack him with this, but it will help..._

He set both his cards on his Disk, and a Monster and another set card appeared.

"Your move..." he said.

Rary grinned as he drew a card.

"Come on out, Lady Ninja Yae!" he exclaimed.

As he played the card, a figure leapt from behind the altar, did a flip, and landed in front of him. It was a woman dressed in a purple bodysuit, with long, green hair. (1,100 ATK)

"Now, I activate... Graceful Revival," he said as his facedown card lifted up.

With a roar, Dark Dragon Archfiend appeared over the field again.

"No..." said Jinx. "Come on! Graceful Revival can only Special Summon Level 2 or lower Monsters!"

"True," said Rary, with a grin.

"He's... he's right..." said Gears. "That thing is Level –8! It can easily be summoned with Graceful Revival!"

"I'm not going to break the rules," said Rary, "but I'm not afraid to bend them as far as I can..."

Lady Ninja Yae leapt at the reversed Monster with her dagger drawn. As Shien's Footsoldier appeared, she stabbed it with her blade, and it shattered.

"I use Footsoldier's effect," said Shichiro, "to summon Samurai Yariza in Defense Mode."

Yariza appeared, kneeling and holding his spear in his lap. (500 DEF)

"Dark Dragon Archfiend, roast his Samurai!" commanded Rary.

The Dragon roared again.

"Dark Blazing Hell Flare!"

As the Dark Synchro blasted its attack, Shichiro's facedown card shot up, and Draining Shield appeared. The fiery blast of hellfire was deflected.

"Thanks..." said Shichiro. "I needed that..."

"Ooh!" said Rary, now even angrier. "Just make your move!"

**(S: 5,300) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 3,400)**

Meanwhile, Wilhelm finally deciphered the last crucial part of the Supernal text.

_Here we are... _he thought._ Hmm, easier than I thought... At least in this situation..._

"Sorsha, Gabriel," he whispered, "this spell is going to take a few minutes to cast, and I have to concentrate... Once I start, I can't stop. Make sure nothing interrupts me."

The two spirits saluted.

Wilhelm crossed his arms, closed his eyes and started to chant, in the old Latin tongue, softly so that no-one else would hear him.

Shichiro drew one card and looked at it.

Then he looked at Lady Ninja Yae.

_This Trap Card could really get me back in the game, _he thought._ Lady Ninja Yae has an effect that might be a concern, however..._

_If he discards a Wind Monster, she can blow all of my Spell and Trap Cards off the field, and that would be trouble..._

_But... Since he didn't do it last turn, I can only assume he doesn't have one, so I might have a slight edge..._

He set the card, and nodded.

Rary made a draw, and looked at it.

He rubbed his chin.

"Hmm... A dilemma..." he said. "I could use Yae's effect, and discard this Wind Monster to get rid of that card you just set...

"But... If I did that, I couldn't summon it...

"There is a solution to the problem... I can reduce the threat of your Trap considerably..."

He played a Spell Card.

"I wanted to delay using this as long as possible, but I might as well now..."

"Devil's Scream?" asked Shichiro.

He didn't like the look of the Equip Spell one bit.

"With this Equip, I can protect my Dark Synchro from _any_ targeting effect for the next two turns.

"So... Now that I've done that... I summon Sonic Shooter!"

In another gust of wind, a male Winged Beast with silvery wings and a muscular torso flew onto the field. (1,300 ATK)

"Oh, this is just lovely..." said Shichiro.

"But not for you," said Rary. "Yae, you first..."

Yae leapt at Yariza and gave him a kick in the teeth. He toppled backwards and shattered.

"Sonic Shooter, serrated sonic slash!"

The Winged Beast took off, flying towards Shichiro at high speed. Shichiro hardly saw what hit him, but knew he had been hit when his shirt tore and a claw mark appeared on his chest.

"And lest I forget..." said Rary. "Dark Dragon Archfiend... Attack!"

The evil imposter roared again, and blasted its dark hellfire at Shichiro...

When the smoke cleared, Shichiro was bent over, and smoke was pouring from his shoulders...

**(S: 1,000) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 3,400)**

"Hurts..." he said softly. "Agonizing...

"But you know what, Rary?"

He looked up.

"It was worth it just to tell you that the one who made the dumb mistake this time... Was you..."

His Trap Card shot up.

"I activate Shock Draw! I get to draw one card for every 1,000 points of damage I took this round. That's four cards, in case you can't do the math!"

He quickly whipped four cards off his deck.

"It ain't over yet... In fact, I'd say it's just starting!"

"Four cards, big deal!" said Rary. "I wouldn't care if you had access to all _forty_ in your deck right now.

"Make your move."

Shichiro made a fifth draw.

"I play Brain Control!" he shouted.

He played the card, and the demonic brain appeared over his side of the field.

"Forget?" asked Rary. "Devil's Scream can protect my Dragon from that."

"I'm not using it on your Dragon, genius," said Shichiro, "I'm using it on Lady Ninja Yae."

Lady Ninja Yae gasped as two long arms from the brain seized her and pulled her over to Shichiro's side of the field.

"What good will that do you?" asked Rary. "Oh, wait... You're going to use her effect, right? Well, be my guest."

"You don't fool me, Rary," said Shichiro. "Even if I did have a Wind Monster to discard right now, destroying your Dragon by sending Graceful Revival back to your hand would destroy Lady Ninja Yae, and cost me 800 Life Points, and the duel. I have other plans for her.

"I summon Drill Synchron."

He played another card, and another cute robot appeared. It looked like a small metal sphere with eyes, tank treads underneath, a drill over its eyes, and two drills for arms. (800 ATK)

"Adorable," said Rary, sarcastically.

"Let's see how adorable you find this," said Shichiro. "I Tune Yae and Drill Synchron together..."

The two Monsters flew towards the ceiling, and faded into six glowing stars...

"_Searcher of treasures hidden by the Earth, excavator of jewels forgotten in hidden vaults! Rise to the surface and show your power! _

"_Break it apart... Synchro Summon, Drill Warrior!"_

The floor shook, and Drill Warrior burrowed its way to the surface, drill first. (2,400 ATK)

"Eh?" said Rary.

"Drill Warrior..." said Shichiro, "destroy Sonic Shooter!"

Drill Warrior's drill spun, and it plunged it into the well-toned torso of the Winged Beast. It squawked and burst into shards.

"Ooh, you'll pay for that..." said Rary.

**(S: 200) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 2,600)**

"I set one card," said Shichiro, as a facedown card appeared, "and then discard one..."

He discarded Grandmaster of the Six Samurai.

"...to activate Drill Warrior's effect, and remove it from play until next turn."

Drill Warrior vanished into a ripple of light.

"And with that, Rary, I end my turn."

Rary made a draw.

"You're getting on my nerves, Shichiro," he said. "But you aren't going to sucker me into attacking with that obvious Trap Card you just set.

"I'll set this card facedown..."

He set the card he had just drawn.

"And my turn is over."

"Why don't I show you what it is?" asked Shichiro, as the card shot up.

"Dust Tornado?" exclaimed Rary.

"That's right!" said Shichiro. "And I'm using it to destroy Graceful Revival!"

The tornado ripped across the field, and the Trap Card shattered. Dark Dragon Archfiend let out a roar, and shattered into a million pixels.

"Looks like Shichiro found a way to safely get rid of that Dark Synchro," said Gears. "If he has no Monsters for it to destroy, its effect is pointless."

Rary smirked a little.

"You may have spared me a good deal of trouble," he said. "Since I never got to use Devil's Scream's full effect, I won't have to pay the cost that comes when that effect expires."

"Yeah, well," said Shichiro, as he made one draw. "We'll see what the alternative is...

"During my Standby Phase, Drill Warrior returns."

The Warrior Synchro reappeared, and made a fighting stance. (2,400 ATK)

"And with it, I get to recover Six Samurai – Zanji from my Graveyard."

He took a card from his discard slot.

"I'm not finished yet, Osaka!" shouted Rary, as his facedown card lifted up. "Activate... Nightmare Wheel!"

The hideous torture device appeared, and chains grabbed hold of Drill Warrior, tying it to the wheel.

"Seems you have only one option now, Osaka..." said Rary. "Zanji can't finish me off with one attack... So you're gonna have to discard his card to use Drill Warriors effect, and remove it from play until your next turn.

"Because if you _don't_ then when you do start your next turn, the Nightmare Wheel will cause you 500 points of damage, and you lose."

Shichiro closed his eyes and smirked slightly.

"Actually, I have one other option, Rary..." he said. "Due to the card I actually drew this round...

"I summon Hyper Synchron!"

In a beam of light, another robotic Tuner appeared on the field. It was a short, stocky robot with blue armor and a yellow chest plate, with two large exhaust pipes on its back. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, I Tune Hyper Synchron with my Drill Warrior..."

Drill Warrior broke free of the wicked wheel, and then it and Hyper Synchron flew towards the ceiling. The room went dark, and the three blazing suns appeared...

"_Entrusted with the legacy of billions of souls, given incredible strength by the power spawned in the universe's creation! Hero of a deceased race… Three suns aligned, call forth an ancient force… _

"_Synchro Summon, Trymus the Conqueror!"_

The wind started to blow fiercely, and Trymus landed, holding his mighty blade. (2,600 ATK)

"Because my Life Points are so low," said Shichiro, "Trymus has all three of his effects..."

(3,600 ATK)

"Which means we can end this on a high note... Trymus, attack directly! Blade of the north wind!"

Trymus made a slashing downward motion with his sword, sending a blade of energy towards Rary. The Paragon screamed, and toppled over.

**(S: 200) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 0)**

Rary slowly looked up.

Then he saw, to his horror, that the mortai core was starting to dim.

"NO!" he screamed.

He lunged for it, just as Wilhelm finished his spell, and it shattered like broken pottery. The candles in the room all blew out.

"How..." he moaned.

"A spell that was found on the charred, burned corpse of a cambion sorcerer in the Beastlands," said Wilhelm. "Apparently, he, unlike you, was crazy enough to try to kill a mortai. He didn't invent the spell, but apparently, he found it in some infernal library.

"You see, mortai are mischievous entities who like to play pranks on mortals. They might continuously blow someone's hat off his head, or make a small rain cloud follow someone around.

"This cambion apparently was a victim of their pranks, and wanted revenge. He found this spell that could, in theory, slay a mortai by draining the energy from its core.

"He didn't realize that actually killing a mortai with it would be close to impossible, given what a mortai can do. The spell takes at least ten minutes to cast, and requires concentration. The mortai would likely be a hundred miles away by the time you were half-finished – they can fly faster than anything else in the Beastlands capable of flight...

"Or... If angry, they can bombard a creature with bolts of burning lightning. Apparently that was the fate of this cambion that fancied himself a slayer of cloud entities with godlike power.

"But... Using the spell on the core of an already-dead mortai could easily be done."

"Congratulations," said Rary, crossing his arms in a sulk.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Rary had been locked away, but Shichiro and the others were more confused than ever as they walked out of the Node.

"So..." said Ember. "How do you suppose the mortai that the core came from actually died?"

"The only way I can think of," replied Wilhelm, "was that it was killed by an entity of equal or greater power. That's the only thing that makes sense."

"We've got a bigger mystery to deal with," said Gears. "First Soth uses a Dark Synchro that has nothing to do with Earth... Then Rary uses one that has nothing to do with Wind... Is there something we just aren't getting?"

"I think I may get it," said Wilhelm. "Here's what I think...

"Which vestige appears in which Node, has nothing to do with the Dragons. It has to do with the Earthbound Gods who have taken the form of the Dragons."

"Wait a second..." said Ember. "All the Earthbound Gods were Dark Monsters."

"I don't mean Attributes," said Wilhelm. "I mean Types.

"Cusillu was a Beast. It might have been Dark, but... What Attribute are most Beasts?"

"Hey... That's right!" said Jinx. "The majority of Beasts are Earth Monsters!"

"I get it..." said Shichiro. "And Aslla piscu was a Winged Beast, a Type that, until the Blackwings showed up, was practically all Wind!

"So Cusillu was most at home in the Earth Node, while Aslla piscu liked the Wind Node best."

"So, we can theorize that since Ccarayhua was a Reptile," continued Wilhelm, "and Reptiles suggest Water, Menzoberra will be waiting in the Water Node with Ccarayhua's vestige. Most likely, it will have taken the form of Black Rose Dragon, the Signer Dragon that defeated it.

"And finally, Iggwilv will have a Ccapac Apu's vestige in the Fire Node, which has taken the form of Stardust Dragon..."

"Ccapac Apu was a Fiend," said Ember. "What do Fiends have to do with Fire?"

"Uh, Ember?" said Gears. "Fiends come a place where there's a _lot_ of fire. Or so people say."

"It has very little to do with game mechanics, yes," said Wilhelm, "but I don't think the Earthbound Gods see this as a game. They were struck down, slain, what is left of them burns for revenge, and they can't truly strike against the Signers for another five-thousand years! Now their vengeful spirits are drawn to the places where they can gain the most power. It's the most they have."

"Ember..." said Shichiro.

He put his hand on her shoulder.

"If you want, I can duel Iggwilv... I'll understand if..."

"Please, Shichiro, I can handle her," said Ember. "I've already beaten her twice... What's the old saying? Third time's the charm."

"She might be thinking the same thing," said Jinx.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine," said Ember.

"Then let's turn our attention towards the Water Node first," said Gears.

He lifted up his Duel Disk and patted the top.

"I made some adjustments to my deck, and boy is Menzoberra gonna be surprised."

Wilhelm gestured, and the map appeared over his hand again.

"Well, the first thing we have to do is go to a place that sells mosquito repellant," he said. "Our next stop is the Florida Everglades!"

His Staff of Portals appeared in his hand.

"Too bad that thing can't be mass produced," said Jinx. "It would save the Shadowchasers a fortune on travel expenses."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DEVIL'S SCREAM (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image: **One-Hundred Eye Dragon on a broken wasteland letting out a mighty roar.

**Card Description:** Equip only to a Dark Synchro Monster. The Equipped Monster is not affected by Spell Cards, Trap Cards, and Monster effects that target a specific Monster. Destroy this card during your second Standby Phase after activation and take 2,000 points of damage.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK DRAGON ARCHFIEND (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Dark Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** –8  
**ATK:** 3,000  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** _1 or more non-Tuner Monster(s) – 1 Dark Tuner Monster_

To Special Summon this card, subtract the Level of the Dark Tuner Monster used as Synchro Material from the combined Levels of the non-Tuner Monster(s) used. The value must equal the Level of this card. This card's name is treated as "Red Dragon Archfiend". When this card is removed from the field, destroy all face-up monsters your opponent controls, and inflict 800 points damage to your opponent for each monster destroyed.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Next: _

_Gears: As I expected, Menzoberra comes at me with both barrels loaded, using a whole different type of Fish Deck. But even if I defeat her, Wilhelm's job here might be harder than mine – the magical item that powers the Water Node is so dangerous, the slightest touch can spell doom, and destroying it is a chancy operation that means risking our necks. I'll say this... Everyone who launched expeditions to find this place centuries ago are lucky they failed. Instead of the sweet waters of healing that the legends promised, they would have found only death. _

"_Torrential Tribute" is coming soon._


	62. Torrential Tribute

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL SIXTY-TWO**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Torrential Tribute**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

America had no tropical rainforests, but the Florida Everglades came pretty close. Especially if you went to the more wild areas, far from the places where tourists normally went.

The thick mangrove and cypress trees of the marshlands and swamplands made the place look like a big jungle. You almost expected to see monkeys swinging through the trees in this wild place. But there were no monkeys... Just a lot of birds, reptiles, insects, and a great deal of eerily beautiful plant life.

It was nearly midnight now in this part of the world. Fortunately, a Continual Flame cast on Wilhelm's staff lit their way as they trekked through the underbrush, and also served to keep the night creatures away. Shadowchasers knew that this included more dangerous creatures than Mundanes believed were lurking in the wild parts of the Everglades... Trolls lurked here, as well as bullywugs and lizardfolk. Members of the Seminole Native American tribe sometimes turned into wendigos after succumbing to madness, and prowled through the swamp (talking about these outcasts was taboo for _any_ Native American tribe). There were rumors of a hydra and even a black dragon making their lairs somewhere in the marsh, but these rumors had never been confirmed.

"No, I still think it was an alligator," said Jinx. "Crocodiles have shorter, thicker snouts."

"I'm not sure..." said Ember.

"Look you two, I don't really care what it was!" said Shichiro. "It could have taken my leg off!"

"People, calm down!" said Gears.

They all stopped.

"Tensions are all at an edge, but we can't start arguing..." he said. "As a wise man once said, when the forces of Good battle, the only victor is Evil."

"What wise man said that?" asked Sorsha.

"Well, uh..." said Gears. "Well, truthfully, I made it up... But it sounded like something a wise man would say."

"Don't forget, Gears," said Wilhelm, as they continued to push ahead, "most wise men weren't considered such in their lifetimes... Even Socrates was considered a crackpot who was corrupting the youth with his ideas.

"In other words... If you 'just make up' something, it might take hold."

Gears didn't know how to respond to that, so not much was said for a while.

Then Wilhelm moved a large brush aside.

"We're here..." he said.

They were looking out over a wide, shallow lake, with a stone temple of sorts on a stone island in the center. It was clearly very old, but the architecture was certainly not anything that an aborigine tribe could have built.

"I know about this place," said Shichiro. "This hidden temple was spoken about by the Calusa and the Tequesta. Stories about it made explorers believe that the mythic Fountain of Youth was located somewhere in this region."

"So Jalal has known about this place for centuries?" asked Jinx.

"He sent teams to explore it," said Shichiro, taking the detection device out of his pocket. "No-one ever found anything in there but dust...

"And I'm not even getting a flicker from this device."

"Same with this one," said Gears, looking at his. "You sure we got the right place, Wilhelm?"

"Positive," said Wilhelm. "All four of the Nodes are connected by streams of energy similar to ley lines, and this was clearly connected to the other three. It must simply be under a powerful spell of non-detection.

"Finding the inner sanctum will be hard, but we'll just try every nook."

"People," said Jinx. "There's likely a lot of water in there... We've all heard stories about cards being ruined by juice being spilled on them..."

Everyone nodded. They tapped on button on their Duel Disks, and the decks were covered by waterproof plastic cases.

They waded into the lake, and headed towards the temple.

Once inside the temple, Shichiro had made up his mind. He was _never_ coming here again.

"Sit still, Mr. Osaka..." said Wilhelm. "This is the last one..."

He carefully removed the leech off of Shichiro's leg.

"It's bleeding..." he muttered.

"Leech bites prevent blood from clotting normally," said Wilhelm, "so the wounds bleed longer than normal."

He started to bandage the leg.

"You'll be fine unless you happen to be allergic to them. This was my fault anyway... This is a Water Node after all... The water within five miles of this place is likely too dangerous to even put a hand in."

"People, you might not be detecting anything..." said Gabriel, "but I'm feeling uneasy..."

"Duh, you're a Fire spirit," said Sorsha. "You'd be nervous if this place combined Water with _positive_ energy."

Jinx shined her flashlight down the corridor.

"Well, I still don't see anything," she said. "In fact... It doesn't seem like this place was built with any purpose in mind at all..."

They started to walk forward.

"Nothing but walls, floors, and ceilings... No statues, no murals... Not even an alcove to examine.

"Too bad we have no way to track Menzoberra down..."

"WAIT..." said Wilhelm. "What did you just say?"

"I said that it's too bad we have no way to track Menzoberra down," said Jinx. "I mean, we don't have a bloodhound or a piece of clothing with her scent on it..."

Wilhelm quickly reached into his robe and took out a scroll tube.

"Gears!" he said. "She uses that same custom-built Duel Disk that Rary and Soth used, right?"

He opened the scroll tube and took out a piece of parchment.

"Yeah..." said Gears. "But how..."

"A simple spell called Locate Object," he said, looking at the scroll. "I simply have to have a clear picture of that Duel Disk in my head..."

"...and a thing like that tends to stick out in your mind," added Ember.

"Exactly," said Wilhelm. "This simple spell will lead us to the nearest one, which Menzoberra should be wearing at this very instant."

Wilhelm quickly made a hand gesture, and said something fast in German, his native language. He closed his eyes.

"Uh, people?" he said. "I have a bead on it... And it says we have to go down."

"Down?" said Gears, looking at the floor. "There's no trap door or anything..."

"Hey..." said Jinx. "Remember how the first two Nodes were bricked up?

"The entrance to this Node is bricked up too, but the entrance is in the floor!"

It made perfect sense, so they all got on their hands and knees, and started searching the floor with their flashlights.

"Wilhelm!" shouted Ember. "Found it."

They all rushed over to Ember, who was crouching over the indentation. Wilhelm took the key, and pressed it in.

The next second, they were all falling.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Gears was right about there being a lot of water in this place. They had landed in a room that was flooded with swamp water. When they stood up, it reached their waists.

They weren't hurt, only soaked. Something had seemingly cushioned their fall. Fortunately, Wilhelm's Continual Flame couldn't be extinguished by water.

"Spew!" said Sorsha, as she spat out a mouthful of the foul water. "I _hate_ water! I don't even like _clean_ water!"

"Any idea how we're going to get back up there?" asked Shichiro.

Then the water in the room seemed to shift.

"There's something alive in here, people..." said Ember.

"It's only you're imagination..." said Jinx.

Then there was a sound that sounded like gurgling, bubbling laughter.

"Either she's got a _very _good imagination," said Shichiro, as he drew his sword, "or..."

He stepped back as the huge thing rose in front of him, formed out of the very water itself. A huge thing shaped like a wave, with two smaller waves for arms, and two glowing blue eyes.

"Earth Node, earth elementals," said Gabriel, shaking his head. "Wind Node, wind elemental. Water Node..."

"Okay, Gabriel, we've figured it out!" shouted Jinx.

She leapt at the elemental, and tried to swing at it with her sword, but the blade passed right through it, not harming the creature in the least.

"You can't even touch this thing!" shouted Gears.

The elemental slammed its fist into him, knocking him backwards.

"But it can touch us pretty hard..." said Shichiro.

"Keep it busy for a minute," said Wilhelm, holding his staff over his head.

"Keep it busy?" shouted Ember. "By doing what, telling it jokes?"

Then she was interrupted as a watery tendril coiled around her waist.

_Hate elementals... _she thought, as it lifted her out of the water._ Really hate 'em..._

Meanwhile, Wilhelm muttered a hasty incantation. His staff glowed. Then, he fired a powerful bolt of hellfire – straight down.

The whole room shook, and a whirlpool formed in the center of the room. The water started to drain through the crack he had made in the floor. The water elemental groaned and let go of Ember. It groaned again as it was sucked through the crack, along with the last of the water.

Everyone paused to catch their breath. They stopped to look where the elemental had been sucked down the drain.

"Water elementals are powerful..." said Wilhelm, "but can never leave the source of their power. Get rid of the water, get rid of the water elemental."

Gears looked around. The now-empty chamber was circular, and like the rest of the temple, made of stone.

A stone door was in one door, somehow made airtight so that water wouldn't leak though it.

As he approached it, it slid open, sliding into the top of the doorway.

"The Locate Object spell is still working," said Wilhelm. "She's in there..."

Gears took out his device again and turned it on.

"I'm getting a reading _now_," he said. "Very high concentration of Water Elementalist magic."

"Same with me," said Shichiro, looking at his device. "The negative energy here is even stronger than it was in the first two Nodes."

"Well, let's do this..." said Gears.

They walked through the door, and through a long corridor. Halfway down, the Continual Flame went out.

"That shouldn't have happened..." said Wilhelm.

Then, the whole room was illuminated, not by candles, but by a strange sort of luminescent rock.

The altar was there as usual. Overhead was a mural depicting a giant tsunami crushing a city.

Menzoberra was sitting on the floor of the altar in the lotus position, with her eyes closed.

"Uh..." said Gears.

Her eyes opened. Then she stood up, not using her hands or arms to support herself as she did so at all. She didn't stumble even slightly.

"Whoa..." said Gears. "My mother used to take yoga classes, and she could never have done _that_!"

"So now you're complimenting me, Gears?" asked Menzoberra. "Strange... I'm not in a very good situation, you know...

"Even if I do away with you all, I'll be trapped here for the rest of my life... And I am immortal, by the way... I'd think this would be a good time for you to gloat."

Gears let out a long sigh and held his head.

"Look..." he said. "If this is about what I said in Paris... I'm sorry I insulted your cards, okay? I was mad because they wiped out my Monster and hit me for three direct attacks!

"If it's any consolation, it wasn't the stupidest thing I've ever said..."

Menzoberra looked at him. She slowly lowered her veil.

"Really?" she said.

She looked down for a minute.

"Tell you what, Gears..." she said, "there's no reason to fight... You want the power source to this Node, right?"

As she said this, a small, black sphere floated out of a hole in the floor of the altar.

Gears looked at it. It looked like a ball of pure darkness... No seams, nothing. Just an inky, black sphere.

"_Gott in Himmel!"_ exclaimed Wilhelm.

"Just take it, Gears," said Menzoberra. "I won't stop you..."

"Really?" said Gears.

He was about to move forward.

"GEARS!" screamed Wilhelm. "DON'T! It's a trick!"

Gears stopped short, and Wilhelm yanked him back by the shirt.

"You touch that thing, it will be the last thing you ever do!" shouted Wilhelm.

"Spoilsport..." said Menzoberra, with a sinister grin.

"Wilhelm?" said Shichiro. "What... What is that thing?"

"Whoever built this Node was concentrating more on the negative energy aspect than the Water aspect," said Wilhelm. "That's a Sphere of Annihilation."

"A Sphere of Annihilation?" said Jinx, in disbelief. "Wait, wait... Isn't that one of the few things that even Jalal is afraid of?"

"He should be," said Wilhelm. "It's one of the few things that can kill him. No-one knows how a Sphere of Annihilation is created, but it obliterates anything it touches, _erases_ anything it comes into contact with. It's a destructive force like none other.

"And if Menzoberra can actually control it..."

"I can't," said Menzoberra. "If I stand this altar, I can make it go up..."

The Sphere went up about five feet.

"...and down..."

It sank to its previous position.

"...but I can't move it horizontally, so you folks are safe... Still, what will you do?

"Defeat me if you can at Duel Monsters... But to truly defeat me, you have to destroy the Sphere... And that's hard to do. Ask anyone who's tried."

She activated her Duel Disk.

"So, Gears... Shall we?"

"One minute..." said Gears.

Everyone fell into a huddle.

"Wilhelm..." said Gears. "There's gotta be something you can do... Some way to get rid of the Sphere..."

"I know exactly how to get rid of it, Gears," said Wilhelm. "There are two known ways to destroy a Sphere of Annihilation. The first is to touch it with a Rod of Cancellation. However, that causes both objects to negate each other with explosive results, and would likely..."

"Blow us to the moon?" asked Jinx.

"More or less," replied Wilhelm. "The other way is safer – cast a Gate on it."

He took another scroll tube out of his robe, apparently from the same place where he had gotten the Locate Object scroll. This scroll tube, however, was gilded, and covered with several strange runes.

"Fortunately," he continued, "after being stranded in the Abyss all those months, I always keep one handy these days..."

"So can you do it?" asked Shichiro.

"I didn't say 'safe', I said 'safer'," replied Wilhelm. "It only has a flat fifty percent chance of destroying it. The rest of the time, it might do nothing, or it might... Uhm..."

"It might do what?" asked Ember.

"It might tear a whole in the local spatial fabric," replied Wilhelm, "hurling us all into another random dimension. We don't want that to happen, so I can try to improve my odds with a few warding spells.

"Unfortunately, I can't improve them to one-hundred percent. At least we don't have the same problem we had when I was trying to cast Transmute Rock to Mud.

"I just need some time. Gears, duel her, and try not to set any speed records."

Gears nodded.

He turned, and stood to face Menzoberra. Wilhelm moved to the back of the room, mumbling something about how he was getting too old for this.

"You're on," said Gears. "That was a nasty trick, but we'll settle this here with one more duel."

Menzoberra put the veil back on.

"And it will be the last time," she said, as both Duel Disks activated.

"Duel!" they shouted.

**(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Menzoberra: 8,000)**

"I'll make the first move this time," said Gears.

He drew his sixth card.

"I'll set a Monster, and a facedown card, and end my turn."

The two set cards appeared in front of him.

_I'm off to a slow start, _he thought,_ but I have a feeling things will pick up soon._

Menzoberra made a draw, and looked at it.

"Oh, Jinx?" she said. "Here's something that may bring back memories..."

She threw the card on her Disk.

"I summon the Oyster Meister!"

In a blast of water, a humanoid figure appeared, who was covered in armor and a helmet made entirely of oyster shells. (1,600 ATK)

"I swear, this woman is _sadistic_," growled Jinx.

Oyster Meister made a running start, and charged at the hidden Monster. A large drilling machine with tank treads appeared on the card. The Fish punched it, and it dissolved into grains of light.

_So much for Reverse Break,_ said Gears.

"Moves rather fast for a shellfish, doesn't it?" said Menzoberra. "It's your move..."

Gears made another draw.

He set two cards on his Disk, and another reversed card and another set Monster appeared.

"Mmm!" he said.

"Humph," said Menzoberra, making a draw. "Seems you lost your touch...

"I summon Ocean's Keeper."

In another aura of water, a small fish-man holding a trident appeared next to Oyster Meister. (1,500 ATK)

"Lost my touch?" said Gears, with a smile. "Perish the thought!"

One of his two Trap Cards lifted up.

"You triggered my Hidden Soldiers Trap. Since you summoned a Monster, I get to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Dark Monster.

"Like Ally of Justice Garadholg!"

Garadholg appeared in front of him, brandishing its glowing blades. (1,600 ATK)

"How nice," said Menzoberra. "Oyster Meister, attack the other Monster!"

The walking clam ran at the hidden Monster, but its fist slammed right into Robotic Knight's armor. (1,800 DEF)

She glared at him. She took a card from her hand, and set it in her Disk. A reversed card appeared.

"I end my turn..." she said.

**(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,800)**

Gears quickly drew a card.

"I'll trade in Garadholg..." he said.

The Ally vanished into an orb of light.

"...for Ally of Justice Clausolas!"

With a screech, the robotic condor flew onto the field. (2,300 ATK)

Robotic Knight stood up, moving into Attack Mode. (1,600 ATK)

"Go, stew her oyster!" shouted Gears.

"I don't think so..." said Menzoberra.

Her facedown card flipped up, revealing Enemy Controller. Clausolas landed and folded its wings. (1,200 DEF)

"It's still all over for your Ocean's Keeper!" said Gears. "Attack! Gatling blast!"

Robotic Knight pointed with its left arm and fired a round of machine gun shells, the cartridges flying from its arm. Ocean's Keeper fell backwards and shattered.

"Thank you..." said Menzoberra. "Because by sending Ocean's Keeper to Davy Jones, you let me take one of two stronger Monsters from my deck."

A card slipped out of her deck, and she took it.

**(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,700)**

"Now, it's my move..."

She made a draw.

"First, I summon a second Ocean's Keeper," she said.

Another of the small fish-men appeared in front of her. (1,500 ATK)

"Then, I play the Equip Spell Living Fossil to bring the first one back."

She played the card, and the first Ocean's Keeper appeared, kneeling and holding its trident in its lap. (1,200 DEF)

"Sure, it loses 1,000 Attack Points and its effect, but it keeps its name, and that's all I need.

"Now, I'll sacrifice one of them to Special Summon the Thousand-Eyes Jellyfish!"

The first Ocean's Keeper vanished, and the ugly, spherical creature made of eyes and fins stuck together appeared in front of Menzoberra. (2,100 DEF)

"Lovely..." said Ember. "She used that thing against me... It lets her see all the cards in Gears's hand..."

Menzoberra smiled as the images of two cards appeared in front of her – Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive and Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator.

"But this isn't the only Monster that Ocean's Keeper can summon," she continued. "I'll sacrifice the other one..."

The other Ocean's Keeper vanished.

"...to bring forth Cranium Fish!"

In another blast of water, a large, paunchy Fish with a huge, exposed brain making up most of its head, appeared next to the other two Fish. (2,400 ATK)

"I've heard some people say that fish is 'brain food'," said Gears, "but this is ridiculous."

"Har, har," said Menzoberra. "Cranium Fish has a special ability. By discarding a Water-Attribute Monster, I can destroy a reversed card."

She looked at her two cards.

"Unfortunately... I don't have one... But since that facedown card of yours didn't do anything last turn, it likely won't do anything this turn.

"Attack Robotic Knight! Brain wave!"

Cranium Fish's eyes glowed.

"It's gonna do something this turn!" said Gears, as his facedown card shot up. "Scrubbed Raid! By sending Clausolas to the Graveyard, the Battle Phase ends right now!"

Clausolas vanished, and Cranium Fish stopped short.

"I don't know what your game is, Gears," said Menzoberra, "but it's not going to work... Make your move..."

Gears drew a card. He grinned.

"Want a bet?" he asked.

"Now how is that Level 3 Normal Monster going to help..." started Menzoberra.

"Wait... Genex Controller?"

"That's right," said Gears.

He threw the card on his Disk, and a small, cute robot, the lynchpin of all Genex Synchros, appeared next to Robotic Knight. (1,400 ATK)

"It's all part of a new surprise I added to this deck..."

Genex Controller and Robotic Knight turned into seven glowing stars, and flew towards the ceiling. Gears chanted.

"_When two of the most powerful robotic armies in the universe band together, they form a fighting force that is nearly unstoppable! Clustering stars form a warrior that is both an Ally and a Genex..._

"_Synchro Summon... Ally Genex Triforce!"_

With a crash, a new Machine landed in the center of the temple. It was more humanoid than most Allies of Justice, resembling a life-size toy action figure in robotic armor. Its right arm had a large weapon on the end that was triangular in shape, with three energy cells, one on each angle, red, blue, and black. (2,500 ATK)

"Time for a fish-fry," said Gears, as the Ally Genex aimed its weapon. "Attack Cranium Fish with thermal blaster!"

The Machine blasted a burning heat ray at the large fish, reducing it to charred ashes.

"No big deal..." said Menzoberra, with a scowl.

"You haven't seen the best part," said Gears. "You see, since the non-Tuner Monster I used to Synchro Summon Triforce was a Fire Monster, you now take damage equal to Cranium Fish's Attack Score."

Menzoberra opened her eyes wide...

Then she screamed as a flamethrower from Triforce blew fire all over her. She fell on her behind.

**(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 5,200)**

"How's it going Wilhelm?" asked Shichiro.

"Slowly," said Wilhelm. "You can't rush something like this...

"The danger of being thrown into a random dimension blindly is not something to be taken lightly. There are plenty of places in this universe where humans are not welcome, places where the environment is dangerous to them, and places where they simply can't survive."

"Just do your best..." said Shichiro.

"My move..." said Menzoberra, quietly.

She made a draw.

She played a Spell Card.

"Dark Designator?" asked Gears.

"You got it," said Menzoberra. "The Monster I name is Shreddder."

Gears looked at her for a minute. He took Shreddder from his deck and looked at it.

_Something tells me there's more to this,_ he thought.

"Now, part two," said Menzoberra, as she played another card. "D.D. Designator. I get to state the name of a card, and if it's in your hand, it's removed from play. Again, I name Shreddder."

Gears frowned, and pocketed the card.

_There's only one reason why she'd go to such lengths to get rid of it..._ he thought.

"All right!" said Menzoberra, taking her last card. "I sacrifice Thousand-Eyes Jellyfish and Oyster Meister..."

The two Fish turned into a glob of pure darkness.

"...to summon Dark Tuner Catastrogue!"

A single eye peered out of the dark cloud, and the same Dark Tuner that Selmith had used against Ember formed out of the smog. (0 ATK)

"Oh, not this again!" exclaimed Ember.

"Afraid so," said Menzoberra. "And since I sent Oyster Meister to the Graveyard, I get an Oyster Token..."

A large oyster appeared next to the Dark Tuner. (0 ATK)

"So... I can subtract my Level 8 Dark Tuner from my Level 1 Oyster Token..."

Dark Tuner Catastrogue turned into eight glowing stars. They surrounded the oyster...

Then the oyster shattered, and they turned into seven dark stars that started to quickly orbit Menzoberra.

"_When the Shadows are devoured by even darker Shadows, the curtain is pulled back to reveal… a world without light!"_

Gears stepped back, as another huge Dragon started to appear.

As he expected, it was a grim parody of Aki's Dragon... Part Dragon and part rose, but with black petals and even sharper thorns. (2,400 ATK)

Menzoberra lowered her veil and grinned at Gears.

"You know..." she said. "They say a rose is only as beautiful as its thorns..."

Gears didn't reply. Most duelists who had faced the real Black Rose Dragon were pretty unnerved. This was even worse.

"Suit yourself," said Menzoberra. "I use the effect of Dark Tuner Catastrogue to destroy your Triforce!"

Gears gasped as his Monster shattered into pixels.

"Dark Rose Dragon, attack him directly! Dark Rose Flare!"

Gears screamed as fire engulfed him. It was more than fire, it was _living_ fire, a type that seemed to be consciously trying to burn him.

He fell on one knee, gasping for breath. His skin stung from the unearthly fire, and the evil Dragon glared at him.

**(G: 5,600) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 5,200)**

Gears slowly got up.

He drew a card.

Soul Resurrection. He looked at the other two cards in his hand, Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator and Dekoichi.

He looked back at Soul Resurrection.

_This card is no good... _he thought._ Maybe my deck is trying to tell me something..._

He quickly set Dekoichi, and waved his hand.

"That's your train, right?" asked Menzoberra. "I can remember it from when my Jellyfish was still on the field.

"All I have to do is draw a Monster with more than 1,000 Attack Points..."

She drew a card.

She frowned.

"Didn't draw one, huh?" asked Gears.

"Shut up..." said Menzoberra.

She replaced her veil, and then set the card, and it appeared facedown behind Dark Rose Dragon. The Dark Synchro blasted its Dark Rose Flare, and Dekoichi was blown into slag.

Gears quickly made a draw.

"It's your move..." said Menzoberra. "So make it if you have the nerve."

Gears made another draw.

He smirked.

"Guess what?" he said. "Shreddder isn't the only card I have that's especially potent against Dark Synchros...

"Here she is! I summon Nanobreaker!"

In an aura of digital energy, the coldly beautiful female cyborg appeared, holding the Nanobreaker sword. (1,600 ATK)

Gears paused.

_Nanobreaker automatically wins any battle with a Level 3 or lower Monster, _he thought,_ so she can destroy Dark Rose Dragon... Problem is, if it truly has Ccarayhua's effect, destroying it will drag every card on the field down with it._

_It's gonna be risky... But if destroying this thing does destroy every card on the field, she'll only have what she draws next turn. I, on the other hand, will have the three cards I have now, and whatever I draw next turn._

"Attack!" he shouted.

Nanobreaker made a deep cut at the huge Dragon with her blade... The evil imposter screamed.

Then an explosion rocked the field, incinerating Nanobreaker, Gears's Scrubbed Raid, Menzoberra's Trap Card, and Dark Rose Dragon itself. When the dust cleared, there was nothing left.

But Menzoberra was clearly smiling under her veil...

With a roar, Dark Rose Dragon rose up behind her. (2,400 ATK)

"HOW?" shouted Gears.

"Simple," said Menzoberra, holding up a card. "That facedown card that I had on the field was _this _one."

"Open Grave?" asked Gears.

"Yes," said Menzoberra. "I'm surprised no-one ever told Aki about this card... She could certainly benefit from it. By removing it from play on the round it's destroyed by a Monster effect, I can Special Summon the Monster that destroyed it. Assuming that said Monster is also in the Graveyard, of course."

"I... I end my turn..." said Gears.

Menzoberra chuckled as she drew her next card.

Then she laughed out loud as Dark Rose Dragon attacked him directly again, causing him to fall flat on his back.

"Ow..." he said.

"I'll set this," she said, as she set the card she just drew, "and my turn is over."

**(G: 3,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 5,200)**

"Gears, get up!" shouted Ember. "You can still beat her!"

Gears got up a little, holding his head.

_Wish I could believe that... _he thought._ She's more powerful now than she ever was..._

He stood up, stumbling as he did.

He drew a card.

_Hmm,_ he thought.

"I play Silent Doom," he said, as he played the card.

Robotic Knight appeared once again, keeling and crossing its arms. (1,800 ATK)

"Then I set a Monster, and one facedown card."

Two set cards appeared, one in his Monster Zone, and one in his Spell/Trap Zone.

"My move..." said Menzoberra.

She made a draw.

"First thing I'm going to do," she said, as her Trap Card lifted up, "is activate Forgotten Temple of the Deep.

"This Continuous Trap is considered to be the same as 'Umi' when it's active, so any card that has special effects when 'Umi' is in play now have the same effects.

"Cards like, say, Mermaid Knight."

She played the card, and a mermaid with wine-red hair, holding a sword and shield, wearing armor on the lower half of her human half, appeared underneath the huge Dragon. (1,500 ATK)

"Somehow, I never envisioned you using a mermaid," said Ember.

"Well, she's useful in her own ways," said Menzoberra. "So... Dark Rose Dragon, destroy Robotic Knight!"

Dark Rose Dragon blasted its Flare, and the defending android was blown to shards.

"Now my Mermaid attacks," said Menzoberra. "And thanks to my Trap Card, she can do it twice!"

Mermaid Knight flew towards the reversed Monster...

Morphing Jar appeared on the card and laughed as it stuck its long neck out. The mermaid slashed with her blade, cutting it to ribbons.

Menzoberra grinned as she made five draws. Gears discarded his one card, Cyclone Creator, and drew five.

"I'm not done!" laughed Menzoberra. "She can attack twice, remember?"

Mermaid Knight flew at Gears.

"I activate, Soul Resurrection!" he shouted, as his facedown card lifted up.

Robotic Knight appeared again. (1,800 DEF)

"Him again..." growled Menzoberra.

"And he'll make an adequate shield," said Gears.

"Not for long," said Menzoberra, looking at her five cards. "Oh, it's your move..."

Gears quickly drew a sixth card.

"I throw _three_ cards facedown," he said, as three more cards appeared in his Spell Zone.

"Then, I summon Ally of Justice Blind Sucker."

In another digital aura, the robotic armor with the cockpit and missile launchers on top appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Destroy Mermaid Knight!" he shouted. "Photon torpedoes!"

"Not so fast!" shouted Menzoberra. "I use another effect of Forgotten Temple of the Deep. During either my turn or yours, I can remove from play a Fish, Aqua, or Sea Serpent-Type Monster until my next End Phase."

Mermaid Knight vanished in a ripple of light.

"In that case," said Gears. "I end my turn..."

"How's it going Wilhelm?" asked Jinx.

"Almost got it," said Wilhelm. "Just five more minutes..."

Menzoberra made a draw.

"Three facedown cards..." she said. "Ordinarily I'd be worried... But if my Dragon is destroyed, all the better!

"First, I summon Abyssal Kingshark."

She played the card, and a large bony Fish with an elongated, sharp snout and a lantern on its forehead appeared in mid-air. (1,700 ATK)

"Dark Rose Dragon, attack his Blind Sucker!"

Dark Rose Dragon let out another roar...

"I activate... Half or Nothing!" shouted Gears, as one of his facedown cards lifted up.

Menzoberra paused.

"So I can either stop my Dragon's attack," said Menzoberra, "or continue, with its Attack Score halved..."

"Come on..." said Gears. "What's it gonna be?"

"Tough choice..." said Menzoberra. "If I ended my Battle Phase, my Monster would be safe... If I continued my attack, it would be destroyed, but so would all of your cards..."

She looked at him.

She lowered her veil, and grinned slightly.

"I end my Battle Phase," she said, softly.

She smiled broadly, and replaced the veil.

"You almost had me there, Gears, it was a brilliant plan..." she said. "One of your other facedown cards is clearly DNA Transplant. If I had continued my attack, you'd have triggered it, turning my Monster Light. And when it battled your Blind Sucker, Blind Sucker's effect would have caused it to lose _its_ effect..."

"Well, you can't blame me for trying, Menzoberra..." said Gears.

Menzoberra fit two cards into her Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

"Heh, heh," she said. "Your move..."

Mermaid Knight reappeared in another ripple of light. (1,500 ATK)

Gears paused for a minute. He made a draw.

He played a card, and Forgotten Temple of the Deep vanished.

"HUH?" said Menzoberra.

Trap Eater appeared on Gears's side of the field with a throaty laugh. (1,900 ATK)

"Now, I summon Ally of Justice Researcher," he said.

With the whir of wheels, the all-terrain robotic buggy rolled onto the arena. (1,400 ATK)

"Next, as you guessed, this Trap Card was DNA Transplant..."

One of his two remaining facedown cards lifted up.

"Naturally, I name Light. Next, a Spell Card... The mighty Limiter Removal!"

As he played the card, both of his Allies glowed with blue flames. Blind Sucker shot up to an Attack Score of 3,200, while Researcher rose to 2,800.

"Now, let's take them down!" said Gears. "Trap Eater, Mermaid Knight is yours!"

The big-mouthed Fiend blew a cone of fire at the mermaid, who screamed before shattering.

"Researcher, you take the Kingshark!"

Researcher fired one of its blasters at the deep sea Fish. The bony ocean-dweller was atomized.

"Ergh..." said Menzoberra.

"Now for the catch of the day," said Gears. "Blind Sucker, destroy Dark Rose Dragon!"

Blind Sucker fired four blasts from its rocket launchers. They pierced right through the huge Dragon. It screamed again, and shattered into pixels.

**(G: 3,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 2,900)**

"Yes!" said Jinx. "Just like she said, Blind Sucker's effect cancelled out Dark Rose Dragon's effect!"

"You still haven't seen the last of my Dragon..." said Menzoberra.

One of her facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate The Grave of Enkindling! In this deck, you can't have enough Graveyard summoning cards!

"Now, each player may Special Summon a Monster from his or her Graveyard in Defense Mode. But, it has to stay in Defense Mode."

Dark Rose Dragon appeared on Menzoberra's side of the field once again, sitting with its wings folded. (1,800 DEF)

"Then I'll bring back Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator," said Gears.

The large robotic bird appeared on Gears's side of the field. (1,200 DEF)

"Heh..." said Menzoberra. "Too bad when you end your turn, Limiter Removal's side effect is going to destroy Blind Sucker..."

"But by the end of my turn, I'll have someone better," said Gears.

"Huh?" said Menzoberra. "What..."

Then she looked at Gears's Monsters.

"Four..." she said, pointing to Robotic Knight.

"Plus three, plus three..." she said, pointing to Researcher and Cyclone Creator.

"Aw, hell..."

Gears raised his arm, and those three Machines leapt towards the ceiling. The three burning suns appeared once again.

"_Whispered secrets from a race now extinct, trusted to hold the knowledge accumulated over millennia, given the raw power unleashed in the creation of the cosmos! Sage of the forgotten people… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force… _

"_Synchro Summon, Il Mathman the Artificer!"_

Il Mathman appeared, and adjusted his spectacles as he looked at Menzoberra with a grave expression. (2,700 ATK)

"Okay, I end my turn now..." said Gears.

Blind Sucker shattered into pixels.

Menzoberra made a draw.

"I'll just have to make due," she said, as her other facedown card lifted up. "I play Call of the Haunted."

In a flash of light, Cranium Fish appeared. (2,400 ATK)

"Now, I'll toss this card, to get rid of your last Trap Card..."

She discarded a third Ocean's Keeper, and the large Fish shot a wave of mental energy towards Gears's reversed card.

"It's not a Trap Card," said Gears, "and I can chain it."

The Quickplay Spell shot up, revealing Enemy Controller.

"See, I had one too."

Cranium Fish curled up in Defense Mode. (1,000 DEF)

Menzoberra glared at him.

"Take turn..." she said.

"Okay, people..." whispered Wilhelm. "The wards are all set. I think my chances of success now are about eighty percent..."

"You can't go higher?" groaned Shichiro.

"Unfortunately, no," said Wilhelm, unrolling the scroll with the Gate. "Let's just hope Gears keeps her occupied for the time it takes me to actually cast it. Everyone cross their fingers..."

He started to chant, this time in the ancient Welsh tongue. Strange sigils appeared in the air around him.

"My move!" said Gears, making a draw.

"I sacrifice Trap Eater..."

The Fiend Tuner turned into an orb of light.

"...to summon Ally of Justice Lethal Weapon!"

A large, bulky robot appeared in the Tuner's place. It was cylindrical in shape, perched on a set of long, spindly legs, with a spherical head on top, armed with several weapons, including hammers, saws, and a large drill. (2,200 ATK)

"This contraption can really do some damage," he continued. "But first thing's first...

"I'm removing Blind Sucker from play, so that Il Mathman can use his effect, and assimilate Blind Sucker's name and effect until your next End Phase."

He pocketed the card.

"Il Mathman, wipe out that Dragon again with Primordial pulse blast!"

Il Mathman fired his bolt of blue energy at the huge imposter, and it shattered into pixels again.

"Next, my Lethal Weapon attacks Cranium Fish..."

The robot's drill spun quickly. It rammed the weapon into Cranium Fish, blowing it to shards.

"Good thing they were both in Defense Mode," said Menzoberra.

"But I'm not done," said Gears. "Because Lethal Weapon destroyed a Light Monster, I now get to draw one card."

He made a draw.

"And if it's a Dark Monster that's Level 4 or less..."

He looked at it.

"...which it is, I get to Special Summon it. Come on out, Ally of Justice Cycle Leader!"

He threw the card on his Disk, and a large, robotic spider appeared next to Lethal Weapon. (1,000 ATK)

"And you're wide open for a direct attack!"

Cycle Leader fired a laser beam, and Menzoberra grunted as it hit her in the torso.

**(G: 3,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 1,900)**

"My... move..." she panted.

She made a draw.

Her eyes lit up.

_I just drew Spear Cretin! _she thought._ Its Flip-Effect can bring Dark Rose Dragon back one more time..._

_And with Blind Sucker gone for good, I might just be able to turn this around..._

She set the card on her Disk, and the Monster appeared facedown.

"I end my turn," she said, "which means that Il Mathman's effect wears off."

"Indeed," said Gears, drawing a card.

He looked at the card. Then he looked at his hand.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon," he said.

'Fool," said Menzoberra. "There's no card for you to destroy."

"Yes there is," said Gears, as he played the card. "My own DNA Transplant."

The Trap Card shattered into pieces.

"HUH?" said Menzoberra. "Why... Why would you _purposely_ destroy your edge?"

"Because, in order to win this duel," said Gears, "I have to have Il Mathman duplicate the effect of an Ally of Justice who, unlike the others, could never win a battle with a Light Monster. For this Ally, Light is detrimental to it. The mere presence of Light would destroy it.

"You remember that first Monster I set when the duel started? It was a deal called Ally of Justice Reverse Break."

The phantom image of a Machine appeared behind him, a drilling machine on tank treads with two long limbs ending in rotary saws.

"See, the Allies were built to combat the Worms, but not all of them were designed with anti-Light effects in mind. Some were designed to counter the Worms' Flip-Effects. When Reverse Break attacks a reversed Monster, that Monster is destroyed automatically, without being flipped face up or its Flip-Effect activating.

"So, I remove it from play so that Il Mathman can assimilate its effect..."

A look of panic appeared on Menzoberra's face as he pocketed the card...

"Il Mathman, let's end this," said Gears.

The Titan nodded. He blasted his pulse stream, and Menzoberra's hidden Monster exploded.

Then Menzoberra screamed as Lethal Weapon plunged its drill directly into her torso. She fell backwards and groaned.

**(G: 3,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 0)**

"She's out cold!" shouted Gears to Wilhelm. "Don't stop!"

Then he noticed that stopping was likely impossible. Wilhelm's spell was creating an aura around the Sphere of Annihilation that was slowly pulsating...

Everyone grit their teeth as the Gate slowly started to open. Wilhelm started the final line of the spell...

Then he clenched his fist as he said the final words...

The Gate closed, sucking the Sphere into the space between spaces. It had worked.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey, Wilhelm..." said Jinx. "Ever consider becoming a real Shadowchaser?"

"I don't know," sighed Wilhelm. "I think after I'm done with this business, I might retire..."

Shichiro checked his Blackberry. It was two AM local time, but three PM in Japan. They had been at this whole thing for six hours now.

"We might be finished with this before dinner," he said. "Where's the last Node?"

"Mount Vesuvius," said Wilhelm. "Be careful, because unless I miss my guess, it's likely the most dangerous one yet..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Mount Vesuvius was not far from where the aboleth was now. It was currently in a temporary lair off the coast of Italy, and had watched the progress the Shadowchasers had made.

"_Hmm..."_ it said, pondering.

"_Iggwilv, are you there?"_

A holographic image of Iggwilv appeared before him.

"Of course I'm here!" she said. "I can't leave, remember? And I'm bored out of my skull!"

"_Would prison be better?" _asked the aboleth._ "That's where your three partners are, and I don't doubt it will be your fate as well soon._

"_You remember what the Harmonium said they would do to you if you four were ever arrested..."_

Iggwilv gulped. The head of the Harmonium said that the Paragon's powers would be put to good use if they were ever caught... He would force them to serve as the power sources of some new generators they were building, capable of supplying a whole planet's energy needs, which were specially designed to be powered by a captive being with cosmic powers.

The prosecutors at Jetta's trial had wanted to seek that punishment for her, but Sirius had thrown out that proposal on the first day. Protestors would have likely threatened a rebellion if it had been implemented.

Iggwilv knew that no-one would protest for her...

_I just might give the four of you back your powers so that they can do it, _said the aboleth._ But... I'll give you last bit of help..._

Iggwilv's Duel Disk glowed with dark energy.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"_Making a final adjustment," _it said._ "Let me ask you something... What's the difference between angels and devils?"_

"Uh..." said Iggwilv.

"_They're actually quite similar," it continued, not waiting for her to answer, "especially when you consider that the first devils were fallen angels. _

"_Both are supernatural extradimensional beings of great power, both are born from a fundamental philosophy... The only real difference, aside from appearance, is the nature of said philosophies."_

"The point being?" asked Iggwilv.

The glowing stopped.

"_Devils can grant miracles just as well as angels can," _said the aboleth._ "It's just that they rarely feel obligated to do so..."_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**LIVING FOSSIL (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image: **A cartoonish dinosaur dressed in a tuxedo and top hat, holding a cane.

**Card Description:** Special Summon one Monster from your Graveyard and Equip it with this card. Reduce the Equipped Monster's ATK by 1,000 and negate its effect. When this card leaves the field, destroy the Equipped Monster.

_Note: "Living Fossil" was first used by Misawa in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Duel Off (Part 1)". __Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**OPEN GRAVE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Marauding Captain in a cemetery, knocking over a 13th Grave with his sword, oblivious to the fact that another one is sneaking up behind him.

**Card Description:** On the turn this card is destroyed by a Monster effect and sent to the Graveyard, you can activate its effect by removing it from play. If the Monster who's effect destroyed this card is in either Graveyard, Special Summon that Monster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK ROSE DRAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Dark Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** –7  
**ATK:** 2,400  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** _1 or more non-Tuner Monster(s) – 1 Dark Tuner Monster_

To Special Summon this card, subtract the Level of the Dark Tuner Monster used as Synchro Material from the combined Levels of the non-Tuner Monster(s) used. The value must equal the Level of this card. This card's name is treated as "Black Rose Dragon". When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, destroy all cards on the field.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next:**

**Ember: I expected Iggwilv to come at me like a savage beast, but the Shadow Duel I've gotten into is more dangerous than I could ever have imagined. I've never heard of the Fire Monsters she's using, but they're more brutal than anything I've **_**ever**_** seen before. And furthermore... While I expected a Dark Synchro, could it be that something even darker is hiding in her deck? This might not end the way I intended it!**

"**Secret Barrel" is coming soon.**


	63. Secret Barrel

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL SIXTY-THREE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Secret Barrel**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Mount Vesuvius.

It was an ominous sight when viewed from the city of Naples only nine miles away. Even though it had not had a serious eruption since 1944, the Italian government carefully monitored its seismic activity, and evacuation plans, complete with several backup plans, were in place should there ever be the threat of another eruption. The volcano was regarded as one of the most dangerous in the world, not only because of the over four million people living nearby, but because it was notorious for its incredibly violent, explosive eruptions. Local history told of its most terrible eruption in AD 79 where the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were completely destroyed, and the course of the Sarno River was changed.

In other words, it was the perfect place for a combination of Fire Magic and negative energy. Both fire and death radiated from this infamous peak like a grim cloud.

Despite the volcano's notoriety, it was open to tourists, having been declared a national park in the late Twentieth Century. It was even possible to hike to the peak using a spiral walkway that had been built around the mountain.

The four Shadowchasers and their guide chose a different path, and found that the entrance to the Fire Node was remarkably easy to get into, considering how much the other Nodes had tried to impede their progress.

"Shouldn't we be looking out for fire elementals?" said Ember, as they started to walk down the tunnel that descended underneath the mountain.

"Fire elementals require a source of fire," replied Wilhelm. "I certainly don't see any around here..."

Gears looked at his device.

"Well, the elemental magic here is certainly strong," he said. "It's even stronger than it was in the Water Node."

Shichiro looked at his device, which was also reacting strongly.

"I'm getting massive readings too," he said. "This place's negative energy output is almost as strong as the Old Momentum rector was when the Dark Signers used it as a lair."

"Let's keep going..." said Jinx, nervously.

They did keep going, in a downward path, and the air started to get uncomfortably hot. Still, nothing stood in their way. No elemental beasts, no traps, not even a "keep out" sign.

Eventually, they approached a doorway, where they could see a red glow coming from within.

"Wait," said Jinx.

Everyone stopped.

"This is _too_ easy. I think someone _wants_ us to come in for some reason."

"So should we go back?" asked Shichiro.

"I didn't say that..." said Jinx.

She turned to Ember.

"Ember, I don't know what Iggwilv has planned... But it's likely something very different than what we had to deal with in the other Nodes."

"Jinx has a point," said Gears. "You sure you want to duel her, Ember? One of us can..."

"Guys, I'm positive," said Ember. "Sure, she probably has something with a burn effect... Sure, she probably has a Dark Synchro...

"It's nothing I can't handle... Now let's go in..."

She walked into the room. Jinx shrugged, and followed her, and the rest followed suit.

"Well, this is more like it," said Ember.

The back half of the room was taken up by a large pool of lava. Not a natural pool of lava; it looked like a swimming pool that someone had filled with lava. Overhead was an elaborate mural of a fire destroying a city, with a flaming demon flying above.

Ember was hardly surprised to see Iggwilv surface, wearing a red bathing suit.

"Hello, Ember," she said, sweetly. "Care to come in? The lava's fine..."

"I didn't bring a swimsuit," said Ember, sarcastically.

"Mmm," said Iggwilv, as she climbed out of the pool.

As she did, something else rose out of it. It was a sphere of pure gold, about a foot across.

"In the name of all that's holy..." said Wilhelm.

"Something wrong?" asked Iggwilv.

She picked up her Duel Disk and put it on.

"You are going to duel me, you know," she said to Ember, her smile never wavering, "and it is going to be a Shadow Duel. I assure you, after you humiliated me twice, I'm going to make you feel pain like never before..."

"Can we have a minute?" asked Shichiro.

Everyone fell into a huddle.

"What's wrong, Wilhelm?" he asked.

"That sphere is the power source for the Node," replied Wilhelm. "I'd bet my life on it. And it's a Star Orb."

"Wilhelm," said Shichiro, nervously, "please tell me that you don't mean it's the heart of a star..."

"I don't want to lie to you, Mr. Osaka..." said Wilhelm. "Fortunately, this Star Orb seems to be from a rather weak star... relatively speaking. A very strong star like, say, Betelgeuse, would have an orb the size of a house, with nearly unlimited magical power."

"Okay, okay..." said Jinx. "What can you do about it?"

"The only thing I can think of that might do the trick is a Mordenkainen's Disjunction..." said Wilhelm.

"Wait..." said Gears. "Jalal mentioned that once... Isn't that an Epic Spell?"

"One of two Epic Spells I know how to cast," replied Wilhelm. "If I cast it successfully, the Orb should crumble into harmless dust."

"And if you screw up?" asked Ember.

"Well..." said Wilhelm, who was now as nervous as Shichiro. "To tell the truth... Who knows? A botched Epic Spell can do virtually anything, but rarely anything good..."

"Wilhelm," said Shichiro, "need I remind you that this is a volcano? What if you make it erupt? There are eight-hundred thousand people living in this mountain's 'red zone', and over three million more just beyond that, and all of them are completely unprepared for it right now. I believe that the primary evacuation plans they have in place assume that they know at least twenty days in advance that an eruption will occur."

"Consider the alternative, Mr. Osaka," said Wilhelm. "Even a Star Orb that size could likely sustain the other three Nodes while fully powering this one, giving the aboleth time to find new power sources for them. Do you want to start this whole trek all over again?"

"He's got a point," said Ember. "Get started on it. I'll duel her."

Wilhelm sighed, and turned to Sorsha.

"I made up my mind," he said to her. "If I survive this, I'm retiring from field work."

Ember stood up to Iggwilv.

"I'm not afraid of you one bit," she said. "And as for your Shadow Duel, all I can say is, been there, done that, got the t-shirt to prove it."

"You're a fool," said Iggwilv.

Her demonic Duel Disk activated.

"There are many ways to make a Shadow Duel even deadlier than usual, so long as you work at it..."

Ember activated her Disk.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Iggwilv: 8,000)**

"So..." said Iggwilv. "What do you prefer? Burial or cremation?"

"Stop with the smart comments and just move!" snapped Ember.

Iggwilv grinned, and made a draw.

"I'll set two Trap Cards facedown," she said, as two reversed cards appeared.

"First move of the duel, and already you make an amateur mistake," said Ember. "Even a beginner knows that you don't tell your opponent whether a reversed card is a Spell or a Trap."

Iggwilv chuckled.

"It will hardly matter in a minute," she replied. "I summon Gatling Ogre!"

There was an aura of flame, and a Fiend (Ember supposed) appeared in front of Iggwilv. It was thin and lanky, and wore what appeared to be a military uniform. Its left arm was mechanical, and included a large device which contained an ammunition belt, the purpose of which seemed to be to deliver the ammo to its torso. Its torso contained a Gatling gun in the mid section, and its right hand was holding the crank. (800 ATK)

Ember's eyes narrowed.

"It doesn't look so tough," she said.

"You'll see otherwise in a few seconds," said Iggwilv. "For each set Spell and Trap that I send to the Graveyard, Gatling Ogre can inflict 800 points of damage."

The two set cards vanished, and Gatling Ogre's mechanical arm loaded several rounds of bullets into the gun on its torso...

Then the Fiend let out a horse roar and turned the crank, and the Gatling gun fired, sending a stream of bullets directly into Ember. Ember screamed.

She fell to her knees, clutching her stomach.

"EMBER!" screamed all three of the other Shadowchasers at once.

**(E: 6,400) - - - - - - - - - - (I: 8,000)**

"It's common knowledge that the damage you take in a Shadow Duel can really hurt you..." said Iggwilv. "So it hit me... Why not take advantage of that factor, and put Monsters in my deck that pack heat?"

"You sick, demented..." said Shichiro.

He was about to make a rush at the Paragon.

"Uh, uh, uh!" said Iggwilv, shaking her finger. "You attack me, you violate the interference rule, and Ember is disqualified."

Then Ember slowly rose to her feet. She was still holding her stomach, and sweat was pouring from her brow.

"Hmm..." said Iggwilv, as she took another card from her hand. "I'll end this by giving my Ogre an Equip Spell..."

She threw the card into her Disk.

"The Ribbon of Rebirth."

A long, blue ribbon covered with runes appeared draped around Gatling Ogre's shoulders.

"It's your move. Still think you've been there, done that?"

Ember drew a card.

_She's right, _she thought._ This is more dangerous than any Shadow Duel I've ever been in..._

She looked at the six cards in her hand: Tenkabito Shien, Infernal Flame Emperor, Inferno, Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, Flamvell Devil, and DNA Transplant.

She reached for Tenkabito Shien.

_But I can still cope..._

"I call forth Tenkabito Shien!"

With an explosion of fire and a galloping of hooves, the mounted shogun rode onto the field. (1,500 ATK)

"Attack! Destroy Gatling Ogre!"

Shien charged at the Fiend, and with one swipe of his nodachi, cut it in half at the waist. Gatling Ogre's remains burst into pixels.

"I end my turn," said Ember.

**(E: 6,400) - - - - - - - - - - (I: 7,300)**

"So you do," said Iggwilv. "And since my Ogre was Equipped with Ribbon of Rebirth, it makes a quick recovery."

Gatling Ogre appeared again, kneeling and shielding itself with its metal arm. (800 DEF)

"At least it isn't stronger than Shien," said Jinx.

"It may be too weak," said Iggwilv, as she made a draw, "but I can sacrifice it for someone who isn't..."

Gatling Ogre turned into an orb of light.

"I summon Full Armor Ogre!"

A new Fiend appeared, one that was more heavy-set than the last one. As its name implied, it was clothed in a full flack jacket with a gas mask, and had two gun muzzles in place of hands. (1,600 ATK)

Iggwilv grinned evilly as Full Armor Ogre aimed a gun at Tenkabito Shien. It fired, blowing the Pyro into shards.

The next shock hit Ember hard. The bullet didn't stop. It kept going, and hit her in the chest.

She collapsed to her knees again.

"When Full Armor Ogre destroys one of your Monsters by battle, you take an additional 1,000 points of damage," said Iggwilv. "I guess you found that out the hard way..."

**(E: 5,300) - - - - - - - - - - (I: 7,300)**

"Stop this right now!" screamed Jinx. "This is sick!"

"Sure, I'll be willing to stop it," said Iggwilv. "All Ember has to do is surrender..."

Ember slowly got to her feet again.

"Not... a... chance..." she said.

"I'm surprised by your resilience," said Iggwilv, shaking her head. "Hard to believe you were once nothing more than some secretary... I had thought the stories about you were exaggerated... Guess I was wrong...

"Why is it like that with humans? It seems that all your great heroes came from humble beginnings... While most folks who were born into nobility and royalty grew up to be spoiled-rotten brats who were beneath contempt. Something is seriously wrong with the way things work with your race.

"Heck, the central figure in one of your most popular religions was born to the wife of a carpenter, and lived in poverty most of his life."

"He wasn't exactly a 'hero', quote-unquote," said Ember. "And He'd likely have been the first person to tell you that.

"And as for all heroes coming from humble beginnings, that's not always true. King Arthur is an example of a legendary hero with royal blood. Robin Hood, according to most legends, was originally an aristocrat and a supporter of King Richard the Lionhearted before he was wrongly dispossessed of his lands and forced to become an outlaw.

"Need I go on?"

Iggwilv frowned. She set a card on the field, and it appeared facedown.

"Oh, just make your move..." she said.

"Smart ass..." she muttered, under her breath.

Ember took a deep breath as she drew. Fortunately, that little exchange of words had given her a chance to recover a little. Her gut still hurt, but not as bad as before.

"I summon Flamvell Firedog!" she exclaimed.

With a loud howl, the blazing hellhound appeared on the field. (1,900 ATK)

"Attack Full Armor Ogre!" she shouted. "Flame strike!"

Flamvell Firedog breathed a blast of fire at the Ogre, and its armor seemed ill-equipped to handle the onslaught. It shattered into pixels.

"I use Full Armor Ogre's other effect!" shouted Iggwilv. "When it gets totaled, I get to bring back Gatling Ogre!"

Gatling Ogre appeared again, crouching in Defense Mode. (800 ATK)

"You aren't the only one who's calling for backup," said Ember. "I use Firedog's effect to Special Summon Flamvell Gurnika!"

In another blast of flame, the fiery Dragon-man appeared, hovering in mid-air. (1,700 ATK)

"And now it's time to feel the burn!"

Gurnika launched a ball of flame at Gatling Ogre, and the living artillery exploded.

"And since Gatling Ogre was a Level 3 Monster, you now lose 600 Life Points."

Iggwilv frowned as a red aura of burning energy surrounded her.

Then her facedown card lifted up.

"Not bad, but my Miracle's Wake Trap Card brings Gatling Ogre to the field once again..."

Gatling Ogre appeared in front of her once more. (800 ATK)

**(E: 5,300) - - - - - - - - - - (I: 6,400)**

"My move..." she said.

She drew a card.

"The Monster you're about to see isn't the easiest to summon..." she said, looking at one of her two cards. "To do so, I have to sacrifice a Gatling Ogre while Full Armor Ogre is in my Graveyard...

"But seeing as I can..."

Gatling Ogre vanished into grains of light.

"Behold... Big Cannon Ogre!"

The Fiend that appeared this time would have been twice as tall as the two previous Ogres if it stood up straight, but it was down in a squatting position. It was also wearing a military uniform, one that suggested an officer this time, and most remarkably, one very big cannon and two smaller cannons were mounted on its back. (2,400 ATK)

"That's... not good..." said Ember.

"Wait until you see it attack," said Iggwilv. "Especially since the battle damage it does is doubled.

"Attack! FIRE IN THE HOLE!"

There was a deafening blast, and Big Cannon Ogre launched a blazing cannonball at Flamvell Firedog, incinerating the Beast and knocking Ember on her back.

**(E: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (I: 6,400)**

_Must get up... _thought Ember._ Got to get up..._

She couldn't get up. Every part of her body was numb. She knew that if she fell unconscious she was doomed, but she couldn't stop it.

She could feel the cold tendrils of Shadow eagerly caressing her as she started to slip into unconsciousness... Was this the end?

Then she felt it... Warm water on her face...

Her eyes opened.

She sat up with a start.

"Gabriel!" she exclaimed.

It was indeed Gabriel, and the last of his tears were falling on her.

"It was now or never, kid," said the phoenix.

"Scram!" shouted Iggwilv. "I swear I'm gonna give you a reason to cry..."

She took her last card and set it on her Disk. A reversed Monster appeared.

Ember got up and glared at Iggwilv.

"It's my move!" she said.

She drew a card.

It was Flamvell Archer.

_I have to keep that Big Cannon Ogre from firing another shot, _she thought,_ and I know just how to do it..._

She played the card, and Archer appeared in front of her. (1,000 ATK)

"A Tuner Monster?" asked Iggwilv.

"You're so right," said Ember. "And now I Tune Archer together with Gurnika..."

Archer and Gurnika turned into seven glowing stars, and flew upwards towards the ceiling...

"_Fires ignited in the throes of passion, stunning loveliness that can burn with a glimpse! Clustering stars shine your lights upon the one who can use beauty as a weapon!_

"_Synchro Summon… Flamvell Enchantress!"_

In a bonfire of flame, Enchantress stepped out to face the huge ogre. (2,700 ATK)

"Get that Big Cannon Ogre!" shouted Ember. "Burning passion!"

Flamvell Enchantress flew up to the crouching artillery and cast a fiery spell. Big Cannon Ogre screamed, and exploded as a gunpowder keg ignited. Iggwilv screamed too, and was thrown backwards.

"Seems your own trap backfired on you," said Ember. "Because thanks to Enchantress's effect, you lose Life Points equal to its Attack Points."

**(E: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (I: 3,700)**

Iggwilv groaned. She held her head.

"_Iggwilv," _said the aboleth's voice in her head._ "Maybe I've relied too much on threats to motivate you... So here's a deal..."_

"A deal?" she replied.

"_You don't like having to guard that Node, do you?" _it said._ "Well defeat Ember, and you'll be done with it. You'll be free. I give you my word."_

Iggwilv knew how much her employer's word was usually worth... Still, she was somehow inclined to believe it this time. She got up.

"I use Big Cannon Ogre's final effect..." she said. "When it goes down, Full Armor Ogre comes back."

The ogre in the flack jacket appeared again, kneeling and crossing its arms. (1,600 DEF)

"Then my turn is over," said Ember.

Iggwilv made a draw. She looked at it.

"I first flip Morphing Jar into Attack Mode," she said.

Her facedown card flipped up, and the thing in the jar cackled. (700 ATK) Ember sighed with relief. The five cards she had weren't helping her one bit.

She discarded them, and Iggwilv discarded her one card. They both made five draws.

"Perfect," said Iggwilv. "I next play Fiend's Sanctuary!"

She played the card, and a Metal Fiend Token appeared next to Full Armor Ogre. (0 ATK)

"Then, I sacrifice my Token and Full Armor Ogre..."

The two Monsters turned into a shifting blob of darkness...

"...to summon Dark Tuner Dark Seed!"

The Monster that appeared looked like a big man-eating plant, with a withered pod and several thorny tendrils. (0 ATK)

"A Dark Tuner!" exclaimed Shichiro. "That can only mean..."

"That's right," said Iggwilv. The true horror is yet to come..."

Dark Tuner Dark Seed turned into ten glowing stars. The Morphing Jar's smile turned into a frown as they circled around it...

Then it burst, and the stars turned into eight dark stars...

"_When the Shadows are devoured by even darker Shadows, the curtain is pulled back to reveal… a world without light!_

"_Behold the glory of... Dark Stardust Dragon!"_

It loomed over the field... At first, it was hard to tell this creature from the real Stardust Dragon. But then, you noticed a dark aura surrounding it, and eyes that glowed like hot coals. (2,500 ATK)

Ember shivered in fear.

"Don't worry, Ember!" shouted Jinx. "Enchantress is still stronger!"

"Not for long," said Iggwilv. "I'll get to what I mean in a minute...

"You might recall that on my first move of the duel, I sent two cards to the Graveyard to use Gatling Ogre's effect.

"One of those cards was a special Trap called Money Pit. And now that it is at the bottom of my Graveyard pile with ten cards on top of it, I can remove it from play..."

The card slipped out of her discard slot.

"...and then we both draw twice."

They both made two draws.

"Next, I remove from play the _other_ Trap Card I sent to the Graveyard back then... A little thing called Skill Successor..."

Ember was startled. She remembered that card... Zeyeye had used it...

Dark Stardust Dragon's Attack Score increased to 3,300.

"By the way, I guess you've figured it out by now," continued Iggwilv. "This Dragon is indeed a vestige of Ccapac Apu...

"And you know what that means...

"Attack Flamvell Enchantress! Dark Sonic Strike!"

Dark Stardust Dragon roared, and shot a blast of dark energy at Flamvell Enchantress, vaporizing her.

Ember screamed.

**(E: 1,000) - - - - - - - - - - (I: 3,700)**

Everyone in the room, Ember included, was more than a little shocked. For a brief second, they had actually _seen_ Ccapac Apu. It looked like the Earthbound God's mighty fist moving towards Flamvell Enchantress rather than the blast of energy.

Of course, that was ridiculous... Ccapac Apu was the size of a skyscraper. There was no way a Monster that big could even fit in this room. It had to be some sort of trick played by the aboleth...

Of course it was... Wasn't it?

Ember got up again. For some reason, the Dark Synchro's burn effect actually hurt less than Gatling Ogre shooting her.

"I don't know what tricks you're playing, Iggwilv," she said, "but you won't succeed..."

"Oh?" said Iggwilv. "I'm winning, aren't I?

"I toss two cards facedown, and I end my turn."

Two reversed cards appeared behind the Dark Synchro. Its Attack Score fell back to 2,500.

Ember drew a card. She looked over her hand, which now consisted of eight cards.

"I summon... Evocator Chevalier!" she shouted.

In another fiery aura, the sword-wielding Gemini Warrior appeared. (1,900 ATK)

"Next, I boost his Attack Score with Salamandra."

She played the Equip, and Chevalier's blade burned fiercely. (2,600 ATK)

"Now he's just strong enough to take down your Dark Synchro. Attack! Burning blade!"

Evocator Chevalier swung his sword forward, sending a wave of fire at Dark Stardust Dragon...

"Activate... Metal Coat!" shouted Iggwilv.

Her Trap Card lifted up, and Dark Stardust Dragon was covered by a layer of metallic coating.

"The metal paintjob lets it survive one attack," said Iggwilv.

Chevalier's attack hit the Dark Synchro. The Metal Coat was burned off, but it survived.

"Crud," said Ember.

She fit a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Make your move..." she said.

**(E: 1,000) - - - - - - - - - - (I: 3,600)**

Iggwilv made a draw, and looked at it.

_Perfect... _she thought._ This is just what I need to finish this..._

Her other Trap Card lifted up.

"I activate Metal Reflect Slime," she said.

The semi-solid Trap Monster materialized in front of her. (3,000 DEF)

She took two more cards from her hand.

"This next Monster is Level 7," she said. "So, I have to use Star Blast to summon it with one sacrifice.

"I'll drop 500 Life Points to bring it down to Level 6.

"Then I'll sacrifice Metal Reflect Slime..."

The Trap Monster turned into an orb of glowing light.

"...for Longbarrel Ogre!"

A new Fiend materialized next to Dark Stardust Dragon. It wore the same uniform as Big Cannon Ogre, but was thinner. The thing that most made it stand out was the sniper rifle it held over its shoulder, which was three times the thickness of a normal one and easily twenty feet long! (0 ATK)

"I know what you're thinking," said Iggwilv. "Zero Attack Points. Well, it has an effect that isn't too shabby, that I can use twice per turn. It can destroy one opposing Monster, and deal damage equal to half that Monster's base Attack Score."

"Ho boy..." said Ember.

Longbarrel Ogre fired a mighty blast from its gun, and Ember braced herself as Evocator Chevalier was blown to little pieces.

"ERGH!" she grunted.

**(E: 50) - - - - - - - - - - (I: 3,100)**

"You're through!" shouted Iggwilv. "Dark Stardust Dragon, finish her off!"

Dark Stardust Dragon roared, and shot its Dark Sonic Blast at Ember.

Ember ducked as her Trap Card shot up, and a Draining Shield was erected. The blast stopped short.

_Okay, heart, resume beating..._ she thought.

**(E: 2,550) - - - - - - - - - - (I: 3,100)**

"I end my turn!" shouted Iggwilv.

Ember made a draw.

_Flamvell Paun... _she thought, looking at it._ Well, 200 Attack Points is better than zero..._

_But... If I left it in Attack Mode, Iggwilv would attack it with Dark Stardust Dragon, and I'd lose 2,700 Life Points..._

She shuddered.

She set the card on her Disk along with another card. The two reversed cards appeared, one in her Monster Zone, and one in her Spell Zone.

_Let's just hope Longbarrel Ogre's effect has limits._

She nodded.

"You're too smart for your own good, Ember," said Iggwilv, as she drew a card. "You realized that Longbarrel Ogre's effect only works on face-up Monsters.

"So, I'll move it to Defense Mode..."

Longbarrel Ogre knelt and held its weapon upwards. (3,000 DEF)

"Then I'll attack with Dark Stardust Dragon!"

The Dark Synchro fired its blast, and Flamvell Paun was eradicated.

"Fortunately, I only lose 200 Life Points," said Ember. "And I get to take a Monster with exactly 200 Defense Points from my deck."

She took Neo Flamvell Origin from her deck, and looked at it.

"It won't help you," said Iggwilv.

She set a card, and it appeared behind her two Monsters.

**(E: 2,350) - - - - - - - - - - (I: 3,100)**

"My move!" shouted Ember.

She drew a card.

It was Shrink.

_Could come in handy later,_ she thought.

"I play Fire Back," she said, as she played a Spell Card. "I'll ditch this guy..."

She discarded Neo Flamvell Shaman.

"...and Flamvell Firedog comes back."

Her other facedown card lifted up.

"Then I activate Call of the Haunted!" she shouted.

In a blazing glory, Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys rose onto the field. (2,400 ATK)

"Now, I'll summon Neo Flamvell Origin!"

The small campfire with eyes appeared next to the huge Phoenix. (500 ATK)

Then the small Tuner and the huge non-Tuner flew upwards. The three blazing suns appeared.

"_Power of a supernova, energy of a solar wind, the souls of billions supporting her majestic flight! The raw power unleashed at the moment of Creation flowing through her veins… Heroine of a lost race… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force… _

"_Synchro Summon, Jetta the Bronze-Hearted!"_

Jetta landed, brandishing her fiery falchion. She glared at Iggwilv and her two Monsters. (2,800 ATK)

"Time to add them up," said Ember. "With one Level 4 Fire Monster on my side of the field..."

She pointed to Firedog.

"...and a Level 7 one on yours..."

She pointed to Longbarrel Ogre.

"Jetta gains 2,200 Attack Points."

(5,000 ATK)

"Destroy my Dragon if it makes you feel good," said Iggwilv. "On my next turn, Longbarrel Ogre can take that bimbo down, and do the same to Firedog with his second shot."

"You must think I'm stupid," said Ember. "Longbarrel Ogre is exactly the Monster that Jetta is going to attack..."

She played a Spell Card.

"...once I do this..."

"Enemy Controller?" gasped Iggwilv.

Longbarrel Ogre stood up into Attack Mode. (0 ATK)

"Jetta... He's yours..." said Ember.

Jetta flew at the evil sniper, and made a mighty slash with her blade. The giant rifle fell to the ground in two pieces, and Longbarrel Ogre exploded in a flaming blast.

"Oh no, I'm done for!" screamed Iggwilv.

"But seriously folks..."

The flames and ashes started to clear...

**(E: 2,350) - - - - - - - - - - (I: 3,100)**

"What?" said Gears. "Ember should have won!"

Iggwilv held up a Trap Card.

"And she would have, if I hadn't removed Fire Shield from play," she said. "This was the card I discarded when Morphing Jar was flipped.

"Since I controlled a Fire Monster at the time, removing it from play reduced all the Battle Damage I took this round to zero."

_I should look into that card,_ said Ember.

"At least her Longbarrel Ogre is gone, right?" said Jinx.

Ember set two cards in her Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

"I end my turn," said Ember.

_She's sure to attack Firedog, _she thought,_ but I have Shrink set up... I can still win this duel..._

"Yes," said Iggwilv, as she made a draw, "but it's time I brought out the ace of my deck..."

"Dark Stardust Dragon wasn't your ace?" asked Ember, in shock.

Iggwilv chuckled evilly.

"Let me tell you something, Ember..." she said. "Ccapac Apu was superior to most of the other Earthbound Gods... All except for Uru, which was its equal, and Wiraqocha Rasca, which was superior to all of them."

"Uh, so?" asked Ember.

"So, it managed a stronger vestige..." continued Iggwilv. "Capable of doing more than the others...

"I activate the effect of Dark Tuner Dark Seed."

"I knew it!" said Gears. "I knew that thing must have had an effect!"

"Yeah, but seeds have to be planted before they can do anything," said Iggwilv. "Because it's in my Graveyard, I can remove it from play to Special Summon another Dark Tuner, so long as its Level is no more than half that of Dark Seed.

"So, from my deck, I summon the Level 2 Dark Tuner Diabolic Dragon."

A very small Dragon appeared in front of Iggwilv. It had black, wrinkled skin, no eyes, sharp teeth, and wings like that of a wasp. (0 ATK)

"Level 2?" asked Jinx. "How can she summon a Dark Synchro with a low-Level Dark Tuner?"

"Simple..." said Shichiro. "The non-Tuner also has to be a Dark Synchro."

Then the magnitude of what Iggwilv was about to do struck everyone in the room. Wilhelm, who was busy preparing the ritual to cast Mordenkainen's Disjunction, stopped short.

"It can't be..." he said.

Dark Tuner Diabolic Dragon turned into two glowing stars. Unlike most non-Tuners used in the summoning of a Dark Synchro, Dark Stardust Dragon didn't make any reaction at all as they burned into it.

_Makes sense, _thought Ember._ It's already a negative Level..._

Then Dark Stardust Dragon turned into ten dark stars. The room dimmed as they started to circle around Iggwilv. The four Shadowchasers felt an overwhelming aura in the room that could only be described with one word... Evil.

It came out of the darkness... A huge Dragon with four wings, beautiful, but with an aura that radiated the unholy energy of the Underworld. It roared with a voice that sounded like the cry of Death itself. (3,800 ATK)

"HOW?" screamed Ember. "How could you possibly have made a Dark Synchro copy of Savior Star Dragon?"

Iggwilv's eyes glowed with red light. The lava pool started to bubble.

"_Devils can grant miracles just as well as angels can," _she said in a voice that wasn't hers._ "It's just that they rarely feel obligated to do so..."_

"That's the aboleth's voice!" shouted Shichiro.

"_Yes, Mr. Osaka, it is I," _said the aboleth, in an annoyed voice, though Iggwilv's mouth._ "I suppose I should congratulate you all for defeating the Paragons, but they were failures anyway..._

"_Now excuse me while I finish what Iggwilv started._

"_I use Diabolic Star Dragon's effect, to negate the effect of one Monster on the field. I choose that one."_

"Iggwilv" pointed at Jetta, and Jetta's Attack Score fell to its base score of 2,800.

"_I've waited a long time for this Jetta..." _said the fiend._ "You're going to wish you stayed in that detention center where we couldn't reach you..._

"_Attack, my beast! Shooting Dark Sonic!"_

Jetta looked in panic as the foul thing loomed over her...

"I activate Shrink!" screamed Ember, as one of her facedown cards shot up.

"_Fool," _said the aboleth._ "That's exactly what I wanted you to do..."_

Diabolic Star Dragon started to dissolve.

"_By sacrificing it, I can use its other effect, negating your Spell Card and dealing damage to both players equal to its base Attack Score."_

"You're crazy!" shouted Ember. "We'll both wind up with zero Life Points!"

"_Only you will, Miss Eiko,"_ said the aboleth.

Its last facedown card lifted up.

"_I activate Barrel Behind the Door. It transfers the damage I would take to you."_

An ancient, golden cannon appeared in front of it.

"_It was a good duel, but I'm afraid..."_

Then it stopped short.

Ember had activated her Trap Card.

"_Flamvell Counter?"_ it exclaimed.

Ember held up Neo Flamvell Origin.

"It can't counter your Dragon's effect," gasped Ember, as sweat ran down her face, "but it _can_ counter Barrel Behind the Door!"

She grit her teeth.

"I'll see you in Hell, you egotistical idiot..."

The cannon shattered into bits. The aboleth in Iggwilv's body stepped backwards with a look of fear as the Dragon vanished completely. It was too late for it to stop it...

Then an explosion erupted, centered in the middle of the makeshift arena, and there were two screams...

**(E: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (I: 0)**

"Ember!" shouted Shichiro. "Ember!"

There was a lot of smoke. Everyone rushed up.

Ember was gone. So was Iggwilv.

"Ember..." said Jinx, sadly. "You... You think she's... gone?"

"I dunno..." said Gears. "It's not too often that a Shadow Duel ends in a draw..."

They looked around.

"Look!" said Jinx. "The Star Orb is gone!"

"At least you did that right," said Shichiro, turning to Wilhelm. "The last Node is history, even if Ember is gone..."

"But..." said Wilhelm. "Uh... Mr. Osaka, I never completed the Mordenkainen's Disjunction... I never cast the spell."

They all looked at him.

Both Shichiro and Gears took out their devices.

"People," said Gears. "The Fire Elementalist magic here is just as strong as it ever was..."

"More bad news," said Shichiro, "the negative energy _increased._ It's so strong, this device can't even get an accurate reading..."

"People..." said Wilhelm. "The aboleth is likely still alive then... That means..."

A look of joy crossed Jinx's face.

"That means Ember likely is too!" she exclaimed.

"Settle down," said Shichiro. "For all we know, she's alive as a prisoner.

"Wilhelm, do you know a spell that might be able to track her? Something like that Locate Object thing that works on people?"

"Well, I might be able to..." started Wilhelm.

"Hey, guys..." said Sorsha.

"Has anyone seen Gabriel?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GATLING OGRE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute:** Fire  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 800  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description:** You can send 1 set Spell or Trap Card you control to the Graveyard to inflict 800 points of damage to your opponent.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FULL ARMOR OGRE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute:** Fire  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 1,600  
**DEF:** 1,600

**Card Description:** When this card destroys a Monster as a result of battle, inflict 1,000 points of damage to the destroyed Monster's controller. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, you may Special Summon 1 "Gatling Ogre" from your Graveyard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BIG CANNON OGRE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute:** Fire  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,400  
**DEF:** 2,400

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except by Tributing a "Gatling Ogre" you control while a "Full Armor Ogre" is in your Graveyard. Battle Damage inflicted by this card is doubled. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, you may Special Summon 1 "Full Armor Ogre" from your Graveyard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**LONGBARREL OGRE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute:** Fire  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 3,000

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Special Summoned from your deck. Up to 2 times per turn, you can destroy the face-up opposing Monster with the highest ATK, and inflict direct damage to your opponent equal to half the destroyed Monster's base ATK.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**METAL COAT (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A man wearing a shiny, silver overcoat, surrounded by an aura of lightning.

**Card Description:** Upon activation, this card is treated as an Equip Spell that Equips to a Monster you control. The Equipped Monster cannot be destroyed by card effects. If the Equipped Monster would be destroyed as a result of battle, you can prevent it from being destroyed by sending this card to the Graveyard.

_Note: The four Ogre Monsters and "Metal Coat" were used by Lotten during the Crashtown arc of the third season of "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's". (The full effect of "Longbarrel Ogre is not 100% confirmed and its true ATK is unknown; the version presented here has been given to make the card balanced.) Creative credit goes to the writers of those episodes._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MONEY PIT (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A gang of pirates digging up a treasure chest.

**Card Description:** When this card is in your Graveyard and there are ten or more cards on top of it in your Graveyard pile, you may activate it by removing it from play. Both players draw two cards from their decks.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FIRE SHIELD (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Flame Champion fending off Giga Gagagigo's attack with her shield.

**Card Description:** When you control at least one FIRE Monster, you can remove this card in your Graveyard from play to reduce the Battle Damage you take for the round to zero.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK TUNER DARK SEED (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Plant/Dark Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 10  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** You may remove this card in your Graveyard from play to Special Summon Dark Tuner Monster from your deck or Graveyard whose Level is equal to or less than half the Level of this card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK TUNER DIABOLIC DRAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Dark Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** This card cannot be used for a Synchro Summon, except for the Dark Synchro Summon of a "Diabolic" Monster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK STARDUST DRAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Dark Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** –8  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** _1 non-Tuner Monster – 1 Dark Tuner Monster_

To Special Summon this card, subtract the Level of the Dark Tuner Monster used as Synchro Material from the combined Levels of the non-Tuner Monster(s) used. The value must equal the Level of this card. This card's name is treated as "Stardust Dragon" while on the field. If this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the destroyed monster's ATK.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DIABOLIC STAR DRAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Dark Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** –10  
**ATK:** 3,800  
**DEF:** 3,000

**Card Description:** _"Dark Stardust Dragon" – "Dark Tuner Diabolic Dragon"_

You can Tribute this card to negate the effect of your opponent's Spell, Trap, or Effect Monster, and inflict damage to both players equal to the base ATK of this card. Once per turn, you can negate the effect(s) of one face-up Monster your opponent controls until the End Phase. Also, if the negated effect can be activated, you may activate it once as this card's effect. During your End Phase, return this card to your Extra Deck and Special Summon 1 "Dark Stardust Dragon" from your Graveyard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next: **

**Where is Ember? What dangers or dark monsters is she confronting? **

**The answers come next chapter, along with a familiar face, as the promise of freedom causes Pandorym to start to stir from his eons-long slumber.**

**And for now, that's all I can tell you.**


	64. Alchemy Cycle

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL SIXTY-FOUR**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Alchemy Cycle**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

The Gobi Desert.

The lamia noble dropped his scimitar and fell face-first to the ground. He was dead.

Minerva stood over his body. She tapped her belt buckle, and the corpse glowed briefly, and then melted away like morning dew.

His allies would never find a trace of him. The business moguls who hired him would want their money back when they learned that the intended victim lived, but they'd have no-one to complain to.

Even though this lamia had been one of the League of Assassin's top ten members, wanted for murder in over twenty countries, whose past victims had included members of the parliaments of three nations and several celebrities, she wasn't especially proud of herself for having taken him out. It was just part of her job.

Then she felt something. A throbbing over her heart.

She took _it_out from under her shirt. The amulet. She had been given this amulet when she had been taken from the orphanage in Rome when she was ten years old by her mentor, and introduced to the Knights of Domiel. He had told her that it would be her material link to their liege. She had always assumed it was true, despite having no real proof.

No proof, that is, except times like this when it delivered a message.

She closed her fist around it, and closed her eyes.

The vision started.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

She opened her eyes. In her mind's eye, she was drifting through space. Flying through a lonely expanse of a distant galaxy. She knew that she was billions of miles from any civilized world. The nearest stars could only be seen as faint pinpoints, and there were no planets or asteroids in this dark void.

Slowly, she floated towards her destination. A large, dark cube.

She realized quickly what the cube was. It was a prison. The prisoner inside it was a criminal who had dared challenge not only her liege, but the group of celestial beings that her liege was a member of. They had imprisoned him here, long, long ago. And she knew that this criminal was dangerous. He possessed the same power that those Paragons possessed, but on a far, far greater scale.

As she pondered this, the cube shivered a little.

The prisoner was stirring.

Fear crossed Minerva's face. She knew what it meant.

An avenue of escape was starting to open. And the prisoner was starting to realize that it was coming.

Minerva knew she could do nothing... She could only wait and see what happened. The task of preventing this dangerous criminal's escape would fall on the hands of someone else...

She could only hope that this person succeeded...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember slowly sat up.

At first she thought she really _was _in Hell. That was the punishment for losing a Shadow Duel, she had always believed. After all, she was in a cavern that smelled of brimstone, surrounded by flaming pools of lava, with stifling heat.

Some doubt to this theory came when she noticed that she still had her Duel Disk and her sword. It would have been kind of odd that she would have been cast into Hell and allowed to keep them.

She quickly checked her deck.

Then she noticed something... All four of the Titans were in her Extra Deck.

How did that happen?

Then she heard a scream.

"Ember! Help!"

She looked up, and saw Iggwilv. She was being dragged through a doorway at the other end of the cavern by two fiery demons.

Then Ember realized that she had no time to go help her... Two similar demons were coming for her.

She quickly felt a surge of energy. She leapt up, and drew her sword, cutting the first one in half, and reducing it to a cloud of ash.

The other one didn't care to fight. It ran away through the doorway where the others had gone.

"All right..." she said. "You folks may have me, but I still have this!"

She held up the sword.

"I don't know how long Al-Shymir actually managed to fight you all, but you can bet I'll try just as hard as he did!"

"Calm down, Ember, this isn't Hell," said Gabriel's voice.

Ember turned around, and saw the phoenix, who had apparently been hiding under her jacket like he had before.

"Where are we then?" asked Ember.

"About two hundred feet below the room where you dueled Iggwilv," said Gabriel, "I believe... Apparently, there's more to the Fire Node than we all thought."

Ember took out her cell phone and tried to turn it on.

"It's dead, Gabriel..." she said. "The signal is likely blocked by a hundred feet of stone... Looks like we're on our own.

"What were those creatures, by the way?"

"Mephits," replied Gabriel. "Fire mephits, to be precise. Mephits are elemental spirits created by magic. Wizards often create them to give as gifts to enemies, as ways of conveying messages. What the mephit's message means depends on the type of mephit.

"You never give a mephit to a friend... All of them are rude, annoying, cowardly creatures who never take initiative on their own."

"Hey, I heard that!" said a voice from one of the lava pools.

They turned and saw that it came from another mephit.

"Will you shut up, Gorner?" said another one. "Didn't you see what she did to Oswald?"

"Gabriel..." said Ember, looking around at all the mephits, "I think we should move on..."

"There's only one exit," said Gabriel, looking towards the doorway where Iggwilv was taken.

They started towards it...

...only to find their way blocked by someone far more intimidating than any mephit.

"TRUEMAN!" shouted Ember.

"That's my name," said Trueman.

"I thought you were dead," said Ember.

"You mortals are so naïve," replied Trueman. "Yukai Judai believed I was dead after the battle with Darkness... I came back, didn't I?

"I'm still here, and you'll have to deal with me before I let you see the master."

"Yeah, about that..." said Ember. "Where is it?"

"Recovering," replied Trueman. "Pulling the plug on a Shadow Duel so quickly can create quite a backlash.

"The purpose of that particular Shadow Duel wasn't to kill you, but to incapacitate you. It had hoped you would be a deep slumber that wouldn't wake up from when you were brought down here, but your Counter Trap forced an emergency abort."

"I didn't know you _could_ abort a Shadow Duel," said Ember.

"You can, but the strain is murderous," said Trueman. "Like I said, it's recovering. Iggwilv is too weak to be a threat, but since you still have some fight left in you, I'll have to deal with you until it's back up to snuff."

"Why does it want me alive?" asked Ember, with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Apparently, that information was on a need-to-know basis," replied Trueman, "and it didn't feel I needed to know."

"Listen, buddy," said Ember, lifting her sword, "right now I'm in a very bad mood. I'm going in there, and you can't stop me..."

Trueman made a simple backhand slap, and the sword shattered into shards of metal.

Ember paused. She looked nervously at Trueman, and then at what was left of her weapon.

"Then again, maybe you can," she said.

Her hand trembled, but now it was more out of anger. That sword was the replacement for the one she had lost in Taramanda's palace... The dwarven smiths who worked for Jalal were going to be pretty upset when she requested another one...

"Such defiance," said Trueman. "You know, I would probably try to overpower you physically if it weren't for _them._"

Ember looked over her shoulder, and saw the four Titans glaring at Trueman.

"If the only way I'm going to get past you is a duel, then I'm more than ready," said Ember. "I think I just got my second wind."

"Very well..." said Trueman. "But be warned... In this stronghold, a Shadow Duel isn't even necessary. _Any_ duel turns into a lethal battle where true pain can be inflicted.

"You have been warned."

He activated his strange Duel Disk. Ember activated hers.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Trueman: 8,000)**

"First, I draw a card..." said Trueman, making a draw.

"Then, I summon..."

He played a card, and a very familiar and very ugly Monster appeared in front of him. (1,400 ATK)

"Dark Archetype," said Ember, with a bored tone. "Surprise, surprise..."

Trueman frowned.

"I'll throw three cards facedown, and end my turn," he said.

Three reversed cards appeared in flashes of light.

"Well, I was surprised," said one of the mephits.

"Lovely," said Gabriel. "We have an audience."

Ember drew a card.

_Clearly, if I attack that thing, _she thought,_one of his facedown cards will increase my Monster's Attack Score or lower his, letting him use Dark Archetype's effect to summon... Practically anything. _

_So I'll play it safe for now._

"I'll defend with a Monster," she said, as a reversed Monster appeared. "Then I'll set this, and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared behind her set Monster.

Trueman made a draw.

"I will also defend with a Monster," he said, as a set Monster appeared. "And that will be all."

Ember drew a card.

_Yes! _she thought._ I drew Enemy Controller!_

_If I move his Dark Archetype to Defense Mode, it won't matter what our Monsters' scores are when it's destroyed. He'll take no damage, and he won't be able to use its effect!_

She took another card.

"I summon Blue Flame Swordsman!" she shouted.

In an aura of blue flames, the fiery Warrior with blue armor materialized. (1,800 ATK)

"Hey, I'm starting to like this babe!" said one of the mephits.

"Next, I use Enemy Controller!" said Ember.

The large video game control pad appeared in front of her.

"Go! Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, Select, and... Start!"

Dark Archetype crouched in a sitting position. (400 DEF)

"What the?" said Trueman.

"Eh..." said Ember, "you'd have had to have been there.

"Blue Flame Swordsman, destroy Dark Archetype! Flaming sword of battle!"

Blue Flame Swordsman let out a roar, and cut the grotesque Spellcaster in half with his fiery blade.

"I activate my Spell Card," said Trueman, as one of his cards lifted up.

"Altered Archetype?" said Ember.

She did not like the look of the card at all.

"First I remove Dark Archetype from play," said Trueman, "and negate its effect. Then I pay 1,000 Life Points.

"But it's worth it, because now I get to take a Continuous Spell from my deck, and activate it right away..."

As he played the card, a huge, ominous contraption appeared behind him. It looked like a giant, pear-shaped kettle made of bronze, covered with wires, gauges, dials, and other gewgaws. A fire was lit underneath.

"That's the Chaos Distill!" exclaimed Ember, in horror.

"Oh, you've heard of it?" asked Trueman. "Well... It's still your move..."

Ember's hand shook as she looked at her cards.

"I... End my turn..." she said.

**(E: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,000)**

Trueman made a draw.

"Since you've heard of the Chaos Distill," he said, "I'm sure you know what it can do... Any card that would normally go to my own Graveyard is instead removed from play.

"It also allows other cards to be played... But, before I do so, I'll flip Skelengel into Attack Mode."

The winged cherub appeared, holding its bow. (900 ATK)

Trueman drew one card. He looked at it.

"Having done that, I'll activate a Trap Card."

One of his other facedown cards lifted up. Ember was unfamiliar with this one. The image showed the undressed emperor from The Emperor's Holiday angrily yelling at Marauding Captain.

"Tyrannical Coercion," said Trueman. "For the small price of sacrificing one Monster..."

Skelengel vanished.

"...all Monsters that I summon gain an immunity to all Trap Cards, other than this one.

"And now, due to the power of Chaos Distill, I play Lead Compass."

He held up the Spell Card, and it vanished. The Chaos Distill shook, and steam shot from its vents. A large lion with a fiendish face made entirely of lead appeared on the field in front of Trueman. (500 ATK)

"That would be an Alchemy Beast, I assume?" asked Ember.

"The Lead Lion, yes," said Trueman. "And why stop at one?"

He held up two more Spell Cards.

"By playing Iron Lamp and Copper Scales, I can also summon Iron Salamandra and Copper Ouroboros."

The two Spell Cards vanished, and two more Monsters materialized. One was a small Dragon made entirely of metal, while the other was a large snake made of copper. (500 ATK x2)

"Lead, iron, and copper," said Trueman. "The first three of seven elements of _alchemy_, a science that sought to discover the formula for life.

"This duel won't give you life, however, Ember. It will only bring the opposite.

"Attack her directly my Alchemy Beasts!"

The three Alchemy Beasts roared. Lead Lion shot a stream of metal shards. Iron Salamandra breathed a gust of fire, and Copper Ouroboros shot a beam of burning light.

Ember held her chest.

**(E: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,000)**

Truman took the last card in his hand and set it.

"I end my turn," he said, as a facedown card appeared in his Spell Zone.

"Question..." said Ember, somewhat annoyed.

Trueman didn't respond, so Ember ventured to ask.

"I know that you're good at getting rare cards... But copies of Amnael's cards? That would have been a little hard even for Marik's group."

"Who said they were copies?" asked Trueman. "These _are _Amnael's cards. I made a few adjustments to the deck, of course, but most of his cards are still there."

"And how, pray tell, did you get them?" asked Ember.

"A simple matter," replied Trueman. "Have you ever played an old movie trivia game called 'Six Degrees of Separation'?"

"No," said Ember. "Should I have?"

"Eh, not surprising," said Trueman. "That game went out of style when Kevin Bacon retired..."

"Kevin who?" said Ember.

"My point exactly," replied Trueman. "Anyway, here's how: I worked for Darkness, Darkness took possession of Tenjouin Fubuki, he was one of the Seven Stars, and Amnael was also a member of the Seven Stars. Via that link, I was able to get Amnael's deck... And add a few improvements to it."

Ember made a draw.

"Yeah, well," she said, "even if one of your facedown cards is Elemental Absorber, you can't possibly use it without any cards in your hand!

"I summon Flamvell Gurnika!"

In a burst of flame, Gurnika appeared, flying over the field. (1,700 ATK)

"I may not be able to use his effect, due to your Chaos Distill," she said, "but he can still wreck your Beasts.

"Gurnika, attack his..."

One of Trueman's facedown cards shot up. It was Gravity Bind.

"Then again..." said Ember, as Gurnika backed off.

She turned a card on her Disk, and Blue Flame Swordsman moved to Defense Mode. (1,600 DEF)

Then she fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared next to her other one.

"It's your move," she said.

Trueman made a draw.

"Alchemy Beasts," he started.

"Not this time!" said Ember, as her facedown card lifted up.

"My Monsters are immune to Traps, remember?" asked Trueman.

Then he noticed that the card was Threatening Roar.

"This Trap has nothing to do with your Monsters," said Ember. "It simply prevents you from ordering them to attack."

"Told you she was smart," said one of the mephits.

"Well who said I have to attack to hurt you?" said Trueman, taking the card from his hand.

"I summon Cannon Soldier!"

The infamous Dark Machine appeared next to the three Alchemy Beasts.

"I'm sure you know how this creature's effect works," he said, as the three Beasts were absorbed into the Cannon Soldier.

The Machine fired three shots, and Ember staggered backwards as all three hit her in the chest.

"And now, one more time..." said Trueman.

Cannon Soldier fired a fourth time, and then vanished.

**(E: 4,500) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,000)**

Ember took some deep breaths, and held her chest.

"So what now?" she asked. "You have no Monsters, and no cards in your hand..."

"I move to my End Phase," said Trueman, "and activate this..."

His last facedown card lifted up.

"Transmutation. With Chaos Distill on the field, I can Special Summon one Alchemy Beast from my deck for each one that was removed from play, and disregard their summoning conditions.

"But, they have to be completely _different_ Alchemy Beasts than the ones I removed from play.

"Thus, I summon Mercury Echeneis!"

A large, metal fish appeared on the field. (500 ATK)

"Tin Aetos!"

A large hawk, also made of metal, appeared. (500 ATK)

"And Silver Moonface."

A rough, spherical rock on legs completed the set. (500 ATK)

"It's your move..."

Ember made a draw.

"I move Gurnika to Defense Mode," she said, "and that will be all..."

Gurnika knelt, and crossed his arms. (200 DEF)

"You sound somewhat morose," said Trueman, as he drew a card. "I'll give you a chance to surrender..."

"Never..." said Ember.

"Then prepare to suffer," he replied. "Attack, my Alchemy Beasts! Blazing breeze!"

Aetos blew a scorching wind at Ember.

"Freezing stream!"

Echeneis shot a blast of chilling water.

"Sonic slivers!"

Moonface shot a wave of earsplitting sound.

Ember fell on her back.

**(E: 3,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,000)**

"Ember? Ember?" said Gabriel's voice. "Get up, Ember!"

"He's strong, Gabriel..." whispered Ember. "Even if by some miracle I beat him, what's waiting for me in that room past him?"

"Do you think everything you've accomplished so far was just luck?" asked Gabriel. "Do you think defeating Seghulerak was luck? Do you think defeating Sonja was luck? Was getting Jetta out of prison all luck?

"You're special, Ember... Maybe Fate himself smiled on you when you were born, or maybe there was a dragon somewhere in your family line that was even stronger than Jalal's dad... Whatever the case, there was always potential inside you, just like there was always potential in Yukai Judai, the first guy who beat this creep.

"Now get up and show him that potential!"

Ember opened her eyes.

She got up.

"The bird has a point, Trueman," she said. "Maybe it wasn't all luck that got me this far..."

She drew a card.

"Maybe it was just a strong sense of justice... A desire to see creeps like you pay for all the pain you've caused.

"I summon Neo Flamvell Shaman!"

Tribal drums started to play, and the masked witch doctor leapt onto the field. (1,700 ATK)

"Guess what, Trueman?" asked Ember. "This guy is Level 3, so your Gravity Bind can't stop him from attacking!"

"How unfortunate..." said Trueman.

"Shaman," said Ember, "attack Mercury Echeneis with tiki torch!"

The Shaman spouted flames from the mouthpiece of his mask. The metal fish exploded in a blast of energy.

"ERGH!" grunted Trueman.

**(E: 3,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 5,800)**

"It's your move..." said Ember, crossing her arms.

"I draw one card..." said Trueman.

He made a draw.

"As you know, Ember," he said, "there are seven elements in alchemy. The six Alchemy Beasts represent the first six. The seventh is gold."

"Which is represented by Golden Homunculus," added Ember.

"True..." said Trueman, "but like I said, the true goal of alchemy is to find the formula for life.

"Foolish alchemist who tried to turn lead into gold missed the whole point... That was merely a metaphor for the true goal of their craft. Life is what gold is supposed to truly represent in alchemy.

"And like I told you, I will not show you life in this duel.

"I summon the bringer of death... Come forth Red Lotus Beast... I summon _Gren Maju Da Eiza!_"

There was a huge explosion of flames, and two glowing eyes appeared out of the fires. Before Ember's terrified eyes, the hideous Fiend that Hebi-Na had once used against the Underworld Guardian loomed in front of her.

"For each card that has been removed from play thus far," said Trueman, "this creature gains 400 Attack and Defense Points."

(4,400 ATK)

"Time to finish this... Tin Aetos, Silver Moonface... Attack her directly!"

The two Alchemy Beasts launched their attacks, and Ember staggered under them.

She took some deep breaths.

"Gren Maju Da Eiza..." said Trueman.

An aura of flames surrounded the Chaos Fiend...

"Wipe out Neo Flamvell Shaman! Chaos Flames!"

A blast of super-intense fire shot from the foul thing, incinerating the Shaman.

"That do it?" asked one of the mephits as they looked through the smoke.

"Of course it did," said another one. "It protected from Traps, remember?"

"Hey, maybe her clothes were burned off," said another one. "I gotta see this..."

"You guys make me sick!" said Ember's voice.

The smoke cleared. Ember was a little singed, but she was still standing.

**(E: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 5,800)**

"How..." said Trueman.

"Blue Flame Swordsman, that's how," said Ember. "I used his effect to transfer all of his Attack Points to Neo Flamvell Shaman, so I only lost 900 Life Points from the attack."

"Brilliant," said Trueman, who sounded a little irked. "It's your move..."

Ember drew a card.

_Perfect,_ she said.

"Gurnika, move to Attack Mode!" she said.

Flamvell Gurnika stood up. (1,700 ATK)

"Huh?" said Trueman.

"Now, I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode as well..." said Ember.

Ember's set Monster, which Trueman had completely forgotten about, flipped up, and Hiita the Fire Charmer appeared next to Gurnika. (500 ATK)

"Let's see how your Chaos Fiend likes being controlled," said Ember.

Hiita's staff glowed, and Gren Maju Da Eiza was pulled over to her side of the field.

"Interesting strategy," said Trueman. "However, since none of your cards have been removed from play, its scores are now both zero."

"That's not my intent," said Ember.

She looked at a card from her hand. Then she looked at Trueman's field.

_When I summon this guy, I'll have two Fire Monsters in my Graveyard, _she thought._ Enough to destroy two of those annoying cards... But not all three..._

_Oh well..._

"I sacrifice Hiita and Gren Maju Da Eiza..." she exclaimed.

The two Monsters turned into a blazing ball of fire...

"...to summon Infernal Flame Emperor!"

In an explosion of flame, the huge, winged, centaurian Pyro loomed over her side of the field. (2,700 ATK)

"Great Abyss!" screamed one of the mephits in panic. "It's Imix! She summoned Imix! We're doomed!"

Another mephit slapped him.

"Get ahold of yourself, Wendell!" it shouted. "That not Imix! It's just a Duel Monster."

"Sorry..." said Wendell. "It's just when she said 'Infernal Flame Emperor', and I saw it, I just thought..."

"You think too much," said the second.

"Can't you make them go away?" asked Ember.

"No," said Trueman. "The master won't let me."

"Aw, whatever," said Ember. "I remove Shaman and Hiita from play to destroy Gravity Bind and Tyrannical Coercion!"

She pocketed the two cards, and the two Trap Cards shattered into pieces.

"All right... Gurnika... You take the one on the left."

Gurnika breathed a blast of flames, and Tin Aetos was blown to metal slag.

"And now my Emperor will finish the job!"

Infernal Flame Emperor formed a massive ball of fire in his hands, and hurled it at Silver Moonface. Trueman shielded himself as the whole cavern was lit up by the explosion.

**(E: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 2,400)**

The fire mephits all cheered.

"And ta think you said she had no chance!" said one of them to another. "She's got da best Fire Monsters ever!"

"It's your move, Trueman," said Ember. "And you seem to be out of Alchemy Beasts. Should I prepare for Macro Cosmos?"

"I don't go that route," said Trueman, drawing a card.

He looked at it.

"I play Chaos End," he stated. "Because at least seven of my cards have been removed from play, this Spell Card destroys all Monsters on the field."

Ember stepped back in shock as all three of her Monsters shattered into flaming embers.

"I use Blue Flame Swordsman's effect!" she shouted.

The true Flame Swordsman materialized, kneeling and holding his sword down. (1,600 DEF)

"He can't protect you from this next Monster," said Trueman. "The only card in my Graveyard is a Spell Card, and I'm removing that from play as well..."

Altered Archetype slipped out of his discard slot.

"...to Special Summon Spell Striker."

A small Monster appeared in front of him. A toy wizard with a horned helmet, cape, and a big smile. (600 ATK)

"Didn't Yukai Judai use that card?" asked Ember.

"Yes, so?" asked Trueman.

"Why use a card that was used by someone you hate?" asked Ember.

"Did I ever say I hated him?" asked Trueman.

"Uh, no, but..." said Ember.

"Then don't put words in my mouth," said Trueman.

Spell Striker flew up to Ember and delivered a shock with its wand. She grunted.

**(E: 500) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 2,400)**

_One more attack, and I'm a goner! _thought Ember._ This next draw had better be a good one._

She drew a card.

She smiled.

Flame Swordsman stood up. (1,800 ATK)

Ember played a card, and Fire Back appeared in front of her. She discarded Neo Flamvell Hedgehog, and Flamvell Gurnika appeared again. (1,700 ATK)

"Gurnika, destroy Spell Striker!" she shouted.

Gurnika blasted its flame, and the toy wizard was burned up.

"Not bad," said Trueman, "but due to its effect, I take no damage."

"But Flame Swordsman's attack will damage you," said Ember.

Flame Swordsman rushed at the Messenger of Darkness, and hit him hard with his bronze sword. Trueman grunted, and took a step backwards.

**(E: 500) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 600)**

"Seems the score is almost even," said Ember. "And I'm not done...

"I sacrifice both my Monsters..."

Flame Swordsman and Flamvell Gurnika vanished.

With a loud cry, the Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys rose onto the field. (2,400 ATK)

"It can't be!" screamed one of the mephits.

"Whoa, I'm outta here!" said another one, and dived under the lava.

"Wait for me!" screamed a third.

All the others followed suit, diving into the magma and vanishing. After about a minute, they were all gone.

"Why did they flee?" asked Ember.

Gabriel chuckled.

"We phoenixes have divine blood," he said, "and we originated on the Upper Planes. They weren't scared of me... But a full grown phoenix is enough to send lesser demons running for cover!"

"I'm as glad that they're gone as you are," said Trueman. "They get on my nerves. And if you think fire mephits are annoying, you should see salt mephits.

"It's still your move, by the way."

Ember looked at the last card in her hand, which was Double Spell.

"Go ahead," she said.

Trueman drew a card.

"I play Chaos Greed," he said, playing it. "Because at least four of my cards have been removed from play, and my Graveyard is empty, I get to make two draws."

He drew twice.

"I'll set both of them."

Two set cards appeared, one a Monster, and one a Spell or a Trap.

"It's your move..."

Ember drew a card. It was Flamvell Commando.

_Aw, sorry old pal, I can't summon you right now... _she thought. _Too bad, really... I would have won the duel if I could..._

She almost regretted summoning Sacred Phoenix. But then she realized that she had no idea how she would have kept all those mephits from swarming her if she had won, especially since her sword had been destroyed.

"Sacred Phoenix, destroy his Monster! Sacred Fire!"

Sacred Phoenix let out a screech, and blasted a bolt of violet flame at the reversed Monster. A fiendish and ugly-looking creature with horns, wings, fangs, blue skin, and a mane of shaggy hair appeared on the card and shattered.

"You destroyed D.D. Destroyer," said Trueman. "And since my Chaos Distill removed it from play, I get to destroy one of your cards."

Sacred Phoenix shattered into pixels.

"Uh..." said Ember. "You do know what happens when Sacred Phoenix is destroyed by a card effect right?"

"She comes back on your next turn," said Trueman. "But will she come back in time?

"You only have 500 Life Points left... If my next draw is any Monster at all that I can summon, you're finished..."

Ember didn't respond, but she was smiling inwardly.

_What he doesn't know is, _she thought,_ I still have the Trap that I set on my first turn... Draining Shield. His Tyrannical Coercion kept me from activating it before, but not now. He'll only have one card on his turn, so unless that card is Breaker the Magical Warrior, I'm safe for now._

"Make your move," she said.

Trueman drew a card. He looked at it.

It was Giant Trunade.

"Okay, you're safe," he said.

_For now,_ he thought.

"I pass this turn."

"Then I draw!" exclaimed Ember.

She whipped the top card off her deck.

"And now, Sacred Phoenix makes her triumphant return!"

In a blast of fire, the flaming goddess rose onto the field again. (2,400 ATK)

"And that's not all! All Spell and Trap Cards on the field are now destroyed!"

The Chaos Distill ruptured. It exploded from within, and then collapsed into a fiery pool of melted metal and foul-smelling chemicals. Ember's Draining Shield and Trueman's other facedown card were also blown to pieces.

"See you in my nightmares, Chaos Distill!" said Ember. "And now..."

And then, to her shock, Gren Maju Da Eiza appeared in front of her with a roar.

"What..." she said. "How..."

Trueman grinned.

"That other card I had that your Phoenix destroyed was a special Trap called Squaring the Circle. It's named after a math problem that alchemists often attempted. The math problem is impossible, but the Trap Card has its uses. It can be activated when it and the Chaos Distill are both destroyed at the same time.

"Since it was, I was able to Special Summon any Monster that was removed from play. And Gren is stronger than before, now that a total of eighteen of my cards have been removed from play.

(7,200 ATK)

Ember glanced at the three cards in her hand.

She took one, the one she had drawn this round, and set it in her Disk. It appeared facedown.

_Okay... _she thought._ This had better work..._

"I end my turn," she said.

"A Trap Card?" said Trueman, as he drew a card.

"Not going to work! I play Giant Trunade!"

"Sorry, Trueman, but it's _your_ card that isn't going to work!" shouted Ember.

As the wind started to blow, Ember's Trap Card shot up, as she chain-activated it.

"Huh?" said Trueman. "Spiritual Fire Art?"

Hiita the Fire Charmer flew onto the field.

"You pride yourself on being the Messenger of Darkness?" said Ember, with a sigh of relief.

Hiita cast her powerful spell, and Sacred Phoenix burned like a blazing beacon.

"Well... Lights out, Trueman..."

Sacred Phoenix flew into Trueman and detonated in a fiery blast. Ember barely heard the scream.

She had blacked out.

**(E: 500) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 0)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember was only out for about two minutes. When she came to, Trueman was lying on the floor, not moving.

"Ember?" said Gabriel.

"Is he dead?" asked Ember.

"Does it matter?" asked Gabriel. "I suggest we get into that area that he was trying to keep us from getting into before something worse than mephits show up."

Ember took some deep breaths. Then she nodded.

She ran past Trueman, and into the chamber beyond.

Then, Trueman slowly got up.

He rubbed his head. He wasn't used to feeling pain.

He watched Ember run into the room, and he smiled.

"You think you've won, Eiko?" he said. "Think again...

"The master only wanted me to slow you down... And I think I succeeded admirably.

"Go on... But you'll find that it's much stronger than I am..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAOS DISTILL (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image: **A weird, copper, pear-shaped kettle, covered with wires, tubes, and gauges.

**Card Description:** All cards that would normally go to your own Graveyard are instead removed from play. If either you or your opponent controls a face-up "Macro Cosmos", destroy this card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**IRON LAMP (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **An old-fashioned oil lamp, emitting eerie smoke.

**Card Description:**Activate only when you control a face-up "Chaos Distill". Special Summon one "Alchemy Beast – Iron Salamandra" from your hand or deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**COPPER SCALES (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **An old balance made of wiry, bent copper.

**Card Description:**Activate only when you control a face-up "Chaos Distill". Special Summon one "Alchemy Beast – Copper Ouroboros" from your hand or deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**LEAD COMPASS (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A man standing at an old-fashioned compass the size of a table.

**Card Description:** Activate only when you control a face-up "Chaos Distill". Special Summon one "Alchemy Beast – Lead Lion" from your hand or deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALCHEMY BEAST – IRON SALAMANDRA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute:** Fire  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 500  
**DEF:** 500

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except via the effect of "Iron Lamp". This card attacks your opponent directly.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALCHEMY BEAST – COPPER OUROBOROS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute:** Light  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 500  
**DEF:** 500

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except via the effect of "Copper Scales". This card attacks your opponent directly.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALCHEMY BEAST – LEAD LION (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Beast/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 500  
**DEF:** 500

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except via the effect of "Lead Compass". This card attacks your opponent directly.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALCHEMY BEAST – TIN EATOS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Winged Beat/Effect  
**Attribute:** Wind  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 500  
**DEF:** 500

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except via the effect of "Tin Spell Circle". This card attacks your opponent directly.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALCHEMY BEAST – MERCURY ****ECHENEIS**** (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fish/Effect  
**Attribute:** Water  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 500  
**DEF:** 500

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except via the effect of "Mercury Hourglass". This card attacks your opponent directly.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALCHEMY BEAST – SILVER ****MOONFACE**** (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Rock/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 500  
**DEF:** 500

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except via the effect of "Silver Key". This card attacks your opponent directly.

_Note: The proceeding seven cards were first used by Amnael in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Amnael's Endgame (Part 1)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALTERED ARCHETYPE (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image: **A hideous picture of Dark Archetype growing two more legs and tentacled arms, in a burnt-out ruin.

**Card Description:** Activate when a "Dark Archetype" you control is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard. Pay 1,000 Life Points. Remove the "Dark Archetype" from play and negate its effect. Search your deck for one Continuous Spell Card and activate it.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TRANSMUTATION (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **The four original Charmers (Hiita, Eria, Wynn, and Aussa) gathered around the Chaos Distill as it starts to shake violently.

**Card Description:** Activate during the End Phase of a turn where you control a face-up "Chaos Distill" and one or more "Alchemy Beast" Monsters you controlled were removed from play. For each "Alchemy Beast" Monster that was removed from play, Special Summon an "Alchemy Beast" Monster from your hand or deck, disregarding their summoning conditions. You cannot use this effect to Special Summon an "Alchemy Beast" with the same name as one that was removed from play.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SQUARING THE CIRCLE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A design consisting of a circle inside a square inside a triangle inside a larger circle, all on a black background.

**Card Description:** When this card and a "Chaos Distill" that you control are destroyed by the same effect, you can activate this card's effect. Special Summon one Monster that was removed from play, disregarding any summoning conditions.

_Note: This card is unrelated to the card of the same name that appeared in "The Mandate of Heaven"._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next: **

**Ember: You'd think in this place, the heart of this volcano, my Monsters would feel right at home. But the Fire is tainted by incredible Evil as I come face-to-face with the monster who has been directing this whole scheme from the beginning. To make things worse, even if I win this duel, I have a feeling it might not be the end... Something doesn't feel right...**

"**Divine Wrath" is coming soon...**


	65. Divine Wrath

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL SIXTY-FIVE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Divine Wrath**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Ember ran into the much larger chamber with Gabriel following her.

Now it _really_ looked like a scene from Hell. Not only were lava pits to either side of her, but a river of lava cut the huge chamber in half, fed by a waterfall of lava on the far wall. The air was hot and stifling. Exactly where the light was coming from, she couldn't tell – the lava alone couldn't be supplying it.

"All right, fish-face, come out and face me!" she shouted. "I'm tired of these games! Come out and fight like a man! Or... whatever you are..."

"_Very well..."_ said the aboleth's voice.

Ember sighed as it emerged from the shadows on the far end of the room. Maybe she had been half-hoping it _wouldn't _come face her. She had almost forgotten how intimidating this thing was.

It was still mounted on its hovercraft, which seemed to be the same model as the one that it had lost in their last encounter. Ember could sense from here that it wasn't in a very good mood. It was hard to read this creature's face – if you could call it a face – but it looked rather annoyed.

It came to a stop on the opposite side of the river of lava.

"_So, I'm an 'egotistical idiot', am I?"_ it asked.

Ember looked at it. It was still upset over _that_?

"Yeah," she said, "and if you expect me to take it back, forget it. You're not just egotistical, you're overconfident and cynical.

"You think you're superior to every living creature on this planet. Well, strange... If that's the case, why have you been hiding in the shadows for millennia? Why didn't you subjugate us 'inferior beings' a long time ago and take over the world? You have a superiority complex which just doesn't make sense when you look at it."

The aboleth glared at her. It started to say something, then stopped. Then it paused.

Finally, it spoke.

"_Maybe you have a point..." _it said._ "Maybe I am too cynical... Maybe the human race isn't as stupid as I've always believed it is..._

"_Maybe I just think such things purely out of my hatred for them."_

"This is not going well..." said Gabriel, nervously.

The aboleth turned its hovercraft sideways a little, and lifted itself up slightly.

"_See this scar, Eiko?"_ it said.

It pointed to a nasty wound on its underside.

"_This came from a sword from a member of your organization, the same Shadowchaser I killed, which earned me THIS scar! Three hundred years ago..."_

It pointed to the Indelible Imprint on its face.

"_I've never been able to heal either of them... And before you mourn for him, my victory over him was a very hollow one. He ruined a plan that had taken forty years to put together._

"_So I started all over again... Only for my new plan to be ruined thirty years later by members of the Fist of Raziel._

"_I've been lucky... Each time, I've restored the Nodes... But each new time, meddlers came to interfere._

"_My last defeat was the worst. I spent a century in Long Dreaming. I was almost insane when I recovered..."_

"Wait..." said Ember. "Wouldn't another aboleth have had to help you?"

The aboleth's voice sank to a whisper.

"_The aboleth who saved me was possibly the most powerful member of my species on this world..." _it said_. "It is known as the Second... It is one of three who lead the Doomdreamers..."_

"The cult of the... Dark God..." said Ember.

Then she smirked.

"The Second, huh?" she said. "Well... I guess even where aboleth hold positions of power, they come in second-best!"

"_You risk death by torture if it ever hears you say that!" _roared the aboleth pointing a tentacle at her._ "It once disemboweled a servant merely for rolling his eyes at it!_

"_But anyway, I'm still repaying my debt to the Doomdreamers..."_

"Uh..." said Ember, in a nervous squeak. "You do know that they're... Crazy, right?"

"_Of course I know," _said the aboleth_, "I've had to deal with them. I had to warn them about the Dark Signers' plans, and they hardly took them seriously. They watched every battle, seeing the whole thing as some big Pay-Per-View special, and even had a betting pool on the outcomes! _

"_You can't imagine how upset they were when their pool was compromised by an 'unscheduled match' being added to the 'fight card'."_

"You mean when Bommer fought Crow instead of Yusei?" asked Ember.

"_Please, Bommer was never supposed to be involved at all," _replied the aboleth._ "It was a dumb mistake on Rudger's part too. I'm guessing he was thinking, 'Bommer thinks that Godwin destroyed his village. Let's recruit him to our side and give him the thing that _really_ did it. There's no possible chance he'll figure out the truth from it.'_

"_Are you starting to figure out why I think so lowly of humans?"_

"Rudger stopped being human the second he pulled the switch to start Zero Reverse," said Ember, now sounding rather annoyed herself.

"_Well, getting back to the matter at hand..." _said the aboleth._ "This is why I chose this time to stay in the shadows... Why I tricked the ophidia into helping me, and used the Paragons. I stayed out of danger until I was powerful enough to make the risk worth it. I've never been closer to my goal than I am now... _

"_Welcome to the true Fire Node."_

The Star Orb rose out of the river of lava, and it was now twice as big as it was before.

"_You're going to help me," _it continued,_ "now that I've fixed the problem that forced me to flee from your teammate."_

"You mean the place where I fought Iggwilv was a false Node?" asked Ember.

"_Yes…" _replied the aboleth._ "The most powerful of the four Nodes needed added protection."_

"Hold on…" said Ember, with a confused look. "Why would an aquatic Shadowkind like you make the Fire Node the most powerful one instead of the Water Node?"

"_Because I wasn't in charge of building them," _replied the creature._ "The Primals did all that, and they seemed to have far more respect for Fire than for Water. The leader of their sect was a fire elementalist._

"_That's how it is with elementalist magic… There are more practitioners of the fire branch than of the three other branches combined. Wizards like the flash, spark, and damage that fire can do. They think that fire is the most destructive…_

"_Bah! Earthquakes, hurricanes, and tsunamis can deal out far more destruction than a wildfire… And humans can't stop them as easily. Did your God tell Noah he was going to destroy the world with fire? No… Water was the tool He used._

"_But anyway, I'm rambling…_

"_Everything has fallen into place, and only two more things are needed. You will duel me, right here, right now, and should you refuse, I will cause this volcano to experience an eruption that will make the one in AD 79 look like a barbecue grill. _

"_And don't forget, I was around to see that one. This one will reduce the unprepared city of Naples to flaming ruins."_

Ember couldn't believe it. It would kill four million people if she didn't duel it?

"What are the two things?" she asked.

"_You will learn soon enough," _it replied._ "Now what will it be?"_

"I guess I have no choice..." said Ember. "But give me one minute..."

She opened the pouch on her belt that contained her Side Deck, and took out the cards. She leafed through them until she found two Trap Cards.

_I have no idea how the other three Titans got into my Extra Deck, she thought. But... Maybe with these two cards, I'll have a way to use them..._

She quickly switched the two cards with two from her deck, and shuffled it.

"All right pal..." she said. "I'll duel you..."

_And with a great deal of luck, _she thought,_ maybe I'll come out alive._

The handles on the aboleth's control panel glowed, and the images of five cards appeared in front of it. Ember activated her Disk, and made five draws.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Aboleth: 8,000)**

"I'll start this off," said Ember.

It didn't object, so she made a draw.

_Not bad... _she thought, looking at her hand._ Could have been worse._

She set a Monster, and it appeared facedown in front of her.

"I'll end my turn there," she said.

A sixth card appeared with the aboleth's other cards. Then one of them vanished, and a set Monster appeared in front of it.

"_I'll also set a Monster," _it said._ "And that will end MY turn."_

Ember drew a card.

_Now's my chance,_ she thought.

"I sacrifice my Flamvell Dragnov..." she exclaimed.

Her facedown Monster vanished.

"...for Flamvell Commando!"

In an explosion of fire, the flaming soldier holding his heavy-duty flamethrower appeared in front of her. (2,200 ATK)

"Next," she said. "I'm removing Dragnov from play, to use his effect. That means you lose 1,100 Life Points!"

Commando fired a burst of flames from his weapon, and the aboleth grunted.

"I still have his regular attack," said Ember, as she pocketed the card. "Commando, attack! Fiery death blaze!"

Commando blasted his flamethrower again. Shining Angel appeared on the card, and was burned to a cinder.

"Uh oh," said Ember.

"I use Shining Angel's effect," said the aboleth, "to summon Vairon Charger."

"Who?" said Ember. "What's that?"

She then saw what it was. It was a cylindrical metal capsule, radiating light, with a crowned head at the top, arms on the side, surrounded by golden rings. (1,000 ATK)

_A Vairon? thought Ember. I was kinda expecting Cyber Dragons..._

"Uh..." she said. "Yeah... I end my turn..."

**(E: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 6,900)**

The aboleth made another draw.

"_I summon Vairon Vanguard,"_ it said.

In a flash of light, another weird creature appeared. It looked like a legless, armored figure with large metal arms, and very large, golden shoulders. The only feature it had on its face was a pale gem. (1,400 ATK)

"Okay, time out..." said Ember. "What kind of Monster are these Vairon things?"

"_Fairies, technically,"_ replied the aboleth.

"Oh, come on!" shouted Ember. "When was it decided that now Fairies all had to look like weird machines in this game? Those two things you summoned certainly don't suggest divine messengers or celestial heralds..."

The aboleth paused. It looked like it was thinking very hard.

"_Come to think of it," _it said,_ "I've often wondered the very same thing. _

"_But anyway, these Fairies have impressive abilities. I'll show you._

"_I Equip Vairon Charger with the Spell Card, Rocket Pileder."_

One of its cards vanished, and a red missile appeared on Vairon Charger's "shoulder".

"_And all Light Monsters on the field gain 300 Attack Points for each Equip Spell that it has."_

Charger's Attack Score rose to 1,300, while Vanguard's rose to 1,700.

"_Then I'll give Vanguard two Equip Spells..." _it said, as two more of its cards vanished._ "Pain to Power, and United We Stand."_

The Equip Spells appeared behind Vanguard, and its Attack Score rose to 3,300.

"_Now, Vairon Charger will attack your Commando."_

"Huh?" said Ember.

The rocket attached to Vairon Charger blasted at Flamvell Commando. He knocked it aside with a backhand slap.

"_Due to Rocket Pileder, my Monster is unharmed," _said the aboleth._ "But yours loses 1,300 Attack Points."_

Commando groaned and held his chest. (900 ATK)

"_Also, because Vanguard is Equipped with Pain to Power, it now gains Attack Points equal to the amount of damage I just took from that failed attack."_

Vanguard glowed with brilliant energy. (4,200 ATK)

"_And now my Vanguard will finish what Charger started."_

Vanguard blasted a burning beam of light from the gemstone on its face. Commando exploded, and Ember was knocked prone. She fell on her back, and winced in pain.

**(E: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 6,000)**

_Okay... _she thought._ Not the best start..._

"_My turn is over..." _said the aboleth,_ "which means my Monster's score returns to 3,300. Let's see how much fight you have left."_

Ember got up.

She drew a card. She looked over her hand.

_None of the Monsters I can summon could stand up to Vanguard..._ she thought.

She looked at Vairon Charger.

_But... I could weaken it significantly by getting rid of that guy._

She took a card from her hand.

"I summon Neo Flamvell Saber!" she shouted.

The burning Pyro with the twin scimitars appeared in front of her. (1,500 ATK)

"Then, because I have a Flamvell Monster on the field, and there's only one card in your Graveyard, I can Special Summon Neo Flamvell Origin."

The small Fire Tuner appeared next to Saber. (500 ATK)

"Then, I Tune both Monsters together..."

Origin and Saber turned into six glowing stars, and flew towards the ceiling.

"_Born in the fiery core, rage empowered by white hot flames, strength of an erupting volcano! Clustering stars form a spark to light a roaring fire! _

"_Ignite… Flamvell Urquizas!"_

Urquizas landed in front of her, and gave the aboleth a dirty look. (2,100 ATK)

"Look at this Monster, pal," she said. "No offense to any of the Titans, but when all is said and done, this will always be her favorite Monster."

"_How touching,"_ said the aboleth.

"Now I'm going to play my own Equip Spell," she said, as she fit a card into her Disk. "Salamandra!"

Flamvell Urquizas roared. (2,800 ATK)

"Attack Vairon Charger!" she shouted. "First of flame!"

Urquizas lunged at the weird Fairy. As his fist hit it, it dissolved into sparkling motes.

**(E: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 4,500)**

"With that guy gone," said Ember, "Vairon Vanguard loses the 300-point bonus. Plus, since you now control only one Monster, United We Stand only grants it 800 Attack Points."

Vanguard fell to an Attack Score of 2,200.

"My Monster, on the other hand, gains 400 Attack Points."

(3,200 ATK)

"It's your move..."

"_My draw..."_ said the aboleth.

A new card appeared in front of it.

One of the cards vanished, and appeared set in its Spell Zone.

It glared at Ember.

Ember paused. She made a draw.

_Well, this certainly looks suspicious..._ she thought.

She set a card on her Disk, and a set Monster appeared.

"Urquizas, destroy Varion Vanguard!" she shouted.

Urquizas flew at the Vairon...

"_I activate Destruct Potion!" _exclaimed the aboleth, as its Trap Card shot up._ "This destroys my Monster before you can destroy it..."_

Vairon Vanguard shattered into pixels.

"_And I gain Life Points equal to its Attack Score. Plus, due to Vanguard's effect, because it was destroyed by a card effect, I now get to draw one card for each card that was Equipped to it."_

Two more cards appeared in front of it.

Ember lifted an eyebrow.

"I hope it was worth it," she said. "Because you're wide open!"

Flamvell Urquizas socked the vile creature in the face, and it roared with pain.

**(E: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 3,500)**

The aboleth growled...

"_It's been a long time since I was truly struck..." _it said with a sneer._ I don't like it..."_

"It's not going to be the last," said Ember.

"_We'll see about that," _said the aboleth._ "It's my move..."_

It made another draw.

"_I summon Vairon Soldier."_

Another Vairon materialized. This one looked somewhat like Vairon Vanguard, but its shoulders were even bigger, and its arms were so big and thick, that they reached the ground. (1,700 ATK)

"_Now, another Equip Spell," _it said,_ "and this one is made especially for Vairons. It's called Vairon Material."_

Vairon Soldier raised its right arm, and a fancy spear head appeared on it. (2,300 ATK)

"_Vairon Soldier... Attack Flamvell Urquizas."_

The Vairon made a rush for the Synchro.

"What are you doing?" exclaimed Ember. "That guy can't beat Urquizas..."

"_Yes it can," _replied the aboleth._ "When Vairon Soldier attacks, it can switch the battle position of one Monster for each Equip Spell it has."_

Urquizas knelt in Defense Mode. (400 DEF) The Vairon stabbed him with its weapon, and he shattered.

"Okay..." said Gabriel, "I think we can safely assume that these guys like Equip Spells..."

"_I set this," _said the aboleth, as a reversed card appeared in its Spell Zone,_ "and it's your move..."_

Ember made a draw.

"I summon Flamvell Gurnika!" she shouted.

In a blast of flame, the humanoid Dragon flew onto the field. (1,700 ATK)

"Next..." she said, holding up a Spell Card, "Shrink!"

Vairon Soldier was reduced to half its size. (1,450 ATK)

"Get it!" she shouted.

Gurnika shot a blast of fire, and the miniaturized Fairy went up in flames.

"_Ergh..."_ said the aboleth.

"And since that was a Level 4 Monster," said Ember, "you lose 800 Life Points."

**(E: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 2,450)**

"_I use another effect of Vairon Material," _said the aboleth, as a card appeared in front of it._ "I get to take a Spell Card with the word 'Vairon' in it from my deck."_

"Then it's your move..." said Ember.

The aboleth made another draw.

"_Okay, Eiko..." _it said. _"This is where your luck, quite literally, runs out._

"_I summon Trident Warrior."_

In an aura of light, a bearded man in green armor, holding a large, golden trident, appeared in front of him. (1,800 ATK)

"That's no Vairon..." said Ember.

"_No, but it will help me summon one," _replied the aboleth._ "When Trident Warrior is Normal Summoned, I get to Special Summon a Level 3 Monster from my hand._

"_Thus, I Special Summon Fabled Kushano."_

In another aura of light, one of the infamous Fabled Monsters appeared. This was a well-dressed Fiend with white hair, spectacles, and feathered wings. (1,100 ATK)

Gabriel squawked.

"That's a Tuner!" he said.

"_Indeed," _said the aboleth._ "To Synchro Summon the Monster I intend, all Monsters I use must be Light._

"_So, I Tune together Kushano and Trident Warrior..."_

The two Monsters turned into seven glowing stars.

"_To Synchro Summon... Vairon Sigma!"_

The new Vairon that appeared was very hard to describe. Its central part had the same basic shape as the Vanguard, but without the huge shoulders, and with smaller arms. The arms were surrounded by golden rings, three around each arm, a larger ring was on its back, and it had large, metallic wings sprouting from the center of that ring. (1,800 ATK)

"Uh..." said Ember. "Okay, it looks... kinda cool, but... It's pretty weak for a Level 7 Monster..."

_Which likely means its effect is pretty incredible,_ she thought, as a bead of sweat fell down her face.

"_This creature's effect is powerful," _said the aboleth, almost as if it could read her mind._ "Each time it attacks, I can Equip it with an Equip Spell from my deck. _

"_So... I will have it attack your hidden Monster..."_

Vairon Sigma flew towards the reversed Monster.

"_...and in the process, Equip it with Twin Swords of Flashing Light – Tryce."_

The Spell Card appeared, and Sigma's Attack Score fell to 1,300. UFO Turtle appeared on the card. A blast of energy from Sigma reduced it to slag.

"I use UFO Turtle's effect," said Ember, "to summon a second one."

Another UFO Turtle appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"_And because my Monster now has Tryce's blades," _said the aboleth,_ "it gains a second attack, and with it, a second Equip."_

Sigma flew towards Flamvell Gurnika.

"_I believe Axe of Despair will do this time."_

The Spell Card appeared, and Sigma's Attack Score rose to 2,300. It blasted its beam of light, and Gurnika hollered as it was vaporized.

"Ergh..." said Ember.

**(E: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 2,450)**

"Make your move," said the creature.

Ember made a draw.

"I set this, and this," she said, as a set Monster and a set Spell or Trap appeared. "Then I move UFO Turtle to Defense Mode."

UFO Turtle withdrew into its shell. (1,200 DEF)

"That's all I can do."

The aboleth made a draw.

"_Sigma..."_ it said.

Ember's facedown card lifted up.

"_Curse your Threatening Roar!" _yelled the aboleth's telepathic voice._ "I can't give Sigma any new Equips by attacking this round..._

"_But I can Equip it with the card I got from Vairon Material. It's called Vairon Aura."_

A new Equip appeared, and Sigma glowed with an aura of soft light.

"_And with that, I end my turn."_

Ember drew a card.

She grinned.

"I summon Flamvell Archer!" she shouted.

Archer appeared, aiming its bow. (1,000 ATK)

"Then, I Tune Archer and UFO Turtle together..."

The two Fire Monsters turned into seven glowing stars, and flew towards the ceiling.

"Fires ignited in the throes of passion, stunning loveliness that can burn with a glimpse! Clustering stars shine your lights upon the one who can use beauty as a weapon!

"Synchro Summon… Flamvell Enchantress!"

In a bonfire of flame, the lovely temptress appeared. (2,400 ATK)

"I'm taking you and your ugly Fairy down!" shouted Ember. "Enchantress, attack! Burning passion!"

Enchantress started to cast her fiery spell...

"_Impressive," _said the aboleth._ "However, due to the effect of Vairon Aura, it will be the only thing that your Enchantress will manage to destroy."_

The flaming hex hit Vairon Sigma, and the soft glow faded.

"_And because Vairon Aura was destroyed," _continued the aboleth,_ "I get to draw one card..."_

It made one draw.

Ember didn't like the look on its face. Drawing the card seemed to have perked it up a little.

**(E: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 2,350)**

"Uh... It's your move..." she said.

The aboleth made another draw.

"_Not bad," _it said, as the card revealed itself._ "I play the Spell Card, Supremacy Berry. Because my Life Points are lower than yours, I gain 2,000 of them._

"_Next, my Trap Card..."_

Its facedown card lifted up.

"_Collected Power. When this card is activated, all Equip Spells on the field are placed on one Monster."_

"But..." said Ember. "Both of your Equip Spells are already on the only Monster you have..."

"_But I can put them on your Monster,"_ replied the aboleth.

Flamvell Enchantress gave a confused look. Her Attack Score went to 2,900.

"Okay..." said Gabriel. "He just gave your Monster 500 more Attack Points and the ability to attack twice... Something is seriously wrong here..."

"_It will all make sense in a minute," _said the aboleth._ "I play De-Synchro."_

Vairon Sigma vanished into two orbs of light, and Trident Warrior (1,800 ATK) and Fabled Kushano (1,100 ATK) appeared in its place.

"HUH?" said Ember. "You could have used that card to get rid of my Enchantress!"

"_Like I said, it will all make sense in a minute," _the aboleth replied.

"_I'm sick of these accursed Fairies. It's time we came to the true purpose of this duel. _

"_I summon Fabled Grimro."_

The Monster that appeared was a Fiend, but she looked far more attractive than most Fiends. She was a coldly beautiful woman with pale skin and dark hair, clothed in a dress that seemed to be made of black feathers, with black, feathered wings. (1,700 ATK)

"_Now, I'll Tune together Fabled Kushano and Fabled Grimro..."_ said the aboleth.

The two Fiends turned into seven glowing stars.

"Odd..." said Ember. "He used Grimro as the non-Tuner instead of Trident Warrior..."

"I think I know why..." said Gabriel, nervously.

The phoenix covered his eyes.

"What?" said Ember.

"Wilhelm plays a Fiend Deck, remember?" said Gabriel. "I think he once tried using a Synchro Monster that you had to use only Fiends to summon... But it scared even him!"

"_Well, it doesn't scare me," _said the aboleth, as a large, shadowy form started to appear. _"Arise deliverer of divine justice..._

"_Heavenly King Black Highlander!"_

It was unclear just what was "heavenly" about the sinister-looking Fiend that was now facing Ember. The only thing that might have come from Heaven that it resembled was the Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse, otherwise known as Death. It was an intimidating creature clad in iron armor and a cape, holding a huge scythe.

It looked at Ember and Flamvell Enchantress, and let out a low, evil-sounding laugh... (2,800 ATK)

"_Allow me to explain this creature's effects," _said the aboleth._ "First, its presence on the field prevents both players from making any further Synchro Summonings. _

"_Second, once per turn, I can destroy all Equip Spells Equipped to a Monster, and inflict 400 points of damage for each one to the Monster's controller."_

The two Equip Spells shattered, and Ember cringed as two sharp stabs struck her chest.

"_Here, I'll give your Enchantress another gift," _said the aboleth, as its last card spun around._ "An Equip Spell called Nitro Unit."_

Enchantress shrieked as a portable nitro tank was strapped to her chest.

"What?" said Ember, close to panic.

"_Simple," _said the aboleth, as Highlander lifted its scythe._ When my Monster slays yours, you'll take damage equal to her Attack Score."_

Highlander swung its weapon at Enchantress, and an explosion at the point of impact threw Ember backwards.

She slowly lifted herself up. She was really starting to doubt her chances now.

"_You're lucky you have a Monster in Defense Mode," _said the aboleth, as Trident Warrior pointed its weapon._ "Well, not for long..."_

A bolt of lightning shot from the trident, blowing Flamvell Paun to shards.

Ember slowly took the card that slipped out of her deck. She looked at Flamvell Firedog.

"_Your move..."_ said the aboleth.

**(E: 500) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 4,350)**

_Odd, _thought Ember._ As powerful as that move was... It could have won the duel if it took a different route..._

_If it had used De-Synchro to simply get rid of Enchantress, he could have destroyed Paun with Grimro, and then attacked directly with Sigma... Twice! I would have lost!_

_Either this guy isn't as smart as it claims to be, or I'm seriously missing something here..._

She looked at the two cards in her hand, Flamvell Firedog and Double Spell.

She made a draw.

She looked at it.

It was one of the cards she had added from her Side Deck... It wouldn't stop Highlander from attacking, but it would be able to protect her Life Points for a little while, at least.

She set it, and it appeared facedown.

Then she threw a card on her Disk, and Flamvell Firedog appeared. (1,900 ATK)

"GO!" she screamed. "Roast his Trident Warrior!"

Firedog blasted a bolt of flame, and the bearded Warrior grunted before shattering.

"I use Firedog's effect to Special Summon Neo Flamvell Shaman," she said.

The fiery medicine man appeared next to Firedog. (1,700 ATK)

"And with that, pal, I end my turn."

**(E: 500) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 4,250)**

"_Hmm..." _said the aboleth, making one draw.

"_I could win this duel by attacking either one of your Monsters..."_

The card in its hand vanished, and appeared set in its Spell Zone.

"_Of course, I'm not going to do that. I didn't survive since the dawn of time by falling for setups that were this obvious._

"_It's your move..."_

Ember was shocked. But she tried hard not to show it. She couldn't believe her luck. It had thought her Trap was something deadly.

She looked at the Double Spell in her hand.

She looked at her deck.

_Now's my chance!_ she thought.

She drew.

It was Molten Destruction.

_YES!_ she thought.

"I play Double Spell!" she exclaimed.

She played the card, and discarded the Field Spell.

"Now, I can use one Spell Card in _your_ Graveyard. And I know just which one I want..."

A hologram of a card was yanked out of the aboleth's hovercraft, and flew to Ember's hand. She caught it.

"De-Synchro!" she said, as she threw it into her Disk. "You may have given up your chance to win by using it on my Synchro Monster, but I won't hesitate to use it on yours!"

Heavenly King Black Highlander vanished into grains of light.

"You're wide open!" shouted Ember. "Firedog... Shaman..."

The two Fire Monsters looked at the aboleth.

"_I still have one card left to play," _said the aboleth,_ "and you may remember it..."_

Its Trap Card shot up.

"_Cursed Prison. Seeing as De-Synchro sent Highlander back to my Extra Deck..."_

The lamp-like cage appeared, and Heavenly King Black Highlander appeared inside it. (2,300 DEF)

"_It will make an adequate shield."_

Ember sighed.

"Okay, creep," she said. "It's your move."

No answer.

"Hello?" she said. "It's... your move..."

No answer.

She looked. Her opponent wasn't there.

He was gone.

"Where'd he go?" she said.

All the Monsters vanished...

Then she noticed something strange...

Despite the fact that the Monster that had been inside Cursed Prison had vanished along with her Monsters, the Cursed Prison itself was still there. The strange cage was still hovering in mid-air.

"Be careful Ember..." said Gabriel.

Ember walked up to the cage.

As she did, the whole chamber went dark. The heat went away. It was now much cooler.

She was in some sort of dark void.

Then she noticed that the Cursed Prison had a new occupant. Iggwilv was trapped inside it.

"Iggwilv?" she said, rushing up to it. "What happened? Where are we?"

Iggwilv lifted her head.

"I'll tell you where we are kid…" she said. "We're about twenty fathoms deep into a place called Trouble. I think this is the part of the story where the heroine and the minor villains all realize that the boss villain has been playing them all for suckers…"

Then she heard a wicked laugh echo through the void.

She stepped back, as Heavenly King Black Highlander appeared in front of her.

"Hello, Eiko..." said the Synchro Monster.

"That voice..." said a horrified Ember. "I know that voice..."

"Sure you do," said the Monster. "Up until now, you've heard it telepathically..."

It held up a card. It was a Synchro Monster Card, with "Heavenly King Black Highlander" as the title, and its vital stats and effect text written where they should...

But the image, the Monster's picture, was missing.

She was starting to realize the aboleth's true intentions in this duel all along...

"You thought that it was over with that last move you made..." said the demon.

"It's not over until I say it is..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Minerva continued to watch the great cube. Worry filled her mind.

Then, she was startled as she felt the thing shudder.

The prisoner was almost wide awake...

The avenue of escape was drawing ever closer...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**PAIN TO POWER (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image: **A glowing, golden scroll inscribed with runes.

**Card Description:** During a Battle Phase that a Monster is Equipped with this card, the Equipped Monster gains Attack Points equal to the amount of Life Points lost by the Equipped Monster's controller due to battles with all Monsters he controls except the Equipped Monster. This ATK increase lasts until the End Phase of the turn.

_Note: "Pain to Power" was first used by Ruka (using Rua's deck) in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Mark of the Monkey (Part 4)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**VAIRON AURA (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image: **Vairon Soldier holding a shield made of pure energy.

**Card Description:** Equip only to a "Vairon" Monster. If the Equipped Monster would be destroyed by battle, you can negate its destruction by destroying this card. If this card is destroyed while Equipped to a Monster, draw one card from your deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Next: **

**Ember: I've played right into the aboleth's hands, it seems... It has almost everything it needs to complete its master plan, and needs only one more thing! And the worst part is, I can't refuse this duel! If I do, I may be trapped here forever! **

**I'm facing its true deck now, and evil emits from it like a furnace. What demons and dangers lurk inside it this time?**

**If you know any good prayers, say one for me...**

"**Into the Void" is coming soon.**


	66. Into the Void

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL SIXTY-SIX**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Into the Void**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Ember had been used to seeing some very strange things during her time with the Shadowchasers. But some things... Some things pushed the bounds of believability a little far.

She was in a dark void of some sort. Her one-time foe, Iggwilv the Holocaust Assassin, was helpless and imprisoned inside what looked like the image that was conjured up by a Cursed Prison Trap Card.

And her more immediate foe, the aboleth... It had summoned Heavenly King Black Highlander in the duel that it had apparently cut short a few minutes ago... And now, it _was_ Heavenly King Black Highlander, standing before Ember in all its demonic glory.

It raised its arms and took a deep breath.

"So this is what it's like to have lungs," it said. "I like this new body... What do you think, Eiko?"

"It's an improvement," said Ember, nervously.

"In case you're wondering..." said the aboleth, "winning that duel was never my intention. All I needed to do was summon Heavenly King Black Highlander."

"I'm beginning to get the picture..." said Ember. "This was one of the two things you needed..."

"Go on..." said the aboleth.

"I get it..." said Ember. "You may have had a powerful brain… But your body was a liability… You couldn't survive on land… Your species couldn't compete with the humans you despised. You figured this was the reason all your previous plans had failed.

"So you summoned a powerful Duel Spirit, and like some ghoul, you stole its body, so you could have a strong body to go with your mind."

"Yes," said the creature, "but I had another reason. I needed a far more powerful body to enact the final phase of my plan. I needed to assume the form of one of the most dreaded Duel Spirits.

"I figured a herald of divine retribution should do the job nicely."

"Why him?" asked Ember. "You could have used any of the Dark Synchros..."

"Those... things?" said the aboleth, with a look of disgust. "Powerful, yes, but giving up true life in exchange for some negative energy mockery of it just didn't sit well with me."

"So just what is this final phase?" asked Ember.

The aboleth planted its scythe in the floor, where it stuck up straight. Then a Duel Disk, seemingly a bigger version of the ones used by the Paragons, appeared on its left arm.

"You'll soon find out…" it said. "Here's the deal. One final duel. Should you defeat me, I'll allow you to leave, and you'll be through with me.

"Of course, you'll never leave this pocket dimension on your own, so you have no choice but to duel against my true deck."

Ember took five steps backwards, and activated her Disk.

"Come and get me!" she shouted.

"My pleasure," said the aboleth, with a grin.

"Uh, Ember, you sure this is a good idea?" whispered Gabriel.

"No, I think this is the riskiest, craziest idea I've ever considered!" whispered Ember. "But I don't think I have any other way out of this place..."

"Point taken..." said Gabriel.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Aboleth: 8,000)**

"Again, the first move is yours," said the aboleth.

Ember drew her fist card.

"I set a facedown," she said, "and then summon Flamvell Firedog."

Her reversed card appeared, and then Firedog appeared. It glared at the transformed aboleth, and let out an angry snarl. (1,900 ATK)

"My turn is over," she said.

The aboleth made a draw.

"You think that canine frightens me?" asked the aboleth. "I will fear no fire, and to prove it, I shall play this."

A Spell Card appeared on its side of the field.

"Obligatory Summon. This requires you to Special Summon as many Monsters as you can from your deck that match the Attribute of the one you have on the field."

Ember gave him a strange look.

"O-kay..." she said, as four cards slipped out of her deck. "Anything you say..."

In four columns of flame, four Monsters appeared: Flamvell Garuda (1,800 DEF), Neo Flamvell Shaman (1,700 ATK), Neo Flamvell Saber (1,500 ATK) –) (2,100 ATK) and Rose, Warrior of Revenge. (1,600 ATK)

_He's likely setting up for something with an Asura Priest, _she thought._ What he doesn't know is, I have Shrink set on the field._

_So on my next turn, I'll be able Tune Rose, Garuda, and Shaman into Jetta... I can end this quickly._

"Continuing my turn," said the aboleth.

Its Field Slot opened.

"I play Heart of the Void!"

As he played the card, an eerie, dark fog lifted over the arena...

Then Ember was startled as two evil eyes appeared on the floor.

"Heart of the Void?" she exclaimed. "That's Pandorym's title!"

"It's also a Field Spell..." said the aboleth, "and here's how it works...

"Whenever a Monster would go from the field to the Graveyard, its owner may instead return it to the deck.

"Very useful if you're using this Monster. I summon Void Knight!"

He played a card, and an armored Monster appeared in front of him. It was totally covered in black, exotic armor; no signs that a living being was underneath were apparent. (1,200 ATK)

"Void?" asked Ember.

"Void magic is a rare form of elementalism..." replied the aboleth. "The very form that Pandorym practiced. Rather than focus on one element, it draws power from all four of them, feeding on their energy like a parasite. Just like Void Knight can gain power from all Fire, Wind, Water, and Earth Monsters on the field, gaining 500 Attack Points for each one! So long as there are no Monsters in my Graveyard..."

(3,200 ATK)

"So, which of your Monsters will face its wrath?" it asked. "I believe... The Warrior with your face!"

Void Knight lifted its sword, and leapt at Rose.

"I activate Shrink!" screamed Ember, as her facedown card shot up.

"Sorry," said the aboleth, "that only reduces its Attack Score by 600 points..."

(2,600 ATK)

The Knight's sword fell, and Rose dropped her sword and held her chest. She collapsed and shattered.

**(E: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 8,000)**

_So much for summoning Jetta..._ thought Ember.

"I set a card facedown, and end my turn," said the aboleth, as a reversed card appeared in front of him.

Void Knight's Attack Score fell to 2,700.

Ember drew a card.

It was Sacred Phoenix.

She looked over the other cards in her hand, Blazing Inpachi, Neo Flamvell Hedgehog, Emergency Provisions, and Guard of Flamvell.

_I could summon Enchantress, _she thought._ But her Attack Score would be 2,300, not enough..._

_But... Void Knight will get weaker the less Monsters I have. If he destroys one more Monster, it will be enough... Two more, and I can summon Urquizas, and he'll be enough too._

She turned the cards on her Disk, and Shaman, Saber, and Firedog all moved to Defense Mode. (200 DEF x3)

"It's your move," she said.

"Defending, huh?" asked the aboleth. "Trying to stall? Well, it won't work...

"I sacrifice Void Knight..."

The Warrior in front of him vanished.

"...for Void Berserker."

Another figure in black armor appeared, this one with a helmet shaped like a tusked animal, and armed with an axe. (1,700 ATK)

"Like I said, I can move Void Knight to my deck instead of the Graveyard..."

"But that still doesn't explain why you sacrificed a Monster for a weaker one," said Ember.

"Simple," said the aboleth. "If Void Berserker destroys a Fire, Wind, Water, or Earth Monster, it gets to attack another one."

Ember's eyes opened wide.

The next moment was a massacre. Ember had to turn her head away as the evil Beast-Warrior's axe cut through Firedog, Saber, and Shaman.

Berserker lifted its axe, prepared to make another blow...

"Hmm..." said the aboleth. "Your Garuda seems to have a Defense of 1,800... Didn't catch that..."

Ember sneered at him.

"And you're gonna be sorry, pal!" she said. "It's my move!"

She made a draw.

"I summon Neo Flamvell Hedgehog!" she shouted.

With a squeak, the small, spiky, fiery rodent appeared in mid-air. (800 ATK)

"I activate a Trap," said the aboleth.

Its facedown card lifted up.

"Hidden Soldiers. Since you Normal Summoned a Monster, I get to Special Summon a Level 4 Dark Monster.

"So I summon Void Overseer."

In a black aura, a creepy-looking mad scientist with a bald, wrinkled cranium, pale skin, goggles, a white lab coat covered with stains, and numerous knives and other sharp implements hanging from his belt, appeared next to the Berserker. (1,800 ATK)

"You're going to need all the help you can get," said Ember, as Hedgehog and Garuda turned into six glowing stars. "I Tune my two Monsters together..."

The stars flew into the sky of the dark void...

"_Born in the fiery core, rage empowered by white hot flames, strength of an erupting volcano! Clustering stars form a spark to light a roaring fire! _

"_Ignite… Flamvell Urquizas!"_

Urquizas landed in front of Ember. He turned to her, and gave a reassuring nod.

"Ever hear the saying that it is better to light a single candle than to curse darkness?" asked Ember. "Well, this flame is going to light this void like a beacon!"

Urquizas made a rush at Void Berserker...

The aboleth braced itself as the Beast-Warrior was blown to pieces.

Urquizas rose to an Attack Score of 2,400.

"Once again," said the creature, "I can send it to my deck instead of the Graveyard."

Then Ember set a card, and it appeared in her Spell Zone.

**(E: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 7,600)**

The aboleth made a draw.

"I summon Void Ogre," it said, "which I can do because you control at least one Fire, Wind, Water, or Earth Monster."

A huge, hulking, very ugly Fiend appeared next to Void Overseer. It had disproportionately large claws, and tentacles surrounding a lamprey-like mouth. (2,200 ATK)

"Of course," continued the aboleth, "if there is even one Monster in my Graveyard, this card is destroyed.

"Now, I use Void Overseer's effect, which is similar to your Blue Flame Swordsman's. I deduct 300 points from its Attack Score, and increase Void Ogre's by the same amount."

Void Overseer fell to an Attack Score of 1,500, while Void Ogre rose to 2,500.

"Void Ogre, extinguish that flame!" it commanded. "Rend of the Far Realm!"

Void Ogre let out a roar, and made a violent slash with its claw at Urquizas. Ember was almost frozen in shock by the sight of her Monster being torn in two.

She came back to awareness just in time to react to Void Overseer's attack, which was just as brutal. It took a long knife from its belt and stabbed it into her torso. She fell to her knees, clutching her side.

**(E: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 7,600)**

It waved to signal the end of its turn. As it did so, both Void Overseer and Void Ogre returned to their original Scores.

"Ember!" shouted Gabriel. "You all right?"

"I'm... I'm fine, actually..." said Ember. "For some reason, this doesn't hurt as much as the previous duels..."

"Maybe you're developing a resistance to it," said Gabriel.

"Or..." said Ember.

He looked at the aboleth who had taken the form of Heavenly King Black Highlander.

"Or it's purposely pulling its punches... I have the feeling that it's setting me up for something... Something bad..."

She drew a card.

"I summon Blazing Inpachi," she said, throwing a card on her Disk.

The blazing, burning effigy appeared. (1,850 ATK)

"It may be all over for my Overseer," said the aboleth, "but my Ogre will turn that thing to kindling."

"Don't count on it," said Ember, playing another card. "I play Salamandra!"

The Equip Spell appeared, and Blazing Inpachi burned even fiercer. (2,550 ATK)

"Attack!" shouted Ember. "Destroy Void Overseer!"

The huge wicker man lunged at the creepy scientist, and punched it, blowing it to black shards. The aboleth growled.

**(E: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 6,850)**

"It's your move..." said Ember.

The aboleth made a draw. It looked at the two cards in its hand.

Void Ogre knelt, and crossed its arms over its chest. (1,900 ATK)

"That will do it," said the creature.

Ember drew a card. Then her facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Call of the Haunted!" she exclaimed.

Flamvell Firedog bounded onto the field again. (1,900 ATK)

"See?" she said. "Sending Monsters to your Graveyard does have benefits."

Blazing Inpachi punched Void Ogre, and the ugly Fiend dissolved into black mist.

"Flamvell Firedog, attack that thing directly!" shouted Ember.

The aboleth grunted as the hound's attack covered it with a cloud of fire.

**(E: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 4,950)**

"Now, I set a facedown," said Ember, as a reversed card appeared, "and then sacrifice both my Monsters..."

Blazing Inpachi and Firedog turned into a cloud of glowing motes.

"For Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!"

With a loud cry, the beautiful goddess flew onto the field, casting an angry glare at Ember's opponent. (2,400 ATK)

"And it's your move," said Ember.

The aboleth chuckled as it made a draw.

"There are disadvantages to having cards in your Graveyard as well," it said, "as you're about to see...

"You ever hear of the Pro League Duelist who called himself DD?"

"The guy who killed Edo Phoenix's father and stole Destiny Hero Bloo-D?" asked Ember in surprise. "The guy who was driven insane by the Light of Ruin's influence on Bloo-D?"

"The one and the same," said the aboleth. "His deck had a lot of custom cards... Edo retrieved them after their duel, just before he abandoned that burning ship... He kept the cards he could use, and sold the ones he couldn't..."

It held up a Spell Card.

"This is one of the ones he sold. I play Blood Note.

"It gives me one Blood Token for each multiple of four in your Monster's Level..."

Two small figures appeared in front of it. They looked similar to the tokens created by Fiend's Sanctuary, but were blood red, and seemed to be made of liquid... (0 ATK x2)

"Then, I sacrifice them..." it continued.

The two Blood Tokens dissolved.

"...for Void Margoyle."

A large, shadowy shape loomed over the field in front of Ember. It was a huge, rocky, stone statue, in the shape of a fiendish gargoyle, with glowing eyes and huge claws. (0 ATK)

"I know, you're wondering why it has no points," said the aboleth. "Well, it only starts at zero. For every Fire, Wind, Water, and Earth Monster in your Graveyard when I have _no_ Monsters in mine, it gains 400 Attack Points."

(3,200 ATK)

"Let's see your Phoenix come back after this... Void Margoyle... Attack with dimensional rend!"

Void Margoyle made a mighty slash with its claw, tearing Sacred Phoenix in twain. Ember stepped back in shock...

**(E: 4,600) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 4,950)**

"Care to use the effect of my Field Spell now?" asked the aboleth.

"I... don't think so..." said Ember.

"Suit yourself," it replied.

Void Margoyle's Attack Score went up to 3,600.

"I end my turn..."

Ember nervously made a draw.

She set a card on her Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"That's... that's all I can do..." she said.

The aboleth made a draw.

"I play my Akashic Record Spell Card," it said, playing the card it had drawn.

_That's another card I should look into... _thought Ember._ It's not like this deck has many duplicates..._

The aboleth made two draws.

It showed her the two cards. They were Fairy Meteor Crush and a Monster she didn't recognize.

_If I even survive to look into it!_ she thought.

The aboleth grinned, and played the Equip Spell. Void Margoyle glowed with energy.

"Attack her Monster!" it shouted.

Void Margoyle made a slash with its claw, and Guard of Flamvell was torn to shreds. Ember fell on her rump.

**(E: 3,000) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 4,950)**

Void Margoyle's Attack Score rose to 4,000. The aboleth took one of the two remaining cards in its hand.

"I summon Void Gardna," it said.

Another Warrior in black armor, this one holding a large, square shield, appeared next to the Margoyle. (0 ATK)

"Due to its effect, it moves to Defense Mode," continued the aboleth, as it knelt, and held its shield in front of it. "And its Defense Score is 300 for each Fire, Wind, Water, and Earth Monster in your Graveyard. So long as I have none in mine, of course."

(3,000 DEF)

"It's your move..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Meanwhile, Ember's three allies and Wilhelm were sitting on the slope of Mount Vesuvius, looking at the sky, which was becoming overcast with strange clouds.

"Something's definitely up," said Shichiro. "Something is happening..."

"Any luck, Wilhelm?" asked Jinx.

Wilhelm was currently concentrating on a glass sphere that was about eight inches in diameter.

"A crystal ball?" asked Jinx, almost laughing. "Oh, come on..."

"Say what you will..." replied Wilhelm. "This is one scrying device that has truly withstood the tests of time.

"Finding Ember is proving to be difficult... There's a lot of magical activity in this area right now... I can't say for sure whether that's good or bad right now... But I should be able to pinpoint her location soon..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Face it, Michiko," said the aboleth, "with my Margoyle on offense and my Gardna on Defense, there's not a card in your deck that can get to me!"

Ember narrowed her eyes. Not by the gloating, but by the incredibly rudeness.

"So we're on first-name terms now?" she asked. "Oh, I forgot... Your name is something that us 'inferior beings' can't pronounce. Why don't I just call you 'Fish-Lips' then?"

She drew a card.

She looked at the Trap Card. Then she looked at the one card in her opponent's hand.

_This might work..._ she thought.

She played two cards. They both appeared set, one horizontal and one vertical.

"My turn is over," she said.

The aboleth made a draw.

"Time to end this..." he said.

Then Ember's facedown card shot up. The aboleth sighed.

"Again with the Threatening Roar..." it said. "Fine... Stall all you like..."

It set the card it had just drawn, and it appeared set behind its two Monsters.

"In the end, it will hardly matter."

Ember made a draw.

"I play Fire Back!" she shouted. "I'm sending this Fire Monster to the Graveyard..."

She discarded UFO Turtle.

"Don't bother with the usual gloating... I know it makes your Margoyle even stronger. "I'll use the effect to Special Summon Rose back from my Graveyard."

The Warrior of Revenge appeared in an aura of fire. (1,600 ATK)

"But anyway... I set one card..."

A facedown card appeared where Threatening Roar had been.

"And then..." she said, as her reversed Monster flipped up. "Here comes Morphing Jar!"

The thing in the jar appeared, and cackled even louder than usual. (700 ATK)

The aboleth looked shocked. It looked at the one card in its hand.

"That's right..." said Ember. "Dump it..."

The aboleth discarded the card. As it did so, Void Margoyle's Attack Score and Void Gardna's Defense Score both plummeted to nothing.

"Just as I thought," said Ember. "It was a Monster... And your Field Spell can't send cards to your deck when they're discarded from the hand. Now that your Graveyard has an occupant, your two Monsters are powerless."

They both made five draws.

"Now, let's get busy! I sacrifice Morphing Jar..."

The small Rock turned into a globe of energy.

"...for Flamvell Devil!"

With a sinister hiss, the fiery Fiend appeared next to Rose. (2,100 ATK)

"And now he's going to go ballistic on your Void Margoyle!"

Flamvell Devil breathed a blast of scorching-hot fire, and the huge statue was blown into shards of rock.

"And due to Devil's effect, you lose 200 Life Points for each Pyro in my Graveyard."

The phantoms of Neo Flamvell Garuda, Neo Flamvell Saber, Neo Flamvell Shaman, Neo Flamvell Hedgehog, Flamvell Urquizas, and Blazing Inpachi appeared behind her. They burned with fury, and the wicked creature in front of her clutched its chest in pain.

"I'm not done!" shouted Ember. "Rose, destroy Void Gardna with burning vengeance!"

Rose charged at the defending Warrior, leaving a trail of flame in her wake. Void Gardna was incinerated in an explosion, and Rose backflipped back to Ember's side of the field.

The aboleth glared at Ember.

**(E: 3,000) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 1,650)**

"You may think this duel is over..." it said.

Its facedown card shot up.

"...but thanks to my Trap Card, the result may not be what you expect."

"What?" said Ember. "The Impure Earth? What the heck is that?"

Before her foe could answer, the whole dark void started to shake...

Something was coming...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

If you believe the typical legend, you would think that dragons spend most of their time sleeping on their great hordes of treasure.

It's a myth, actually. They aren't that lazy. Dragons actually need only three hours of sleep out of every twenty-four. No doubt, dragons spread the myth of them sleeping all the time to fool greedy treasure hunters into thinking it would be easy to ambush them when they were vulnerable.

Half-dragons tended to inherit the activity cycles of their draconic parent, and Jalal was no exception. Thus, even though it was now only ten in the morning in Great Britain, he had gotten a great deal accomplished since he got up at three.

Right now he was in the nerve center of Shadowchaser Headquarters, a place where the most powerful Shadow-related phenomenon was monitored on a global scale. It had all the conveniences of a Pentagon war room, but not all of the equipment was scientific in nature, and not all the staff was human.

"Uh, chief?" said one of the technicians who was watching one of the monitors. "I think you should come here... There's something weird happening over Mount Vesuvius..."

"Mount Vesuvius?" asked Jalal. "I have a team there working on something..."

He walked over and looked at the screen.

Having lived a thousand years, not much surprised this man...

...but some things would surprise anyone...

"Jabels!" he shouted across the room. "I want all active Shadowchaser teams on blue alert... Be ready to change that to red on my order."

"All active teams?" asked the technician. "Where?"

"Didn't you hear me?" shouted Jalal. "ALL of them!"

"Yes sir..." replied Jabels.

"Weston!" he called to another one. "Get Garret on the phone. See if any members of Morgana's Kin are available.

"Frankins, get me on the line with the British embassy in Dubai."

"Why?" asked the technician.

"That's where the Gotthammers are staying," replied Jalal. "We have to put them on standby."

He turned to a female technician.

"Mannings, what contacts do we have in the Italian government?"

She started typing in some information.

"Uh..." she said. "Three members of the senate, one member of the Constitutional Court."

"Find out whichever one has the most influence and try to call him," said Jalal. "If you can't get through, keep trying until you do. They're probably wondering what the Hell is going on..."

As a low siren started to sound, Jalal looked at the screen.

_Seems my hunch was right... _he thought._ But I never expected it to happen so fast..._

_Now one of my men is fighting for his or her very life... And who knows what may happen next?_

He looked at the mountain, where an image had appeared in the sky over the peak.

A Geoglyph... The Mark of the Giant...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**HEART OF THE VOID (Spell Card)**

**Field Spell**

**Image: **The Castle of Dark Illusions hovering in a dark fog.

**Card Description:** When a Monster would be sent from the field to the Graveyard, the owner may instead send it back to the owner's deck. The deck is then reshuffled.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**VOID KNIGHT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description: **When you have no Monsters in your Graveyard, this card gains 400 Attack Points for each face-up EARTH, WIND, FIRE, and WATER Monster controlled by your opponent.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**VOID GARDNA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** If this card is attacked while set facedown, it is destroyed automatically without applying Damage Calculation. When this card is Normal Summoned, move it into face-up Defense Position. When this card is face-up on the field and you have no Monsters in your Graveyard, it gains 300 Defense Points for each EARTH, WIND, FIRE, and WATER Monster in your opponent's Graveyard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**VOID OGRE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 2,200  
**DEF:** 1,900

**Card Description: **This card cannot be Normal Summoned unless your opponent controls at least one EARTH, WIND, FIRE, or WATER Monster. You can only control 1 "Void Ogre". If there are any Monsters in your Graveyard, destroy this card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**VOID BERSERKER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Beast-Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 1,700  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description: **When you have no cards in your Graveyard, if this card attacks an EARTH, WIND, FIRE, or WATER Monster, it can attack again. This card cannot attack the same Monster twice in 1 Battle Phase, and cannot attack directly after attacking any Monsters. If this card attacks two Monsters of different Attributes in succession, destroy this card after the Damage Calculation of the attack on the Monster of the second Attribute.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**VOID OVERSEER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,800  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description: **

When you have no cards in your Graveyard, you can decrease the ATK of this card by any amount (in increments of 100) to increase the ATK of a face-up "Void" Monster by the same amount. These changes in scores last until the End Phase of your turn. You can only control 1 "Void Overseer".

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**VOID MARGOYLE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Rock/Effect  
**Attribute:** Dark  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description: **This card cannot be Special Summoned from your deck. When you have no cards in your Graveyard, this card gains 400 Attack Points for each EARTH, WIND, FIRE, and WATER Monster in your opponent's Graveyard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**OBLIGATORY SUMMON (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A strange Monster whose face resembles the Mask of Dispel being grabbed from above by a giant, demonic, red hand reaching out of the clouds.

**Card Description:** Your opponent must Special Summon as many Monsters from his deck as possible of the same Attribute as 1 face-up Monster he controls. Effects of the Special Summoned Monsters that would activate at the time of being Summoned are negated.

_Note: "Obligatory Summon" was first used by Kaiba in _Yu-Gi-Oh: the Movie: Pyramid of Light_. Creative credit goes to the screenplay writers._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BLOOD NOTE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A notebook with blood-red writing inside.

**Card Description:** Select one face-up Monster your opponent controls. For every multiple of 4 in the selected Monster's Level, Special Summon 1 "Blood Token" (Warrior/Dark/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0).

_Note: "Blood Note" was first used by DD in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Ultimate Destiny". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**THE IMPURE EARTH (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A spout of blue energy erupting from the ground. Behind it are two shadowy beings surrounded by auras of flames.

**Card Description:** When 2 or more Monsters you control, at least 1 of which is Level 8 or more, is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard in the same turn, you may activate this card. Special Summon 1 "Earthbound God" Monster from your hand, deck, or Graveyard. The Special Summoned Monster cannot attack or use any effects during the turn this card is activated.

_Note: "The Impure Earth" was first used by Bommer in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "A Whale of a Ride (Part 3)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**And on that note, and an ominous "To Be Continued", we bring this chapter to an end.**

**Be here for the epic conclusion of "Shadowchasers: Power Primordial", coming soon.**


	67. Roar of the Earthbound

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DUEL SIXTY-SEVEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Roar of the Earthbound**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Ember was nearly frozen in fear.

The Void Monsters had been nothing more than bait for a trap that she had walked right into.

Her side of the field now consisted of Flamvell Devil (2,100 ATK), Rose, Warrior of Revenge (1,600 ATK), one set card in her Spell Zone, and Call of the Haunted, which had no purpose, as she had sacrificed the Monster it had summoned.

But though she was winning 3,000 Life Points to 1,650, her opponent, the aboleth who had taken the form of Heavenly King Black Highlander, clearly had the advantage. It had the Field Spell Heart of the Void on its side of the field...

...and its Monster, all one-thousand feet of it, glared hungrily at Ember...

Its body was humanoid, albeit a paunchy one, seemingly made of pure darkness. Its torso was covered with strange sigils that glowed blue, and its large head, which had a face composed of the same sigils, had no neck.

The titanic form of Ccapac Apu loomed over Ember, eager to strike... (3,000 ATK)

"No way…" she whispered. "Yusei took that thing down… WAY down!"

"He did," replied the aboleth. "But Jalal was entirely correct… Using the vessels of the Earthbound Gods' servants that my Nodes made flesh, the Dark Synchros, I was able to revive it. Of course, I never intended to bother with the lesser members of their demonic court... I wanted control of the seven nobles.

"Little by little, battle after battle, I fed Ccapac Apu energy, until it gained enough power to rise again. It wasn't easy, but your final duel with Iggwilv was the clincher.

"And since it isn't listening to me right now, I'll tell you the rest of my plan before I give the order for it to squash you. It and the rest of the Earthbound Gods are nothing but pawns. I only intend to revive them so that I can sacrifice them.

"Once I bring them all back, their life forces will be the fuel for what I truly require… A process that will free Pandorym from his prison and regenerate his body."

"So that you can learn how to harness the Power Primordial!" exclaimed Ember.

"Indeed," said the aboleth. "His prison is incredibly secure… The Hebdomad made sure of it. But all seven of the demons should provide adequate energy to break the chains."

"And in the meantime," replied Ember, "you'll make them think you're helping them… Evil deceiving evil… Nice…"

"What can I say?" said the aboleth. "It would be a shame to waste this creature's power while I have it…

"You're free to try to tell it that it's being tricked… But I doubt it will listen. Demons this powerful tend to think of mortals as vermin, and they think it odd to talk to vermin. They didn't even speak to the Dark Signers, except to reassure them when they had doubts, or to control the actions of some of them after they realized they'd been had.

"Maybe they should have communicated with them more; if they did, that may not have happened. The Earthbound Gods are incredibly powerful... But they were never all too smart...

"All I need to do to cement my hold over Ccapac Apu is use the power of the Fire Node to offer two powerful souls of Fire. A bargain, seeing as it needed dozens of souls when Kiryu used it. Once I do that, reviving the other six will be easy."

"And that's where Iggwilv and I come in, I suppose," said Ember. "Well, I'm not beaten yet..."

"Easily done..." said the aboleth.

It drew a card from its deck.

**(Ember: 3,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Aboleth: 1,650)**

"Because, since this is truly Ccapac Apu and not a mere vestige, it has all its abilities..."

The goliath pulled back its enormous fist.

"Including the ability to attack directly! Ccapac Apu... Finish her off with crushing fist of spite!"

_No... _thought Ember, now in panic._ It can't end like this..._

"Facedown card!" screamed Gabriel. "Use it, Ember!"

Ember noticed the set Spell Card she had set last turn.

This duel wasn't over yet.

"I activate Emergency Provisions!" she shouted, as it flipped up.

Call of the Haunted vanished.

Then Ember turned and ran as Ccapac Apu's enormous hand closed in on her. She hoped she might be lucky enough to outrun it...

Unfortunately, her luck had truly run out...

**(E: 1,000) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 1,650)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Shichiro, Jinx, and Gears were staring up at the Geoglyph in the sky.

"This doesn't make sense," said Shichiro, nervously. "You'd think that if an Earthbound God had been summoned, we'd at least be able to see it... Those things aren't the sort of creatures that can hide easily..."

"People!" said Wilhelm, who was still looking through his crystal ball. "Good news and bad news...

"I found Miss Eiko. She's dueling."

"What's the bad news?" asked Gears.

"I'm afraid that _is_ the bad news," replied Wilhelm. "Her duel is what's causing that Geoglyph..."

"Ember..." said Jinx.

She looked about ready to cry.

"Don't despair yet," said Wilhelm. "The portal to the pocket dimension that she's trapped in is close by... I think I can reopen it and draw it close to us...

"In the meantime, you all can help her by praying that she can survive until I do it.

"Sorsha, come here!"

The cat sprang over to her master.

"I'm going to need all the power I can spare for this," said Wilhelm. "So I need your help..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Hmm..." said the aboleth. "Think that might have done it..."

Then, to its unbelieving eyes, Ember walked forward. Her hair was a mess, and she was covered with bruises, but she was still standing.

"Didn't... hurt..." she said.

Of course, it was likely the biggest lie she had ever told. Right now, she felt like she had been run over by an express train. She really didn't know how she was still standing.

"I haven't seen a human as resilient as you in centuries," said the aboleth. "But anyway...

"I'll set two cards facedown, and my turn comes to an end."

Two set cards appeared in flashes of light.

Ember lifted her hand. It shivered.

She drew a card. She looked at it.

She quickly played it.

"Time to say bye-bye to your Earthbound God!" she shouted. "I play Mystical Space Typhoon!

"When I destroy Heart of the Void, Ccapac Apu will go with it!"

The cyclone tore through the field, and the dark fog lifted. The demonic eyes shattered.

But to her surprise, Ccapac Apu was unharmed.

Then Ember noticed that a new Monster was on the field. The aboleth had triggered Call of the Haunted. The Monster that had been summoned was a sinister-looking man in dark clothing covered with runes, a cape, and a hood. If Ember didn't know better, she'd have sworn that it was one of the Dark Signers. (1,200 ATK)

"Meet Earthbound Linewalker," said the aboleth. "It was the Monster I discarded when you flipped your Morphing Jar. When it's on the field, my Earthbound God cannot be destroyed by its own effect. So it can survive without a Field Spell."

Ember paused.

She looked at a Trap Card in her hand.

It was the same Trap Card she had set in the final rounds of the previous duel... The one that she had never gotten a chance to use...

Maybe it would be a lifesaver here.

She took another card from her hand.

"I summon Flamvell Paun," she said.

In a small aura of fire, the flaming monkey appeared next to Rose and Flamvell Devil. (200 ATK)

"Now... Let's Tune them all together one more time, okay?"

Rose leapt into the sky of the dark void, doing a flip as she did so, and the Pyro and the Fiend followed. The three blazing suns appeared, and they turned into ten glowing stars.

Jetta gracefully landed in front of her. (2,800 ATK)

"Why bother bringing her out?" asked the aboleth. "In case you didn't know, in battles between gods and titans, it usually tends to end badly for the titans!"

"Yeah, and I'm sure you remember the battle between Zeus and Chronos in every little detail," said Ember, now annoyed. "Well, let me tell you something about Zeus...

"He may have been a lecherous rake... He may have had anger management issues... He may even have been a pedophile according to some myths...

"But... He was far more worthy of divinity than that monstrosity up there. Zeus wasn't a parasite who snacked on human souls simply to survive. He was more of a god than that thing will ever be."

"Regardless," said the aboleth. "Ccapac Apu is stronger than she is, and she can't attack it anyway."

"But if she attacked Earthbound Linewalker, Ccapac Apu would destroy itself," said Ember.

The aboleth stared at her. Ember stared back. Ccapac Apu growled, and the ground shook.

"On second thought..." said Ember. "I think I'll just set these two cards, and end my turn..."

Two facedown cards appeared in two flashes of light.

_She didn't fall for it... _thought the aboleth._ Not that I expected her too, she's smarter than most of her wretched kind. _

_If she attacks Linewalker, I can activate the Trap Card, Glowing Image of the Guardian God, and draw that Titan's attack to Ccapac Apu. With its burn effect, victory would be mine..._

_Well, water under the bridge._

It made a draw. It was Dimensional Prison.

"Ccapac Apu..." it ordered, "destroy her!"

Ccapac Apu lifted its mighty fist again...

"I activate... Synchro Protector!" shouted Ember, as one of her facedown cards shot up.

"This Continuous Trap lets me discard up to three Synchro Monsters from my Extra Deck..."

She held up Trymus, Shannalla, and Il Mathman's cards.

"I think I'll get rid of these guys..."

She quickly discarded them.

"For each one I just discarded, this card gets a Counter, and I can expend one to reduce the damage from your attack to zero!"

As Ccapac Apu's fist closed in on Ember, Trymus appeared between it and her, and caught it with his whole body. He strained to hold it back...

Then with a great heave, he pushed it backwards, and Ccapac Apu stumbled back two steps.

Trymus smiled to Ember before he vanished.

The aboleth set the card it had just drawn. Then it turned a card on its Disk, and Earthbound Linewalker crouched in Defense Mode. (1,900 DEF)

"I end my turn!" it cursed.

Ember made a draw.

She casually looked at the card.

Then she set it on her Disk, and a new facedown card appeared behind Jetta.

"Your move," she said.

The aboleth made a draw.

It looked at its hand, which consisted of The Transmigration Prophecy, Magical Mallet, Void Knight, Void Overseer, and Earthbound Revival.

_Hmm... _it thought._ That Trap Card of hers will let her dodge Ccapac Apu's attack two more times... I may have the patience..._

_But it seems that Ccapac Apu is quickly losing its own. Maybe it was indeed listening when she insulted it a minute ago..._

_I could simply attack Jetta... Then Ccapac Apu's special effect would kick in, dealing her 2,800 points of effect damage, and I would win the duel..._

_But then... I'm not a fool..._

_That's probably just what she wants me to do. She probably has DNA Transplant set, and triggering it would boost Jetta's Attack Score by 2,800 points. That's not going to happen..._

"I play Magical Mallet," it said, as it played the Spell Card. "Now I'll send these four cards back to my deck..."

It added the cards to its deck.

"...reshuffle..."

The Disk reshuffled it.

"...and draw four new ones."

It made four more draws. It saw that one of them was Nobleman of Extermination.

_Okay... _it thought,_ I have Nobleman of Extermination... Now I just have to figure out which of her two set cards is DNA Transplant..._

_The card on the left is the one she set last turn... But the card on the right is the one she set on the same turn that she Synchro Summoned Jetta! _

_That one has to be it, she set it then so it could benefit Jetta at the earliest possible opportunity!_

"I play Nobleman of Extermination!" it exclaimed, as the card appeared.

The card to Ember's right lifted up, and shattered. It was indeed DNA Transplant.

"You're finished!" laughed the aboleth. "Ccapac Apu... Attack Jetta and end this duel!"

Ccapac Apu lifted its gargantuan fist again...

"You're still overconfident," said Ember, "and that's going to be your final mistake..."

Her other Trap Card lifted up.

"I activate Synchro Baton!"

"Huh?" said the aboleth. "Synchro Baton?"

Trymus, Shannalla, Il Mathman, and Flamvell Urquizas appeared behind Jetta.

"Now, Jetta can meet your Earthbound God's attack with all of the Synchro Monsters in my Graveyard supporting her," said Ember, "giving her 600 Attack Points apiece."

(5,200 ATK)

"It can't be..." gasped the aboleth in panic.

It was, and it was too late. Jetta lifted her sword, and flew at the oversized demon with her three comrades following her, Flamvell Urquizas taking up the rear.

"Send Ccapac Apu back to where it came from!" shouted Ember. "All together people!"

For a brief instant, it seemed a look of terror appeared on Ccapac Apu's face...

Then, the demon's scream echoed through the dark void as the five Synchros blasted their way through its chest and out its back. The aboleth screamed too, and fell to its knees.

"No..." it moaned, as its armor started to warp and crack. "It can't end like this... Not when I've come so far..."

**(E: 1,000) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 0)**

As Ember watched, Ccapac Apu melted into a pile of sludge. The aboleth let out a loud scream, and then seemingly melted as well, turning into a puddle of black ichor...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Minerva continued to watch the large cube.

Then she heard a scream come from it. The scream was quickly reduced to a whimper, and then died completely.

She opened her eyes. She was back in the Gobi Desert.

The vision was done.

The prisoner's escape route had been cut off. And all the better.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Back in the pocket dimension, the whole place started to shake.

"What's happening?" shouted Ember.

"This pocket dimension is about to implode!" shouted Iggwilv. "Once it does, we'll either be atomized or blown out into the Astral Plane. You'd best think of something, or even if we survive, we'll spend eternity at each other's throats."

Then a light pierced the void.

"Hello?" said a familiar voice. "Miss Eiko? Can you hear me?"

"Wilhelm?" shouted Ember.

"Good old Wilhelm!" exclaimed Gabriel. "He's opening the way out for us!"

"Wilhelm, hurry!" shouted Ember.

"Wait! What about me?" cried Iggwilv.

Ember looked at her.

"Well…" she said. "I could take you with me, Iggwilv… Or I could leave you here as a punishment for all your atrocities…"

Iggwilv started to sob.

"Please..." she cried. "Please, take me with you... You wouldn't leave me to suffer, would you?"

Ember let out a sigh. The portal was starting to form.

"Uh, Ember…" said Gabriel. "You'd best decide fast…"

Ember grabbed the Highlander's scythe, and wedged it between the bars of the Cursed Prison. She used it like a lever, and spread the bars apart.

"Come on!" she shouted, as Iggwilv wiggled through. "Hurry up before I change my mind."

The three of them fled to the portal, and dove through it. Behind them, they heard one final scream...

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember fell to the ground like a sack of rags. Shichiro slowly picked her up.

"Ember!" he said. "Are you all right?"

"Well..." said Ember.

She took a deep breath.

"In the past three hours, I've been burned, stabbed, chilled, shot at, caught in several explosions and smashed under a huge fist... But other than that, I'm doing great..."

He hugged her.

"Where's the aboleth?" asked Gears.

"Does aboleth religion mention an afterlife?" asked Ember.

"Uh, no..." said Wilhelm. "They expect to live forever..."

"Then I have no idea where it is..." sighed Ember.

Iggwilv was sprawled on the ground, chuckling.

"Heh, heh, heh..." she cackled. "Sucker... I knew you wouldn't leave me behind, Ember... You good guys and your pathetic morals... Thinking that all life is precious... It sickens me, really..."

"All life is precious?" asked Ember.

She glared at Iggwilv.

"Iggwilv, I would say you were about as precious as an economy-size bag of fertilizer, but that would be an insult to honest fertilizer dealers.

"I saved you because I wanted you to pay for your crimes, plain and simple. If I had left you behind, who knows? You might have eventually found a way out.

"Jinx... Book her..."

"My pleasure," said Jinx.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As they walked down the slope of Mount Vesuvius, with Shichiro carrying Ember and the four Titans following, Gears checked his equipment.

"Zero, zero, zero..." he said. "Seems the Nodes are officially out of business."

"Funny..." said Ember. "It thought it was the superior being all along... But now..."

"It had experience, but not much else..." said Wilhelm. "People think that experience makes all the difference. I'm reminded of an old joke... Something about how a Roman gladiator laughed when he found out his next opponent was seventy years old... And then someone asked him how the guy could have lived to be seventy.

"Thing is, experience is a fickle thing. Leviathan was more than three times as old as the Egyptian God Monsters... But they defeated it. The Light of Ruin had been drifting through space for countless eons... But Judai defeated it.

"Experience alone doesn't make you better than others. How you use it does."

"Well... at long last," said Trymus, "we have a bit of closure... The fiend who murdered our people is dead."

"More than you think..." said a voice.

They stopped short.

It was Judge Sirius. He was standing in front of them.

"Why are _you_ here?" asked Il Mathman, rather annoyed.

"Don't jump to conclusions," said the judge. "A lot has been done since Jetta's release."

He waved his hand, and Jetta's eyes glowed. A small disk appeared in his hand.

"An implant?" asked Jetta.

"A monitoring device," replied Sirius.

"So you never trusted me," said Jetta, "even when the conditions were met?"

"On the contrary," said Sirius, "it was needed for an elaborate sting operation. During your imprisonment, more evidence was uncovered that made us suspect the Psurlons of not only falsely implicating you, but numerous other atrocities. We needed evidence of illegal activity on their part.

"We knew you'd likely try to clear your name. So we implanted that device, which let us hear every spoken word and telepathic message you heard."

"Then you heard every word that toad told us?" asked Shannalla.

Sirius nodded.

"Uh, wouldn't that be inadmissible evidence?" asked Shichiro.

"Yes, so it wouldn't hold up in court," replied the judge, "but it was enough to override their bargain with the Harmonium and gain a search warrant for their base of operations. And we pulled out all the stops, sent an army there unannounced. They resisted of course, but after several of them were arrested for defying a court order, we got access to their mainframes.

"And now we have all the proof we need to charge them with multiple counts of genocide, among several other abominable crimes.

"The only problem is, aside from the ones that were arrested before we gained access, they abandoned ship at first opportunity. We believe they used dimensional travel; it's the only way they could have gotten past our blockade."

"Slippery devils," said Jinx.

"Well, they're fugitives now," said Sirius, "and we will apprehend them. But first...

"Jetta... All charges against you are now dropped. I hereby restore your flesh."

There was a flash of energy. In the next second, Jetta had been transformed from a phantom to a solid humanoid.

She looked at herself, barely able to believe it. Then she realized something.

"Wait..." she said. "What about..."

"Your three companions?" asked Sirius. "Fear not... I can restore them as well... We found these when we searched their mainframe."

He held up three devices that looked like flash drives.

"You thought your bodies were destroyed in your attempt to find a sponsor for Jetta..." he continued. "But the Psurlons actually stole them and stored them, hoping to keep you out of commission forever. They had tried to delete them, but even in digital form, that is hard to do to a body empowered with the Power Primordial."

He gestured, and there was another flash of energy. In the next second, Trymus, Shannalla, and Il Mathman were restored to flesh as well

"We're whole again..." said Shannalla.

Tears of joy appeared in her eyes. She turned to Trymus, and they embraced.

"Now, like I said," continued Sirius, "the leadership of the Psurlon Trade Emporium are fugitives at this point, and we're going to need help finding them... But we were thinking if the Harmonium offered an apology...

Shannalla's joy quickly vanished. She and the other Titans gave him dirty looks.

"Uh..." said Sirius, nervously. "Maybe a _public_ apology and compensation?"

"AND we want a full-scale investigation of the leadership of the Harmonium done," said Trymus, "and all corrupt officials prosecuted, got it? We'll negotiate. We want someone policing the police from now on."

"And from this point on," said Il Mathman, "we want the Psurlons to be regarded as the genocidal terrorists they are, not the corporate sharks you've made them look like. That means trial by special tribunal with their all their assets and accounts seized.

"And here's something to think about... If it even _looks_ like any bribery is involved in the trials of them or the Paragons, the next criminals we'll be bringing to justice will be the Harmonium."

"And if you think we won't do it," added Shannalla, "ask Emperor Camio. Or Queen Mahlax the Punisher. Ask the leaders of any despotic governments that we helped overthrow. They all didn't think we could do it either."

Sirius looked nervous. He turned to the Shadowchasers.

"Don't look at us, pal," said Shichiro. "We've had a similar problem for a long time."

"When I get back I'll... make a few phone calls, as the saying goes..." said Sirius. "I think we can work something out..."

"So, would we count this as a happy ending?" asked Ember.

"Dunno..." said Jinx. "For those who have lost what they lost, it's hard to count _anything _as an ending..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GLOWING IMAGE OF THE GUARDIAN GOD (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image: **A pyramid-shaped obelisk with glowing runes on it in a wooded area, with ghostly wisps flying around it.

**Card Description:** If you do not control an "Earthbound God" Monster, destroy this card. When a Monster controlled by your opponent attacks, you can select the "Earthbound God" Monster as the target of the attack, disregarding its effect that prevents your opponent from selecting it as an attack target.

_Note: "Glowing Image of the Guardian God" was first used by Kiryu in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "A Score to Settle (Part 2). It was later used by Rudger in "Destiny's Will (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SYNCHRO BATON (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier, Gungnir, Dragon of the Ice Barrier, and Dewloren, Tiger Prince of the Ice Barrier, each glowing with colored energy.

**Card Description:** Select one Synchro Monster you control. Increase the ATK of the selected Monster by 600 for each Synchro Monster in your Graveyard until the End Phase of the turn.

_Note: "Synchro Baton" was first used by Yusei in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Signs of Doom (Part 3)". __Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SYNCHRO PROTECTOR (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image: **A duelist in the foreground, with the shadowy forms of Junk Warrior, Nitro Warrior, and Turbo Warrior in the background.

**Card Description:** When this card is activated, send up to three Synchro Monsters from your Extra Deck to the Graveyard. For each Synchro Monster sent to the Graveyard via this effect, place one Protection Counter on this card. You can remove a Protection Counter from this card to reduce the Battle Damage from a Monster's attack to zero. When the last Protection Counter is removed from this card, destroy this card.

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Epilogue**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

One week later...

Hebi-Na lay sleeping in a bed in a private room in the infirmary at Shadowchasers Headquarters. Not the prison infirmary. She had recently been moved from there. Ordinary medical equipment monitored her heartbeat, breathing, and brain activity, and she seemed perfectly healthy from the look of them. Only Jalal and the other executives gathered at the foot of her bed knew otherwise.

One of them was Maskent, the Incantifer who was the co-signer of the Great Treaty, and who was in charge of holding Shadowkind's copy of it. Another was Judge Winston Beauregard, who was supposed to preside over Hebi-Na's trial. The rest were Jalal's advisors and various other administrators.

"I still say this is dumb," said one of them. "She can't hear us."

"I know it's dumb," said Jalal. "But the rules, which we made, say that the prisoner in question must be present when this document is read. It may be a formality to do it now, but..."

He took a document out of an envelope. He cleared his throat.

"Hebi-Na..." he said. "The crimes originally pending against you were multiple counts of murder, attempted murder, aiding a terrorist group, and conspiring with a being with apocalyptic and genocidal goals.

"To that, we since added an additional count of aiding a terrorist group, and use of dark magic.

"However... In the interests of compassion, due to your current condition, which was inflicted upon you by a being far crueler than you ever were... By the power invested in me and my allies... You are hereby granted a full and complete pardon."

He sighed as he put the document back in the envelope.

"Still..." he said. "It is cold comfort... Because so long as the curse has its hold on you, Wilhelm's spell must remain in effect for your protection. Without it, the Bells of Baphomet would cause incredible agony, and then violent death when their tolling attracts their shadowy Demon.

"But I promise this... No curse is truly incurable! Somewhere, in some abandoned wizard's laboratory, there may yet be an ancient journal that can give us a clue to finding a method to curing this vile affliction.

"I promise, Hebi-Na... The cure is out there somewhere... And we will do our best to find it...

"You have my word..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In Neo Domino, at the Security Academy, an interviewer looked over an applicant's application.

He wasn't Aware, so he noticed nothing strange about the applicant, who happened to be Joaquin.

"Hmm..." he said. "Well, everything seems good... I couldn't help but notice that you wrote 'none' where it says 'Next of Kin'."

"Oh, I don't have any family, really..." said Joaquin. "Not any more..."

"Ah, say no more..." said the interviewer. "These things happen."

Joaquin knew he had lied several times on the application, and had used a fake resume... But he needed a job. And he was hardly the first person who had lied on a resume.

"Well..." said the interviewer, "the initial written test for applicants is tomorrow... I won't lie to you, that will be the easy part."

"Oh, don't worry," said Joaquin, as they shook hands. "I never expected anything to be easy."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At the Shadowchasers' townhouse, the television was tuned to a special report. Jeager was at the foot of the Daedalus Bridge, surrounded by a horde of reporters, carrying a pair of giant novelty scissors.

"It is my great pleasure," he said, "to declare the complete Daedalus Bridge open for business. With the opening of this span, may Neo Domino and Satellite be no longer separated, and its populations live in harmony."

He cut the ribbon, and the crowd applauded, followed by flashes of cameras.

"Thank you," he said, bowing.

Ember sat in a chair by the window, looking up at the sky.

"Still bummed out, Ember?" asked Shichiro.

"You'd think they could have stayed around for a little longer..." muttered Ember. "After all we went through..."

"I got just the thing to cheer you up!" exclaimed Boris, as he floated into the lounge. "Wilhelm taught me this great recipe for bratwurst."

"Gonna take more than sausage to cheer me up, Boris," said Ember.

"You have to see their side, Ember..." said Jinx. "They were waiting two-hundred years for this... They were kind of anxious to get back to work..."

"Yeah, well... Now what?" asked Ember. "Do we just wait for the next disaster waiting to wipe out humanity before we leap into action, save the day, and then fade into obscurity?"

"That is indeed a problem with the veil that hides Shadowkind, Ember..." said Gears. "There's no fame or glory from most of the world..."

"But there is plenty of it from several other worlds," said Jalal's voice.

Everyone turned as Jalal's image appeared from the fireplace.

"Jalal?" asked Shichiro.

"What do you mean?" asked Ember.

"This was delivered to headquarters earlier today..." said Jalal.

An envelope appeared in Ember's hands.

"It seems that you four are quite popular elsewhere..."

Ember quickly opened the envelope. Inside was a DVD, and another envelope.

Ember quickly opened the DVD case, and placed it in the DVD player.

The screen went static, and then Jetta's face appeared on it.

"Hello, people," she said. "Sorry Trymus, Shannalla, and Il Mathman couldn't get into this message too, but they're very busy. We all are. They send their regards.

"I wanted to tell you that progress is being made, and we have given you all credit for the help you gave us. Your names are quickly being spread across the galaxy. Heh... Some younger folks are exaggerating your abilities a little, I'm afraid, but that happened to us all the time.

"You won't have to worry about the Paragons ever bothering the Earth again. It seems that their powers are completely gone. The good news for them is, that means their punishments won't involve being turned into living generators. But I can safely say that you've seen the last of the last of the vashar.

"Anyway, it seems we misjudged Sirius a great deal. He was more confident of your success than you might have thought. In fact, he used intermediaries to make a deal with I2 as soon as you got me out of jail, Ember. The results should be in that second envelope."

Ember looked at the second envelope. Then she opened it.

There they were. Copies of the four Synchro Monsters. Trymus the Conqueror, Shannalla the Fierce, Il Mathman the Artificer, and Jetta the Bronze-Hearted.

"Not bad, huh?" asked Jetta. "We may not be able to truly fight alongside you any more... But with those cards in your decks, we'll be with you in spirit at least, for as long as you keep dueling.

"All I can say now is thanks for everything... And whatever the future may bring, good luck..."

The screen turned to static again.

Ember slowly handed the cards out, giving the right ones to Shichiro, Jinx, and Gears.

"As for what comes next," said Jalal, "I'm already onto that..."

He gestured with his left hand, and four fliers appeared in their hands.

"The World Grand Prix?" asked Gears.

"Now that Turbo Duels have become legal to the public due to the renovations of Neo Domino and Speed World 2," said Jalal, "this tournament has been planned. It will happen in a couple of months and will turn Neo Domino and the coastal highways into a dueling field.

"I've sent in an application. You folks will be representing Great Britain."

"You want us to enter?" said Jinx, in disbelief.

"Sorry, boss..." said Shichiro. "I don't do tournaments..."

"If it was but a tournament, I'd understand," replied Jalal. "But I have it on good knowledge that Yliaster is the biggest sponsor of this event. I suspect that this is a front for a new scheme. And like I said before, the Shadowchasers will not be caught by surprise by them a second time.

"If you enter, you can keep an eye on what's happening, and find out the truth of the matter."

"Hey..." said Jinx, as she looked at the flier. "This says that the teams have to consist of three duelists. There are four of us."

"I know," replied Jalal. "Three of you will enter as a team, while the fourth will observe from the outside and act on any observations made by the other three."

"And just who will have that job?" asked Shichiro.

Jalal smirked.

"Well..." he said. "I believe the four of you can work that out on your own... Besides... You have some time to prepare...

"Good luck... Shadowchasers..."

Ember put the flier down. She walked outside, and looked up at the sky.

An airplane flew past the clouds...

She had no idea that one passenger on that airplane, in the first class section, was a man with a familiar set of sunglasses. The rest of his distinctive outfit had been traded in for a casual shirt and a pair of slacks.

All of Trueman's power was gone now. He was just as mortal as the next human. But the aboleth had put aside a great deal of monetary wealth in case it ever needed it, and Trueman had known how to access it.

_Well, so much for that, he thought. Maybe once I get to the States, I can stay out of the limelight for a while... Settle in Texas or maybe Montana... Let the being I once was fade into obscurity..._

He looked out the window. He took a deck of cards out of his pocket, and flipped the top card.

He looked at Dark Archetype. It was the only thing that remained from what he once was.

_I wonder though... he thought. Has the world seen the last of the Messenger of Darkness?_

_That is one question that I doubt right now even I could answer truthfully..._

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_**Finis**_

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_I hope you all enjoyed "Shadowchasers: Power Primordial"._

_As you saw, many loose ends have been left. I did that on purpose, as inspiration for other authors. They will not be addressed in my future work, but others are free to expand on them without permission._

_Loose end #1: Hebi-Na. Her fate is now uncertain. The Shadowchasers have forgiven her, but a cure must still be found, and perhaps she must find a way to gain true redemption. I welcome anyone who seeks to explore this path further. _

_Loose end #2: Trueman. Even he does not know what his future will hold at this point. If anyone wants to use him as a plot device in a future story, they are free to submit a query. _

_I will be working on upgrading the Guidelines. Much has changed since last I looked at them. As for me, my future project is in development, but I'm afraid that it is time to say goodbye to Shichiro, Gears, Jinx, and Ember. As much as I love these characters, there's much more in the Shadowchasers world to explore, and it was time I moved on and left them to their futures. _

_And one final thing before I go... I'm having a little contest!_

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**Mach-2 Version Contest**

A lot of folks have complained since day one that "Jalal the Dragonborn", the card that Jalal gives to every Shadowchaser with a piece of his soul infused inside, is a broken card.

Well, here's the skinny... I think so too, and so does he. So Jalal is working on a Mach-2 version, after which there will be a complete change in policy regarding which version is used.

Changing existing versions of the cards will be easy for Jalal, due to his link to them. He simply has to cast a ritual and meditate for two days. The hard part will be designing the new version.

So what will the new version be capable of? It's certainly going to be a surprise to you, because it's going to be a surprise to me!

Until the end of December, I will take submission for designs on the Mach-2 version of Jalal the Dragonborn. Just follow the following guidelines:

The card must be a Light-Attribute, Warrior-Type Synchro Monster that is at least Level 7.

Because it will be given to all Shadowchasers, and their decks vary, it cannot have any specific Tuner or non-Tuner requirements.

Its ATK should be at least 2,400 and its DEF should be at least 1,800, unless its effect is such that requires it to be lower. (I'm willing to look at something with scores of zero, for example, if it makes sense.)

Think "Jalal the Dragonborn" isn't the best name? If you think you have a better name, you can suggest that too! Just make sure that Jalal's first name is in it.

Sound simple? Good. Send me a PM or an e-mail with your design. The best design (decided by me and a confidant whose identity will be revealed later) will have his or her design implemented as the new version in all future Shadowchaser stories. It will debut in an early chapter of "Shadowchasers: Torment", my new fic that will debut on New Year's Day.

So get on it! Don't forget, this card might decide the fate of the world at some point...


End file.
